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Home Blog Interiors Design Calculate Square Feet

How To Calculate Square Feet Of A House And Why Does It Matter: A Beginner's Guide

Updated : August 12, 2023

Author : author_image Ananth

5912 views

For most of us, the square footage of a home is an important consideration when purchasing since it shows us how much real living space we'll be receiving. Nevertheless, your home's square footage affects your tax assessments, insurance rates, and even the process of obtaining building permits.

Buying a new house is an exciting time, but figuring out how to calculate the square footage is probably the last thing on your mind. Several variables may significantly affect a property's value, including its location.

Measuring a home's square footage is difficult, as are many other home ownership or buying elements. A home's square footage may be measured in several ways, none of which are universally accepted. Your home's worth may be negatively affected if you do this incorrectly.

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However, you don't have to worry about determining the square footage of your property. How simple is it to precisely estimate the square footage of a home?

Let us understand all the details about how to calculate the square feet of a house.

What Is A Square Foot?

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: imagesvc) It is important to know what is included in the square footage of a house

When measuring an area, square feet is the most used unit. Before purchasing any furniture or flooring, it is a good idea to know how many square feet your new house is. Calculate the square feet of your rectangular surface by measuring its length and breadth.

One way to express the amount of floor area is using square footage. Invest some time learning how to calculate and measure square feet, then apply these abilities while doing DIY projects.

Before you begin, you need to know how much square footage you'll need for a bathroom, kitchen, or basement makeover or exactly how many square feet is a normal house. Because wall lengths vary by construction type and certain rooms are strangely shaped, figuring out your square footage may be challenging. In addition, you'll have to take accurate measures in square feet and note any measurements taken on rough or uneven walls or ceilings.

Info Point: measurement area depends on the current govt. Scale in that particular geographical area. Please read it carefully before making any application or deal. 

1 acre in bigha1.613 bigha
1 hectare in bigha3.954 bigha
1 bigha in square feet27,000 sqft
1 bigha to acre0.62 acre
1 bigha in gaj977.38305872 Gaj
1 acre to sq feet43,560 sqft
1 acre to katha32.005906 katha
1 bigha in biswa1 biswa is 1/20 bigha

Why Is Square Footage Important For Your Home?

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: Truoba) It is essential to know how to calculate the square feet of a room to start with

There's more to consider than simply size when calculating square footage. It's all about how comfortably spacious your house is to live in. One of the most important factors to consider while creating your own home or looking for a pre-existing one is the amount of square footage. It shouldn't simply be a random figure that you believe would work, but a computation based on how your family lives works and plays. To pick a size that is neither too large nor too tiny, examine your lifestyle, budget, and expenses.

Calculating square feet may be helpful for a wide range of purposes, from determining the value of your home to disputing an excessive tax assessment.

Setting your listing price based on the actual square footage of your home is critical if you want to put your house on the market. A house assessment is based on a comparison to nearby "comps," which are properties of a similar size and features. A miscalculation of square footage might lead to a miscalculation of the appraised value.

For the same reasons, square footage (commonly abbreviated as SF or SQFT) is vital in real estate transactions that entail a mortgage. To validate the property's value, the lender will want this information from you.

Other than that, understanding your home's square footage might be helpful. The square footage of a previously unfinished area of your home, such as a basement or attic, may be required to secure a construction permit if you decide to complete it.

To help you achieve lower property taxes, you may use the square footage of your home to prove that it is more significant than what your county or municipality says.

Your family's size will undoubtedly determine the size of your house. However, some households may do with a bit less. You should have enough space in your place for at least two persons to sit in any location for each bedroom. There should be enough for six people to sit in the family room if you have three bedrooms. 4 bedrooms? Create a dining area with enough seating for eight people. It's easy to determine how much space each site needs to keep your family comfortable.

Although it doesn't always determine the size of your house, your budget undoubtedly affects how large (or little) it is. Some families may spend all their money on the most prominent place they can afford. Some people may choose a smaller home with more luxurious features. You may get a good indication of the size and style of house you can afford within your budget by discussing pricing per square foot with your contractor or real estate agent. While some homes may be larger but have lower-quality finishes, others may be smaller yet have more expensive fixtures. You may make the most of your money by choosing what matters most.

One other thing to keep in mind is that not all rooms need to have a single function, particularly if you're creating a new house. You may increase square footage without growing your home's footprint by designing dual-purpose rooms (while still getting exactly what you want). You may obtain the functionality of a bigger house without spending more on space if you combine your mudroom, laundry room, or craft room with a home gym.

What Does The Square Footage Include And How To Calculate It?

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: Rdcpix) It is important to know what square feet mean in a house to measure accurately

Now you must be wondering how many square feet is a 4 bedroom house or 5? Before calculating that, it is important to know what may and cannot be considered when calculating a home's square footage is essential. The overall square footage of your property won't include every square foot contained by walls. Instead, you're attempting to estimate your home's gross living area, often its livable space. Not every square foot is made equally. Basements are present. Terraces are present. Large storage rooms are tucked in obscure, difficult-to-access places and garages that have been converted into dwelling quarters.

But when it comes to figuring out a house's square footage, we are left with a figure—a straightforward statistic often used to project a house's worth, construction cost, and general liveability. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend what those direct figures mean. How is square footage determined? What guidelines are utilised to calculate it correctly, and what are the probable errors in the cherished statistic known as a home's square footage? 

You must determine the area of each room in a home and add it together to obtain the total square footage. It seems simple, yes? As we guide you through the procedure, we'll work to maintain it that way. Before we discuss how to calculate square feet of a house plan, you will need these things:

  • Measurement tape
  • Notepad and pencil or pen
  • Calculator

Additionally, particularly in bigger rooms, you may require assistance with the measuring. While it all depends on the design of your home and the intricacy of your floor plan, it might sometimes be a good idea to have some assistance when beginning this project. There are three actions to take when you're ready to start:

1. Make an interior floor layout for the house.

Don't include unfinished spaces, patios, porches, or outdoor stairs; draw each floor individually.

2. Divide the home into quantifiable rectangles.

The better, the more rectangles. This makes non-perfectly flat walls in rooms or halls no longer a mystery.

3. Each rectangle's length and breadth should be measured.

Your dimensions should be rounded to the closest 0.5 linear feet.

4. Determine each section's area.

To calculate the area in square feet, multiply the rectangle's length by width. In the relevant area of your drawing, note this number.

5. Total the area, please.

The home's overall square footage is calculated by adding the square feet of each rectangle. To the closest square foot, round the total.

The dimensions of each room and corridor in your home should be recorded.

You may write down the length and breadth of each room before doing your final calculations and then multiply each one individually.

The total area of each room should be calculated when you have finished measuring and multiplying.

For further information on the requirements for measuring square footage, continue reading: Here is a formula for square feet.

Formula For Square Feet

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: Bankrate) A simple formula for measuring square footage might save you a lot of trouble

Square Feet = Length x Width

For instance, if the length is 30 feet and the breadth is 15 feet, the calculation for square footage is 30 x 15 = 450 sq feet. When computing a room's square foot, the measuring unit switches from feet to square feet or ft to sq ft.

Calculating The Length And Width In Square Feet

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: Realtor)If you are wondering what square feet mean in a house, it is everything!

Follow the instructions below if you're unsure how to measure square feet:

Step 1: Measure the longest side to calculate the length. Attach one end of the measuring tape to the longest side. Write down the measurement.

Step 2: Next, choose the lengthiest side of the area to be defined and measure its breadth. Repetition of the previous stages will provide the same results.

Calculations For Uneven Space In Square Feet

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: i.ytimg)You must know how to calculate the square footage of a two-storey house since the measuring technique will be slightly different

Do you want to know how to calculate square feet for irregular shapes? You may have to consider odd room sizes or additional spaces that sometimes don't flow into your primary room for this. To precisely calculate the square footage, in this case, you may need to divide the room into many sections.

There is a lot of room; therefore, it has to be divided into more manageable, easier-to-calculate pieces. To get the total square footage, measure each piece separately, aggregate the results, and divide the result by 2. A square foot calculator is an excellent tool to simplify this procedure.

Create distinct areas for the space beneath the bed, the shelf area over the window, and the wall space above the dresser, for instance, if you are designing a bedroom. Make a square footage calculation for each part after measuring it independently. To get your total square footage, multiply these figures using a calculator.

A and B are the two sections, let's say.

Multiply their length and breadth to each other.

Section A 10 ft. x 15 ft. = 150 sq. ft. 

Section B 10ft. x 15 ft. = 150 sq. ft. 

Then add both the previous values.

Total area = section A+ Section B

Total area = 150 sq. ft. +150 sq. ft. = 300 sq. ft.

What To Include (And Exclude) From The Square Footage

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: Encypted)Did you know that the method how to calculating square feet of a house roof is distinctly different from measuring room square footage

Square foot calculator standards do not consider basements (even if completed) in total square footage, and garage space is not counted. You may still include the basement in future property listings, so be careful to measure its square footage for your records.

On the other hand, you should include completed basement space in your GLA if it is habitable and has at least seven feet of clearance. For any extra storeys in the home, the same rule applies.

Take an example of a two-story house with a 1,500-square-foot first floor, a 1,000-square-foot second floor, and an 800-square-foot completed basement. It may have 3,300 square feet, a 600-foot garage, and 1,000 square feet of in-house lawn. Although calling it a 4,900-square-foot home would unjustly inflate the property's worth and mislead prospective purchasers about its size.

Aspects To Take Into Account When Purchasing A House, Based On The Square Footage

Calculate Square Feet
(Credit: Encypted) Whether it is how to calculate square feet of a wall or a whole house, the basics are the same

Before purchasing a house, there are a few critical factors to consider, and size is one of them. Although a home may be expanded, this remodelling can be expensive and difficult without the necessary expertise. You can even have restrictions imposed on you by construction permits or property size. Always keep the optimal square footage while looking at various residences. Consider your requirements when considering the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in a potential property. Pay attention to the community, amenities, and more with your concerns. You could discover that the residence meets your needs in a balanced way.

Investors considering purchasing a rental property should check at nearby properties. Is the home you're considering comparable to other apartments nearby? The size of the property strongly influences rent rates and, thus, return on investment. Make sure the figures add up by considering the typical rental rate for properties of comparable size. Although it shouldn't be the sole determining element, square footage is unquestionably crucial.

By now, we are sure you know what people mean by square feet of a house. More importantly, you have a transparent method of calculating square feet of a place, so you face no problems when purchasing or selling any home or apartment. You have a clear idea of the property's value beforehand. We recommend you get some expert help like NoBroker Interiors in case you get confused. We are just one call away!

FAQ's

Q-1 How to calculate the square feet of a two-story house?

A-1 The measurements of each room according to the formula provided here are to be calculated. Ensure that the closet space is also included. You have to exclude unfinished area squares like the garage or the basement. The resultant is the square feet of a two-story house.

Q2- How many square feet can a tiny house be?

A-2 Usually a tiny house is considered to have an area of 600 sqft or less. However, there are countries with tiny homes ranging from about 100-150sqft.

Q-3 How many square feet are required for 3 bedroom house?

A-3 For a 3bhk house, the average square feet required can range from a minimum of 770 to more than 2000 sq ft. As for the average, it hovers somewhere around 1200 sqft.

Q-4 How big is 1500 square feet house?

A4- It is the result of an area measuring 12” x 125”. This means that the house is 12 ft in width with 3-4 rooms that measure typically around 75 ft in length for equal length rooms. With a 125” width, 2-3 rooms can be added.

Q-5 How big is 3500 square feet house?

A-5 It typically refers to a luxury apartment that can house big families. Consider having additional features like high ceilings, extra guest rooms, expensive master suites, large home office space etc.

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