In Fort Collins how do they Measure SQ FT. of a House? (real estate)

[Carbonium]

In Fort Collins if I see a Home that's 5,000 Sq Ft are they counting the square footage of the basement, garage or Attic in the total measurement?

In California They don't count the Garage or Attics and not many homes have a Garage.

[Carbonium]

Originally Posted by Carbonium

In Fort Collins if I see a Home that's 5,000 Sq Ft are they counting the square footage of the basement, garage or Attic in the total measurement?

In California They don't count the Garage or Attics and not many homes have a Garage.

I meant that not many homes have a "basement" in California. It's just that the SQ. FT. of 3-5 bedroom homes in Fort Collins seems huge compared to California. I'm guessing they are counting the basement as part of the living space.

It's just that a house in Fort Collins had pictures of the basement and clearly it was not intended for human occupancy.
No conventional or permanent heating system. Cement floors, concrete walls and no ceiling materials generally accepted for interior construction. So I question how Sq Ft measurements are outlined.

[organick]

Sq footage anywhere is calculated based on living space. There a code requirements that must be met in order to count a basement as living space, they vary from place to place but yes the area must be finished and meet additional requirements such as ceiling height, entrances etc. I dont believe a garage would ever be included or an attic unless finished and again with many additional requirements. Hope this helps.

[Carbonium]

Originally Posted by organick

Sq footage anywhere is calculated based on living space. There a code requirements that must be met in order to count a basement as living space, they vary from place to place but yes the area must be finished and meet additional requirements such as ceiling height, entrances etc. I dont believe a garage would ever be included or an attic unless finished and again with many additional requirements. Hope this helps.

Thanks, I'm guessing the house was falsely advertised as it would not meet the code requirements.

My sisters house also says her place is 3,600+ sq ft but after checking zillow and a bunch of online sites the size jumps up and down from 2600 to 3600 sq ft. I know the garage is not up to code so I guess agents are conning people. Something to look out for.

[Mike Weber]

Carbonium,
The standard practice for the listing of a home's square footage varies by the area in which the home is located. In some areas in Utah, the total square footage is that which is under the roof, including garage. Many areas only count finished square footage, or main floor square footage. In this area, standard practice is to include the basement, even if unfinished, but not the garage.

I see descrepancies between public records listings between counties, even in this area.

The local multiple listing service (MLS) has data fields for the amount of above grade square footage, the amount of finished square footage, and the total amount of square footage. Much of the advertising that takes place on the internet is from data directly downloaded from the MLS, but many of the advertising sites do not download all of the data fields, giving you some of the variation you have encountered.

We agents are required by Colorado law to disclose, on a standard Colorado form, the source from which we obtained the square footage we are marketing. This is usually from public records, from an appraisal, or from building plans. If you are concerned about the square footage being advertised, you should contact the agent and inquire as to the method used to obtain the square footage, and if not satisfied, contact the State to complain.

Good luck in your home search.

[organick]

Originally Posted by Mike Weber

Carbonium,
The standard practice for the listing of a home's square footage varies by the area in which the home is located. In some areas in Utah, the total square footage is that which is under the roof, including garage. Many areas only count finished square footage, or main floor square footage. In this area, standard practice is to include the basement, even if unfinished, but not the garage.

I see descrepancies between public records listings between counties, even in this area.

The local multiple listing service (MLS) has data fields for the amount of above grade square footage, the amount of finished square footage, and the total amount of square footage. Much of the advertising that takes place on the internet is from data directly downloaded from the MLS, but many of the advertising sites do not download all of the data fields, giving you some of the variation you have encountered.

We agents are required by Colorado law to disclose, on a standard Colorado form, the source from which we obtained the square footage we are marketing. This is usually from public records, from an appraisal, or from building plans. If you are concerned about the square footage being advertised, you should contact the agent and inquire as to the method used to obtain the square footage, and if not satisfied, contact the State to complain.

Good luck in your home search.

wow thats deceiving. I never heard of that before.

[Mike Weber]

Originally Posted by organick

wow thats deceiving. I never heard of that before.

organick,

Which part of the answer do you find deceiving?

My only basis for comparison is the local standards. Often, relocation clients come to the area with a different understanding of square footage, based upon the local standard in their area.

The multiple listing service data clearly shows the amount of finished space versus unfinished space (usually basements in this area). The local MLS consumer site, ColoProperty.com - Colorado Real Estate Property, MLS Listings and Realtor Resource. directly uploads those fields from the MLS, allowing the consumer to see both the finished and unfinished square footage. However, Realtor.com only uploads the total square footage.

Unfortunately, given the national reach of sites like Realtor.com, and the variation in local standards as to how square footage is measured, the likelihood of a common method is slim.

When a real estate broker is advertising a property, it is a good idea to advertise both finished and unfinished space. Given the limited space in some publications, the total square footage is sometimes all that will fit. The number of buyers looking for total square footage is actually a bit larger than those looking at finished square footage.