Question About Home Square Footage in Fairfax County (Alexandria: sales, real estate)

[ersatz]

Does anyone understand Fairfax County codes and assessments well enough to advise if upgrading from a 3-season to a 4 season sun room would allow me to claim additional square house footage living area when selling? I currently have a 3-season sun room but it is in poor condition and it is likely better to replace than fix it. The sun room footage is not counted as house square footage living area in my current Fairfax County tax assessments.

I have budgeted for demolition and replacement of a 3-season porch with separate heating and cooling. I plan to use the sun room about ten months out of the year as a rec room and to sit and enjoy the sunshine. Several sales reps have tried to persuade me to spend 40-50% more for a four-season sun room (double-paned glass, added insulation etc.) by stating that I can claim additional home square footage when I sell the house as my house is smaller than average. Sun room construction would be screen/glass/drywall/insulation/aluminum built on ground-level slab. I have run the numbers on cost per square foot. I figure that I would come out somewhat under break-even if I sold today though replacing the deteriorated existing sun room would increase the sales appeal. My time window to sell is 3-5 years out. I realize that increased footage would result in an increased tax burden, but I expect the market value will continue to increase in the greater Alexandria area.

[boyd888]

Yes a full addition should be enough, but I don't know code specifics. Try emailing the county. I do not think it is worth it to do something you don't seem to care about for 50% cost increase.

For selling many realtors will make a blueprint showing the sizes of rooms and sq footage...that is what buyers will look at, not what the county defined it as when built decades ago. From looking at listings FFX only count above grade for many places meaning split levels and homes with finished basements could have 400-1000 "uncounted" sq footage.

[Ffxdata]

In my experience, real estate agents can put whatever they want in the listing. For example, our house was sold to us as 5 bedrooms. Well it’s only 5 beds if you count a playroom with no closet and a basement bedroom. Looking at square footage isn’t especially helpful when buying a house anyone because of the problem with split levels as already mentioned. I don’t have a clue of our actual living space square footage for just that reason.

[ersatz]

Thanks for answering but I am asking specifically what Fairfax County defines as “above grade living space”, i.e. the total that shows up when anyone researches property information at https://icare.fairfaxcounty.gov/ffxc...x?mode=address.

As a renter and buyer of multiple properties over the years in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties I am well aware that real estate agents can and do say anything.

“Walk To Metro” - I rented a listing that specifically bragged about that. Somehow the agent failed to mention that a walk to the metro took at least 45 minutes while skipping across eight lanes of 55 to 70 mph hour traffic in two spots.

“Family Friendly” meant that gangs of teen-agers hung out in the parking lot daily performing general vandalism and graffiti, keying cars, smashing bottles, and stealing anything left unlocked for more than a couple minutes.

“Period historic details” meant that the fuse box was not updated since 1953.

“Low Maintenance” meant that the lawn/yard was twelve feet square or less.