How Many Square Feet Is My House? How to Calculate Square Feet of a House

If you’re selling or looking to buy, one concept that’s crucial to understand is how to calculate the square feet of a house.

Having to do a square footage calculation may be giving you panicked thoughts about being late to homeroom, but there’s a huge difference between a home that’s 400 square feet and one that’s 4,000, and not just in terms of how much space you’ve got to stretch your legs.

A home’s square footage is a crucial element in determining the price of a home you’re trying to buy or sell, how much you’ll pay in taxes if you live there, and what kinds of renovations are possible in your future. Plus, a home’s square footage can be surprisingly subjective. So, if you’re asking yourself, “how to calculate square feet of a house?” here’s what you need to know.

Since most people don’t have a square foot calculator in their back pocket, here’s what you need to know to ace any square footage calculations that crop up in your future.

How to calculate square feet of a room

You probably know how to calculate the square footage of a simple room without any funny shapes. Just break out your measuring tape—or a laser measure—to get its length and width. Multiply the width by the length and voila! You have the square footage. Say a room is 20 feet wide by 13 feet long, then 20 x 13 = 260 square feet.

How to calculate square feet of a house

While measuring a single room is no big deal, people get kind of intimidated when it comes to calculating the square footage of an entire home. While homes can initially seem “daunting to measure, they’re just a collection of small boxes,” says Mario Mazzamuto of SF Bay Appraisal. Don’t sweat it if a room has an outcropping. Simply break that area down into a smaller box, and measure each box individually. Add up each box’s square footage to get the room’s total area. So if your living room, bedroom, bathroom, and hallway are  500, 400, 200, and 100 square feet respectively, that means the total is 500 + 400 + 200 + 100 = 1,200 square feet total.

If you have a round kitchen and a triangular rumpus room, fear not. Just check out vCalc’s handy calculator that will tell you how to calculate square feet no matter what polygon’s thrown your way. Once you choose a shape, the calculator will prompt you for the measurements needed to compute square footage.

How many square feet is my house? Take the square foot calculation with a grain of salt

Now that you know how to calculate the square footage of a home, it’s time to bust your bubble with a big caveat: A square footage calculation is surprisingly subjective based on who’s doing the measuring. For instance, you measured the actual, livable square footage between the interior walls. But many architects use their own square foot calculation method, measuring the square footage from the exterior walls.

This explains why there are often discrepancies between your square foot calculations and those of a real estate agent, builder, or other sources. (looking for an agent? Here’s where to find a real estate agent in your area.)

“Many MLS services require a listing’s square footage to come from a specific source,” says Realtor.com. So while you can make your own estimate, you may need to hire a certain professional to come up with a number that can be used on your listing; check with your Realtor or town’s building department to determine who that is.

As a general rule, “the square footage extends through the Sheetrock and framing to the exterior of the wall,” says Mazzamuto. Generally, to do the same for your measurements, add 6 inches per measurement, he says.

Read more at Realtor.com

Related Links

• More Homes, Slower Price Growth – What It Means for You as a Buyer

• Should You Sell Your House or Rent It Out?

• Pre-holiday checklist: 27 things to do to prepare your home before you go away

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Featured at West + Main Louisville: Lilianna Story

Please join us in Louisville for First Friday, featuring photographer Lilianna Story

Old Mexico

920 Main Street
12.06.2024, 6-9pm

Meet Lilianna

Lilianna Story is a photographer from Texas, specializing in fine art photography from different parts of the world.

Lilianna started photographing professionally over 20 years ago. She was mostly influenced by her father, who was also a photographer.  He taught her how to photograph with heart.  He photographed presidents and celebrities, including John Kennedy, Jacquelin Onassis and Lyndon B. Johnson.  His favorite work involved human interest stories and this taught Lilianna how to capture life through the lens.

"My goal is to capture people and places which evoke emotion and help tell a story."

MAESTRO DE SOGA

Learn more about Lilianna in our Q+A!

How did your business come to exist?

I never set out to be a photographer. I started photographing with my father‘s camera.  Then someone asked me to photograph professionally. I was fearful, but then I said yes. I’ve enjoyed it ever since.

What are you known for?

Many people will say my work is known for capturing light and giving importance to negative space in a photograph.  But ultimately, the observer defines that.

What are you currently working on?

I recently returned from India, so I am working on a series for exhibition.

CHARRA

What is your favorite part of your job?

Being able to give and serve this way is humbling and makes me happy.

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever gotten?

My father always says, “enjoy it, share it, and remember that it does not come from you.”

What do you like to do when you are not working?

I love family. Being around them, re-energizes my soul.

CHARRO

What is your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is promoting my work. It feels awkward to self promote.

Who/What are your biggest influences?

My parents are a big influence to me. They are honest and loving and very nurturing.  Above all, God steers me.

What is your dream project?

My dream project would be to photograph a unique culture that no one really knows about. And working with children, I love working with children.

Get in touch with Lilianna

Website: https://www.liliannastory.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liliannastoryphotography

If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Ashley at ashley@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!

Just Listed: Move-In Ready Gem with Stunning Mountain Views!

Amazing opportunity to get a fully updated and move-in ready home in an ideal location just across the street from Westminster Hills Open Space + Dog Park with instant access to miles of trails and beautiful front range mountain views!

Located on a quiet street, this home has a ton of curb appeal with a classic brick + neutral facade along with tidy landscaping, new roof, new garage door + new driveway. Inside you will find a bright + airy open living area with vaulted ceilings that flows freely and provides a great space for entertaining. Interior fully updated to include durable laminate flooring, custom modern iron railing, new lighting + hardware. Kitchen was recently renovated with crisp white shaker cabinets, new quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, single-basin sink, open shelving + countertop seating for three. Primary bedroom has stunning mountain views, walk-in closet + connects to full bath. Both baths are newly updated with new shower tile, vanities + lighting. Garden-level downstairs gets good natural light and has a great den/flex space w/ wood-burning fireplace + an office/3rd bedroom. Highlight of the home is the 400+ SF deck with amazing mountain views that overlooks open space. With plenty of room for dining or lounge furniture, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy the solitude of a quiet morning cup of coffee, watch the sunset, or have a nice evening under the warm glow of string lights. The large backyard has mature trees, plenty of flat grassy space, a large fragrant lilac bush + several flower-blooming trees.There is not a better location to take advantage of an active outdoor lifestyle - miles of walking + biking trails are just across the street, Standley Lake Park is 1/2 mi away, and incredible hiking in the foothills of Eldorado Canyon, Boulder or Golden are a quick drive. Enjoy local dining + community events nearby in Downtown Louisville or Westminster Downtown, and have easy access to multiple highways for a quick commute.

Listed by Kate Kazell for West + Main Homes. Please contact Kate for current pricing + availability.

 

Have questions?
West + Main Homes
(405) 652-6635
hello@westandmain.com

Presented by:
Kate Kazell
720-613-8478
katekazell@westandmainhomes.com

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Mortgage Rates Fall to 6.78% Amid Postelection ‘Rate Volatility’

Mortgage rates ticked down from 6.79% last week to 6.78% for a 30-year fixed home loan for the week ending Nov. 14, according to Freddie Mac.

“After a six-week climb, rates have leveled off, but overall affordability continues to be an issue for potential homebuyers,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

The downturn can be traced to the presidential election, which dominated headlines last week and sent the stock market into overdrive.

“The coming months could bring more mortgage rate volatility as reactions to the election and its implications move through the market,” says Hannah Jones, Realtor.com® senior economic research analyst.

As Americans brace themselves for what could be a wild economic ride as 2024 winds down, here’s a snapshot of the latest housing market data and what it means for homebuyers and sellers.

Mortgage rates expected to climb higher

Once the elections were in the rearview mirror, all economic eyes turned to the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee, which met last Thursday.

The Fed cut the Federal Funds rate (the interest rate banks charge each other for short-term loans) by 25 basis points, to 4.5% from 4.75%.

While the Fed doesn’t set mortgage rates, Fed rates and mortgage rates tend to move in the same direction, which helps explain why mortgage rates sank this week. However, “the Freddie Mac rate for a 30-year mortgage continued to remain higher than many initially expected,” explains Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu.

This “recent upward trajectory of mortgage rates could largely discourage sellers from listing their homes,” says Jones—especially given that roughly 84% of outstanding mortgages have a rate of 6% or lower.

And mortgage rates are expected to go even higher “as a result of postelection Treasury yields,” adds Jones.

Even so, the Realtor.com economic team continues to hold out hope that the largely frozen real estate market might begin to thaw.

“Despite still-high rates, a recent read on homebuyer and seller sentiment showed relatively rosy expectations,” says Jones.

About 64% of sellers consider now a good time to sell, and just 22% of respondents expect mortgage rates to climb.

“Only time will tell whether the market will reflect this optimism,” says Jones.

Median home prices fall slightly

Mortgage rates continue to seesaw while home prices remain flat, falling just 0.2% for the week ending Nov. 9 compared with the same week last year. (Listing prices hit a median of $424,950 nationwide in October.)

This is the 24th week in a row that the median list price was less than or equal to the same week of 2023.

However, when a change in the inventory mix toward smaller homes is accounted for, the median listing price per square foot increased by 1.7% the week ending Nov. 9 compared with the same week a year prior.

“The housing market has remained largely unaffordable to many would-be buyers over the last year,” says Jones.

Despite this, buyers have a glimmer of hope, with “nearly 20% of listings offering price cuts,” according to Xu.

Housing stock continues to rise

Fresh listings are always a boon for buyers, yet they rose by only 1.7% for the week ending Nov. 9 compared with a year ago.

Overall housing stock is also up, with 26.1% more homes for sale for the week ending Nov. 9 than the previous year. This marks 53 weeks with a higher number of homes listed for sale compared with the year before.

Even so, this week’s uptick in housing stock was lower than last week’s, marking the seventh week of slowing momentum and the lowest annual change since late March.

“Slowing listing activity and stifled buyer demand has resulted in slowing inventory growth,” explains Jones.

Nevertheless, if mortgage rates decrease, it could boost buyer demand, which could eat into the recent buildup of housing stock.

Homebuyers are slow to act

Buyers might have taken a break from their house hunt last week to focus on the election—and the economic fallout—as homes spent nine more days on the market for the week ending Nov. 9 year over year. (In October, homes spent a median of 58 days on the market.)

“Generally, buyers have been holding off, waiting for more affordable housing conditions,” says Jones.

The recent bounce-back in mortgage rates that had been edging closer to 6% might be disappointing for homebuyers hoping for a year-end dip.

However, they can benefit from other buyer-friendly market trends, such as “the highest inventory since December 2019 and the slowest seasonal market in five years,” says Xu.

Read more at Realtor.com

Related Links

• More Homes, Slower Price Growth – What It Means for You as a Buyer

• Should You Sell Your House or Rent It Out?

• Pre-holiday checklist: 27 things to do to prepare your home before you go away

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search Homes in Colorado

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Search Homes in Oklahoma

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Pre-holiday checklist: 27 things to do to prepare your home before you go away

Preparing your home before a holiday is a considerably less enticing task than planning your trip and packing your bags.

But ensuring your home is safe, maintaining cleanliness and implementing some energy-saving precautions are all essential tasks.

The kitchen often calls for the most thorough preparation, with food preservation, hygiene and electrical hazards all important considerations.

There is, of course, the question of what to do with your curtains and lighting (which we answer below,) as well as some things you may not have considered such as emptying a coffee machine, putting out air fresheners and opening wardrobe doors.

Below, we have created a comprehensive checklist of essential pre-holiday tasks for every room in your home.

What to do throughout the home

• Put out new air fresheners or pot pourri. Your home can become quite stale over the course of a week or two, especially if all your windows are shut. Air fresheners will help to diffuse pleasant smells for your return.

• Put lamps on a timer. "If you have an automatic timer on your lights, set it to turn on and off in the evenings at pre-programmed times. Or, make use of external security lights which will warn off potential intruders and give the impression of someone being at home," says Lizzie Beesley, kitchen specialist from Magnet.

• Use a dehumidifier. Without sufficient air circulation, your home is susceptible to mold growth. A dehumidifier can be put on an automatic timer for a few hours every day.

• Reset heaters and thermostats. If your heating comes on automatically, remember to reset the thermostat so you're not wasting energy.

• Turn off the water at the mains. "Water leaks are one of the most common domestic disasters holidaymakers return home to. They’ll cause considerable damage and expense if left unattended, so remember to turn off your water supply at the mains," says Lizzie. "The stopcock is usually located in the cupboard under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe comes into your home."

• Pause regular deliveries. If you have any subscriptions, or automatic deliveries from Amazon for instance, remember to pause them so you don't have a pile of boxes drawing attention to your front door.

• Consider smart technology. Many appliances – including all lighting and even your blinds – can be controlled remotely from your smartphone. In the same vein, you can receive a live stream from security cameras.

• Prepare your indoor plants. Move your plants away from the windows so they aren't overexposed to heat, but keep them in sunlight. Water generously before you leave – still allowing excess water to drain fully so they aren't sitting in water. Or use some Hydrospikes that stick into your plant's soil and keep them hydrated.

• Call on friends and family. Having someone pop into your home to open or close curtains, turn on different lights and leave a car in your driveway is always the best option when you're away.

• Set up automated payments. Returning home to unpaid bills and a few reminders is not the ideal welcome. Automate your payments, or settle everything beforehand.

How to prepare your kitchen

• What to switch off: Ovens, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, kettles, coffee machines, toasters and other countertop gadgets in your home should be switched off before departure.

• What not to switch off: Never unplug the fridge or freezer, and only turn off the boiler during winter months to prevent your pipes from freezing.

• Take out the bins. Rubbish and recycling left out can attract pests and leave an unpleasant odour.

• Clean out the fridge. Any food likely to spoil can spread mould, even when it's kept in the fridge, so freeze anything that can't be eaten and clean your fridge thoroughly.

• Empty fruit bowls. A lot of fruit can be left for up to a week without spoiling, but do remember that any fruit left out is susceptible to fruit flies.

• Don't forge the coffee machine. Wet coffee grounds left in your machine are the perfect breeding ground for mould, so don't forget to add them to your cleaning list. "Coffee machines are a staple in many of our kitchens nowadays and since coffee grounds are tucked away within the machine, it’s easy to overlook clearing them out amongst all your holiday prep," says Lizzie. "It’s a simple step to miss, but take the time to clean to do so!"

• Prepare the dishwasher. Run a cycle and leave the dishwasher door open slightly to let excess water evaporate.

• Clean the kitchen sink. Drains can start to smell due to a build up of food residue and stagnant water so thoroughly clean your sink and drain before departure.

• Seal dry food. As your doors and windows will be shut for a prolonged period of time your kitchen is likely to become hotter than usual. Remember that heat affects the quality of food, so seal up any boxed goods like cereal, pasta or rice or pop them in Tupperware.

Things to remember in the bedroom

• Change your sheets. It's so much nicer to return home to fresh bedlinen.

• Leave wardrobe doors open. Bedrooms can become humid in the summer months, which can lead to the spread of mould. Leave doors and wardrobes open for better ventilation.

• Don't forget curtains. Drawing blinds during the day is a bit of a giveaway that the home is unoccupied. "Leave them slightly open to give the impression that someone is in, but not enough for people to peer directly in," says Lizzie.

• Rotate your mattress. If you have a two-sided mattress, this is a great time to flip it, or otherwise rotate top to bottom.

How to prepare a garden

• Remove anything flimsy. Look for items in your front garden that could blow over in a gust of winds – something that falls over and remains so for a number of weeks could be a giveaway that no one is home.

• Clean up your rubbish and recycling bins. Leaving anything in outdoor bins can attract pests and create an unpleasant odour, especially in summer months.

• Mow your garden. An overgrown front lawn can be a telltale sign that you are away, so mow your front garden and water your plants to create the impression of a regularly maintained garden.

• Put your car away. Park your car in your garage, even if it is just to protect it from the elements. And ensure there is no left over food or drink in holders or in the back seat that could go off.

Read more at CountryLiving.com

Related Links

• More Homes, Slower Price Growth – What It Means for You as a Buyer

• Should You Sell Your House or Rent It Out?

• How to Create a Cozy Wintertime Bedroom

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search Homes in Colorado

Search Homes in North Carolina

Search Homes in Oklahoma

Search Homes in Minnesota