I get questions on a regular basis as the why sometimes what I measure is different than what is on public records....especially for condos that are multi level and guest houses that are detached from the main house. Some agents I know just do a quick measurement around the exterior of a house na dguest house or the interior of a condo and base their info on that. Some don't even bother and just base it on public records and assume that PR is up to date! And altho, Public Records is a reliable source, it is good to have a house and guest house or condo properly measured. There is the National Square Footage Standard that appraisers follow when measuring a home:
1. The property must be measured for the exterior /outside walls
2. measure to the nearest inch and report to the nearest whole square foot (round up or down)
3. Include only finished areas
4. Distinqusih between ABOVE-GRADE and BELOW-GRADE finished areas and identify which is which - basements do not count!!!!
5. Do not no include openings in floors - ie open to below areas or stair wells - but do include the steps on the stairs
6. Ceilings must be 7 Ft in height except under stairs, beams and sloping roof lines
7. Include assessory apartments/units ONLY if they are CONNECTED to the main house by finished hallways and stairs - does not include the detached Guest House in the back!
8. Do not include Garage area as part of the SF of the house
You can visit http://www.nahbrc.com/ or call 800-638-8556 and get a copy of this voluntary standard for your information.
So even tho, your detached Guest House has permits, it will not be inlcuded in the GLA adjsutment, however, a good appraiser will do research and find its market value by finding comps that have a similar guest house amenity. And just because Public Records states that a condo is 1200 SF does not amke it so if it a 2 story design with stairs or has an open area.
Hope this helps!
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