Q When advertising a condominium, do you advertise the inside square footage or the outside square footage? – G.R., Everett
A When you buy a condominium unit, you are literally buying the space within. You own it from the coat of paint inward. The actual structure of the building, including the walls of each condo unit, are part of the common grounds of the complex, which are jointly owned by all of the owners as a group.
When an appraisal is done on a condominium, the interior space is measured and the total amount of square footage is computed from those measurements. However, when advertising a condominium for sale, you do not have to go to the trouble of actually measuring your unit.
Most real estate agents use the county property tax figures for the square footage used in advertisements. However, this number is always qualified by using the term approximate.
For example, if the county property tax records show that your unit has 978 square feet, you would advertise that it is “approximately 978 square feet, per Snohomish County Tax Records.” It is then up to the buyer to verify the exact square footage of the unit.
Keep in mind that county records, and even building plans, are often inaccurate when it comes to the square footage of a home. The only reliable figure is based on an actual measurement of the property. Incidentally, for single-family homes, the total square footage is usually based on a measurement of the exterior of the building. That’s because you are purchasing the entire building and not just the space inside the building as you are with a condominium.
But don’t get too hung up on square-footage figures. The layout of the home has a much greater impact on how roomy it feels than the actual square footage. Modern homes with open floor plans often feel much bigger than similar-sized older homes with walled-off separate rooms. It’s common for buyers to ask about square-footage, but be sure to emphasize the other positive aspects such as light and open if it is a relatively small unit.
Also, be sure that you make it clear that any representation of square footage is an approximation and it is up to the buyer to verify this information.
I know of a case where the home buyers were specifically looking for a 5,000 square foot home.
They bought a home that was advertised as 5,000 square feet, but later the buyers were shocked to discover that house was much smaller than the 5,000 square feet advertised. Now, keep in mind that the buyers did not have a problem with the look and feel of the home when they bought it.
It looked big enough at the time. But they were very upset to find out the actual square footage was smaller than they wanted.
In this case, it was really just a matter of ego. But it still caused them to sue the sellers for damages. Don’t put yourself in that kind of position. Tell prospective buyers that the square footage is just an estimate and must be independently verified.
Mail your real estate questions to Steve Tytler, The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. Fax questions to Tytler at 425-339-3435, or e-mail him at economy@heraldnet.com
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