When it comes to selecting a home or evaluating a property’s value, understanding the square footage is essential. This measurement represents the total living area within a building. Knowing how to calculate square footage is helpful for homeowners, real estate agents, renters and prospective buyers alike. In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to calculate the square footage of a house accurately.

Step 1: Gather supplies

Before getting started, gather the necessary tools and materials for measuring. You will need:

– A measuring tape (preferably at least 25 feet long)

– A pen or pencil

– A notebook or graph paper

– A calculator

– (Optional) Laser distance measurer for larger or more complex rooms

Step 2: Measure room dimensions

Begin by measuring the length and width of each room in the house. Take care to measure from wall to wall, ignoring any built-in fixtures like cabinets or shelves. Remember to record these measurements in your notebook.

Step 3: Calculate square footage of individual rooms

For each room, multiply its length by its width to get its square footage. For example, if you measured a bedroom that was 12 feet long and 10 feet wide, you would multiply 12 x 10 to get 120 square feet.

Step 4: Add up total square footage

Once you’ve calculated the square footage for each individual room, add all of these measurements together to determine the total square footage of the house. For instance, if you had three rooms with dimensions:

– Bedroom: 120 sqft

– Living Room: 150 sqft

– Kitchen: 80 sqft

You would add them together (120 + 150 + 80) = 350 sqft for total house square footage

Step 5: Account for non-living spaces and irregular areas

Keep in mind that some square footage calculations may exclude non-living spaces such as garages, unfinished basements, and attics. If you want to include these spaces in your measurements, follow the steps outlined above but make a separate note of their square footage.

For irregularly shaped rooms or homes, you may need to divide the space into smaller, rectangular sections and calculate each section’s square footage separately. Once you have all squared areas calculated, add them together for a total measurement.

Step 6: Double-check your measurements

To ensure accuracy, double-check your calculations and measurements. This is especially important if you’re using the calculated square footage for assessing a property’s value or quoting it in a listing.

In conclusion, accurately calculating the square footage of a house is not only helpful for determining its value but also essential for evaluating the available living space. By following these simple steps and measuring each room carefully, you can quickly and accurately calculate your home’s square footage. Keep this skill in mind as you explore future properties or consider renovations to your current home.