The measurements in our MLS are not exact. Those same measurements are fed to a zillion other websites. We expect them to be close but sometimes they are way off.
Room measurements are usually rounded and expressed in whole numbers which is alright for most uses. When it is time to buy flooring the measurements will need to be more accurate.
Houses are not easy to measure. We start with the foundation and then do some math to get the total square footage. Then we need to figure the finished square footage. Each of those measurements is important when determining the value of a house.
My own home shows up in tax records as being 30% smaller than it is. That is why I don’t assume that the Realtor’s measurements are wrong and the tax assessors are right.
I find houses that mysteriously gain a few hundred square feet. Sometimes it is because part of the basement was finished or unfinished space was added or whoever got the measurements either accidentally or intentionally got them wrong.
Often home buyers will bring rulers to the inspection and take new measurements. Several years ago I had some clients who did that and then backed out of
the purchase when a few hundred square feet went missing. For them, it was more about the honesty of the seller than it was about the size of the house.
Most of the houses that are on the market today were not measured. The measurements from the last time they were on the market were used instead. Appraisals usually include measurements and they are accurate to the point where I wouldn’t waste my time arguing with an appraiser. 🙂
I keep four types of measuring devices in my car and I am not afraid to use them or lend them to my clients to use while house hunting.
