Measure Up

Your home's square footage is important, not just because you know how much space you have to enjoy, but because it can also help determine your home's value. When you get an appraisal, one of the items listed is square footage. The appraiser will take this into account with a price per square foot estimate that figures in with your homes other features. So, how do you come up with this number? First, measure your home, beginning at one exterior corner and going around the length of all the walls. Make a sketch using these dimensions. If you need to measure from the inside, add the appropriate amount for the walls, six inches for exterior walls and four inches for an interior wall. Multiply the length times the width to find your home's square footage. There are a few exceptions to take into account. The square footage must be finished for living, including conventional heating, walls, floors and ceilings of acceptable materials and it must be accessible to other parts of the home. Unfinished space is generally not included. Basements, garages and attics fall into that category. And in most areas, there must be a specific amount of 'head room.' Finished attics and upstairs rooms may lose some square footage if the ceiling falls below acceptable levels.