Judging a Home's Square Footage | Real Estate Today Radio

Here?s a question: Can you guess the average square footage of a home purchased last year?

In 2011, the average home purchased was 1900 square feet and had three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

But as we?ve talked about in today?s show, one size doesn?t fit all home owners.

In the housing boom days where the larger homes were prevalent in suburban landscapes, home owners almost wore the square footage of a home as a badge of honor. The bigger, the better.

But now home owners have realized bigger isn?t always better. These gigantic homes cost a lot more to maintain, and to heat and cool. As your square footage increases, so can your utility costs.

So does that mean smaller is better then?

You likely didn?t pick your mate based on how tall they were ? at least we hope you didn?t, that could lead to disappointment! While there?s more to choosing a mate than size alone, that same thinking should be applied in choosing a home as well.

For some, the 300 square foot micro condos that are popping up in New York City which we discussed earlier in the broadcast are sufficient enough. For others, they prefer to go big. Even gigantic! In Orlando, there?s a nearly 100,000 square foot home being built which will be the biggest house in America when it?s complete. It?s dubbed the Queen of Versailles.

Obviously there?s quite a size difference between a 300 hundred square foot home and 100,000 square feet. So which one is better?

Well, the truth is you may be setting yourself up for heartache if you just go on square footage. You could be missing out in overlooking some gems.

Some real estate markets already realize this and no longer emphasize square footage in home sales. Instead, they highlight the number of bedrooms and other characteristics of a house. They realize that it?s what ?feels? to be the right size to a home shopper not the dimensions on paper that will win the affection of home buyers.

After all, if you walk into a home that is 1500 square foot and then another home that?s also listed at that you may wonder: Why do they ?feel? so different?

One may feel spacious, while the other feels cramped. That?s because square footage is used in different ways. Some homes have long hallways that zap square footage away. Others are more open that can make the smallest of corridors feel larger than they really are. Some homes squeeze in more bedrooms, while others at the same square footage have bigger but fewer bedrooms.

Square footage also can be calculated differently, is that square footage listed for a home all usable space? Maybe it?s including a crawl space, outdoor patio, or the garage.

Home shoppers often may want to know about the price-per-square-foot so they can use that number to comparison shop other homes in the area, and see if they?re paying more or less on average.

But this can be misleading.

Square footage doesn?t factor in how many stories a home has or the type of dwelling it is, whether it?s a single family home or a townhome.

Homes don?t sell for more just because they have higher square footage. Visit New York City to see that!

Other characteristics are factored into price, such as the home?s condition, location, nearby amenities, and how the space is configured.

Going beyond the square footage is what finding the ?right-size? home is all about. It?s not about supersizing or downsizing. It?s about finding a home that fits the way YOU want to live in it and how YOU use the space. No matter how big or small, it?s choosing the right-sized home for you.

So put away that measuring tape and hang up the yard stick.

It?s about more than the numbers ? it?s about you, your family and the place you call ? home.

Source: http://retradio.com/?p=5852

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