Measuring a Condo

[Restrain]

Architects often masure to the outside of the 2x4 stud wall, regardless of interior wall measurements. Then, if you use tax records, they often go to the nearest foot, (up always). If you KNOW that Unit 1 is the same as your unit, then use your measured square footage and comment on the discrepancy in the addendum.

Roger

 

[Fran Spinola]

For those of you who do condos and/or coops, any suggestions on how to visualize and sketch a unit (and thus measure correctly) when the shape is irregular and not rectangular or square?

 

[Joe Sullivan]

In our county, if I measured interior wall to interior wall only, I would always be short on what the Assessor says and what the original builder quoted for living area size. So if a unit is on a corner or on the outside wall of the building, I measure to the outside wall. If I'm measuring to an interior wall, I add about 6 inches to get to the point where the adjacent unit would start. In other words, if there was a four unit condo building, with four identically sized units, all on one level, the living area size I measure for one unit would be exactly 1/4 of the total size if I measured the outside of the building like I would measure an SFR. I know that some people don't think this is technically correct, but its' the only way I can ordinarily match the way the Assessor measures from the origianl plans.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

I use what the assessor's record shows...usually taken right from the plans. Most Real Estate agents now do the same since no one wants to be responsible for the measurements. I lived in a condo for 13 years and there was no way measuring the interior would come up to what the builder and the county said was the square footage. Twelve more to go!

 

[moh malekpour]

In my area some condos are attached from three sides and you got no choice but to measure them from inside. Problem that I have sometime is with the rear photo of the subject. The rear of the subject is the front of another condo. How do you take a rear photo of condo like that?

 

[Jungle Boy]

Originally posted by moh malekpour@Jan 10 2004, 08:49 PM
Problem that I have sometime is with the rear photo of the subject. The rear of the subject is the front of another condo. How do you take a rear photo of condo like that?

Good one Moh

I find myself scratching my scalp with townhouses on occasion.

 

[Tim Juska]

In a lot of major metro areas as is the case in many Chicago condos and high rises, the square footage reported by agents, builders, etc. sometimes will include balconies and even some of the hallway area in the GLA. Sometimes, the square footage reported is just an average as the total floor area is divided by the number of units. Not really accurate for our purposes but not inaccurate as each unit owner also owns a percentage of the common elements which may be included in the square footage in some condos for marketing purposes.

I frequently find myself scratching my head after measuring a unit from the interior or even the exterior if possible and trying to figure out why my square footage does not match theirs. As long as I measure from the inside or outside and double check it, then I know that I am actually coming up with the actual living space of the unit to be appraised and go with it.

 

[Richard Carlsen]

Lee Ann et all who say measure the inside walls are right on. Condominium ownership applies to the interior air space only. The buildings, including the interior walls are part of the common ownership and therefore do not pass in a sale.

As to measurements of that airspace, I find measuring connected condos tedious. There is no way to get the "big picture" like a detached dwelling. What I like to use is the architectural measurements if they have them. They are close enough and take in the little nooks and crannies that are sometimes hard to find on the inside measurements.

Bottom line is, I don't like to do condos and usually turn them down unless they are detached dwellings. I did take an order this past week and visited one in Traverse City yesterday for a good client and one of my strong referring brokers in the area who sold it. I find that getting the info on the development can be a pain in the behind at times.

 

[Ed Woodruff SRA]

Inside walls only, by definition. If the tax roll square footage info was correct, our importance would be greatly diminished.

 

[John Wilson]

Originally posted by Pamela Crowley (Florida)@Jan 8 2003, 09:21 AM
Nothing I do comes close to the 1,408.

Then it's not.

Just throw away any bogus marketing material from Pulte. They're probably taking the GLA from the footprint of the structure. In that case it's apples and oranges, toss it out.

If your comps are the same model, just use your Subject's GLA as a reference for the comps.