oh wow so that means if you have a fully fitted out basement then it's a 3rd the size bigger again then ours...such big homes!! I couldn't figure out why im reading we have big homes over here, when homes in the USA look so much bigger...makes sense now...thank you!

And only heated square footage counts, so no patios or porches. But basement can count if it meets code in terms of windows and egress, chiefly houses built on a sloped lot where the back is above ground. Another point is that basements are more common in colder, northern states than in the South, where most homes are slab on grade.

our new project homes are mostly built on slab...soooo boring!! we have a lot of homes on slopes with storage areas underneath but not usually bedrooms. might have to move to the US to get a bigger house lol

Totem, not all homes have basements, some are on a cement slab or a crawlspace. Garages and porches are also not included. In the northeast, most homes have full basements due to winter and the ground freezing. In Florida most homes are on a slab due to high water tables in most of the state. Here in California most homes are slab and crawlspace, but in my town most new construction will also have a full basement to maximize sq.ft and profit in an expensive area.

The best basements are those where the land slopes so you can have a walk-out basement and that finished space doesn't look or feel cave-like.

Also, most people don't finish off every part of a basement and usually don't count the unfinished space they use for storage or a workshop.

What counts? Ask your tax assessor...!

Different areas count basement square footage differently. In my area of the Midwest, basement finished space counts in overall total sq footage....but is not valued as high as 1st and 2nd story sq footage. Most in my area build basements, but often leave unfinished for a few years. I will have a 4 bedroom home, but 3 of them will be in the basement.

It does depend on where you live. I am in the north east and only living areas above ground level is in the sq footage. So the basement does not count in the sq footage. Most of all our houses have basements. So a 4000 sq foot house would be a large home. The average home in my area is under 2000 sq ft.

Here in South Carolina, most go by what the tax man says. There are a lot of finished basements that are called unfinished for tax purposes. In general, if it has heat and is finished (walls, etc.) it is taxable as living space. Bedrooms must have a code-legal egress window, and it's not generally considered a bedroom if it doesn't have a closet.

Where we are a walk out basement counts in SQfootage but only the part that goes to the outside so the back part with no windows only counts if left open to other spaces that go outside.In Europe bedrooms never have closets that is what wardrobes are for and IMO the same should apply here I have never been able to understand that need to have a builtin closet to be a bedroom

In Ontario, builders and real estate agents are strictly limited to using the gross above-grade finished space when advertising, listing or selling homes. That means the space as measured from the exterior walls of the home and excluding most of the open space, as in two storey rooms.

However, real estate agents selling resale homes are notorious for fudging the figures and their descriptions. Typically, they will say a home has xx sq. ft. of "living area"; and they will upscale a few hundred sq. ft., i.e., "approximately 4,000 sf." from say 3,700 sf., hoping no one notices or acts on their misrepresentations. (I was a licensed real estate broker for 17 years.)

In most jurisdictions in the US, finished and conditioned (heated and/or cooled) spaces are what is counted toward square footage. There are some regional differences - in Florida a lanai space is often counted in living space, and in Alaska my garage was counted too. But generally speaking it’s finished living space.

So a basement wouldn’t be counted if it wasn’t finished beyond studs and concrete, but if it was drywalled and climate controlled it would be. And again, this varies a bit by region.

Not everyone has enormous houses - we are moving into a 2160 sq foot ranch with no basement and there are eight of us. And it feels huge, because our previous home was 1700 sq feet, including that garage. But we are also designing a home for the land we just purchased that is probably going to be pushing 4-5000 sq feet, not including basement, though we are trying to keep it as small as possible while still being gracious and fitting our top needs.

We can live in a variety of space sizes - as demonstrated by our new temporary home and the build we are working on concurrently.

Hi,

There is a standard method (ANSI Z765-2003) for calculating living area of single family homes. It may not be used everywhere and the math may be too difficult for Realtors, but it is a standard method and has been since 2003.

One thing that bugged me is that here they go by the outside dimensions of the house. Due to the thick ICF walls, I give up 152 square feet of space in my walls! I successfully argued with the tax department that since I can't live in that wall space, it shouldn't be counted as 'living space', and surprisingly, they agreed. Of course, if I ever go to sell the house, it will be listed as a smaller size than it would have been.

As stated above, in Ontario, Canada, the basement isn't counted, whether it's finished or not. So I have about 1500 square feet, of which 90% is finished, that isn't included in the total square footage.

If I lived in Ontario, I'd build my entire house underground!

In my area LEGAL square footage is what's listed on the County Tax Assessor's records, and includes finished basements and attics. I have a full basement and it is not included as square footage. Unfortunately, realtors here often list total square footage including unfinished or unpermitted basement remodels in their sale listings. It's deceptive. I always check the County website for accurate square footage.