Often, when buying a home, people do not know what is included in the living area of the apartment. This indicator directly affects the cost of square meters, so it is important to find out all the nuances before purchasing an apartment. Many people are interested in whether the balcony is included in the living area of the apartment or not. It is necessary to understand the difference in the concepts of “total housing area” and “living area”. These questions are especially relevant for those who purchase housing in shared ownership.
What is meant by usable area
To understand what is included in the concept of “living area of an apartment,” you need to know the definition of usable area. This parameter reflects the total area of residential and non-residential premises. It does not include utility rooms. The presented interpretation is typical for the Russian Federation. In Western countries, useful means only that space that is used for specific purposes.
Counting Rules
It’s good that it’s considered one of our main indicators that affects the value of real estate, we figured it out. Now it would be nice to understand how living space is calculated. This point is extremely important. After all, the cost of housing will directly depend on it.
Everything is easy and simple. We have already found out that a component of this space is the living room. Then everything is simple. To understand how much area is allocated for living, you must first calculate the footage of each room, and then add the resulting values together. And you will get the desired indicator. How is the area of a room calculated? Here the most common mathematical formulas for calculating the area of a square and rectangle come to the rescue. All measurements must be taken on the inside of the baseboard.
What is meant by living space
In order to know what is included in the living space of an apartment, you should identify the components of the living space in the house. Most often, this term refers to the total value of space in all rooms that are suitable for habitation.
It is difficult to do the calculations correctly in apartments that have been converted into studios. Some people mistakenly believe that the kitchen is included in the living area of the apartment. According to the Housing Code, this statement is erroneous. Based on the definition, we can say that the kitchen is not included in the list of premises suitable for living. Even those kitchens that have equipped sleeping areas will not be an exception.
It turns out that the living area of the apartment includes all premises suitable for living. Using calculations you can determine the total amount.
Calculation rules
How to calculate the total area of an apartment is given below. This calculation is not difficult - you need to measure the area of all the rooms included in it and summarize the results. But there are some nuances that should be taken into account:
- To calculate the square footage of a rectangular room, you need to measure the lengths of its 2 walls, which are connected to each other. After this, the resulting numbers must be multiplied.
- A complex-shaped room can be mentally divided into rectangles, their areas can be calculated by analogy with the first option, and added. The result obtained will be equal to the area of the room.
- If the room has diagonal walls, then you should proceed in the same way: divide it into imaginary rectangles. That part, one of the sides of which is a wall at an angle to the other walls, will be a right triangle. Its area is equal to half the product of its legs (walls forming a right angle). Add all the obtained values together.
Recommendation: It is better to draw rectangular figures that are taken into account on paper using a ruler. This action will help reduce the likelihood of errors.
Room measurements must be taken from inside the room using a tape measure, applying it to the junction of the wall and the floor. It is better to perform these steps together for convenience.
What is meant by total living area
When registering a home, many people do not know whether the balcony is included in the living area of the apartment. Based on SNIP “Residential Buildings” we can say that this concept means the following elements of the apartment space:
- Bedroom.
- Living room.
- Kitchen.
- Hallway and dressing room.
- Bathroom and toilet, if the bathroom in the house is separate.
It must be remembered that the definition cannot include a terrace, balcony and loggia. To calculate the total living space in an apartment, you need to add up the space in all available rooms. In this case, different coefficients are used during the calculation. We also note that the concepts of “loggia” and “balcony” are different (we’ll look at why this is a little later).
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What coefficients are used when calculating
For correct calculations, you need to know what is included in the living area of the apartment, and also take into account certain coefficients. All current rules on this issue can be found in SNIPs. For each type of premises, a different coefficient is used.
If calculations are carried out indicating the area of the loggia, then a coefficient of 0.5 must be applied. Balconies and terraces are considered with an indicator of 0.3. If the house has a veranda, then a coefficient of 1 should be used.
When making calculations, you need to remember simple mathematical techniques, for example, how to calculate the area of a square or rectangle. It all depends on the shape of the room. But there are also non-standard rooms. In this case, all walls are measured. Let's look at how to do this correctly below.
What does OP influence?
Some important points depend on the size of the apartment’s OP:
- The cost of the property for the buyer. An inexperienced person, when looking for housing, may mistakenly focus on the value of the OP. When choosing an option suitable for purchase, you should first of all concentrate on the size of the living space.
- Amount of heating payments. Utilities calculate based on total footage.
- The amount of contribution for major home repairs. The amount of payment for general building repairs directly depends on the square footage of the entire apartment of each specific owner.
- Comfort of living. The size of the living space has a direct impact on the comfortable living conditions of each person. But the OP is no less important, since it also includes other rooms that play an important role for the convenience of living (bathrooms, storage rooms, cabinets in niches, kitchen).
OP is an important parameter for the apartment owner. Many aspects depend on it: from the market price to the comfort of living. The general quadrature should be distinguished from the residential quadrature, which includes only living rooms. The main legislative document regulating issues related to the square footage of citizens' housing is the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. It also provides an answer to a fairly popular question among citizens, whether the loggia is included in the total area of the apartment. The regulatory document clearly states which premises are included in the OP and which are not. This parameter is calculated by calculating the square footage of each room of the property.
How to measure walls
Not every person knows how to measure walls correctly. Measurement data is important when calculating the area of housing. If the calculations are carried out incorrectly, this will affect the cost of square meters. Most often, when calculating, the area value is greater than it actually is. Such calculations are beneficial to sellers, since they will receive a larger amount of money than they expected before the sale of the apartment. Buyers are advised to check the paperwork more carefully when completing a transaction. It is best to request an extract from the BTI for a specific apartment. In it you can see not only the plan, but also all the exact values of the areas.
It is recommended to take measurements on the inside of the baseboard. If you follow this recommendation, you will be able to avoid mistakes in your work.
Why you need to know
The indicator of the total area of residential premises is used when:
- calculating the amount of payment for utilities (if meters are not installed);
- determining the owner’s share in the common property of an apartment building (the value of the share is proportional to the total number of common m2);
- calculating the base for paying tax on land that is part of shared ownership;
- establishing the required amount to pay residential tax and deduction (personal property tax);
- calculating the cost of 1 square meter when buildings are recognized as unsafe and included in the program for relocating people.
This amount is necessary when determining the square footage allocated for ownership to social categories (disabled people, military) or participants in the subprogram “Providing housing for young families.” The figure will be needed when applying for a subsidy or determining how much the owner must pay for common house maintenance.
The calculation must be carried out when concluding a contract for the purchase and sale of real estate, a mortgage, or examining the living conditions of a minor by the relevant authorities.
Interesting fact!
The accepted property tax is determined by the size of the total, not residential footage. The fiscal service takes this information from the state register of property rights. This parameter is determined regardless of the redevelopment carried out, glazing work on a balcony or loggia.
What additionally is included in the living space
Please note that additional parameters may be included. These include:
- Partitions.
- Niches that are higher than two meters.
- Arches, if they exceed two meters in height.
- Stairs, if there are any inside the apartment.
- Heating stove, as well as other protruding elements.
If homeowners want to get accurate data about the area of their apartment, then they can invite measurers who quickly make calculations. You need to pay for this work, but you can be sure that the calculation of the living space was carried out in accordance with all standards and requirements.
Legislative basis
All issues that relate to residential premises in apartment buildings are regulated by the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.
Also, if the need arises, you can refer to such regulatory documents as:
- Construction norms and rules (SNiP) from 2003.
- Federal Law No. 384 of December 30, 2009, which presents technical regulations for the safety of buildings and structures.
Important: The priority of regulation among these documents belongs to the latter (Federal Law No. 384). Thus, its provisions may cancel the effect of some clauses of the RF Housing Code and SNiP 2003.
When studying the Housing Code in order to calculate the square footage of an apartment, it is especially necessary to highlight Article 15, which provides a definition of what exactly is the object of housing rights.
What is the difference between calculating the area in apartments in a new building?
When a person buys a home in a new building, he can sign a shared development agreement. In such cases, all measurements, as well as area calculations, are carried out taking into account reduction factors. The contract must clearly state all values used. The developer can decide for himself what to take as a basis: the total area of the apartment or only the living area. If the latter value is taken, then the price per square meter of housing in this house will increase. If the developer bases it on gross square footage, then buyers have the opportunity to purchase the home at a lower price. When buying an apartment, it is important to carefully study the contract.
There are times when people check the values indicated in the document and realize that they differ from the real values. In this case, the buyer who registered shared ownership has the right to return money for meters that he does not have.
How to measure
Information for all rooms is indicated in the technical passport for the apartment. Sometimes it happens that there are discrepancies in the actual measurements. For measurements, in addition to the technical passport, you will need a tape measure, paper, calculator and pencil. The actions are:
- The apartment diagram is drawn on a sheet of paper. You also need to draw utility rooms - storage rooms, built-in wardrobes.
- Using a tape measure, measure the length of the walls according to the level of the baseboard. The amounts are converted into meters and recorded on the diagram.
- If there are curves or recesses in the configuration of the room, it is divided into separate figures, each with its own value indicated.
Width and length are multiplied.
Why are different coefficients used when calculating the area of a loggia and the area of a balcony?
You should pay more attention to the question of how a loggia differs from a balcony, and also take into account different coefficients. Many people believe that there is no difference between a loggia and a balcony. Such judgments are erroneous. To calculate the area taking into account the loggia, use a coefficient of 0.5. To find out the area with a balcony, use a coefficient of 0.3.
The main difference between a balcony and a loggia is that the first protrudes beyond the perimeter of the building. And the loggia is included in the living area of the apartment. It has side walls as well as a ceiling.
Additional inclusions
What else should you pay attention to? On what the living area of the apartment includes! The joint ventures indicate that the common apartment space should include not only the “dimension” of the premises. Sometimes niches and partitions with walls are also included here. Under what conditions? If this:
- niche higher than 2 meters;
- arch more than 200 centimeters;
- internal staircase (the space under it is taken into account);
- heating stoves;
- other protruding structures.
Basically, that's all. Now the main points that are important for both real estate buyers and sellers are clear. In order not to suffer for a long time with calculating areas, you can call special measurers - they will quickly help you correctly calculate both the total space in the housing and the living space. Usually there are no difficulties with this.
Another option is to take a BTI extract for a particular apartment. It will contain a detailed plan with all areas and data regarding the “dimension” of the property. Don't forget to request a similar document from the seller when dealing with housing.
Why is it important to know the correct area of the apartment?
For the buyer, one of the important questions will be to find out the actual area of the apartment. The footage of the apartment is important, since based on these indicators the cost of the apartment increases or decreases.
This value will also affect utility bills. If homeowners do not have special meters installed for water and gas, then they are charged an amount based on the total area of the home. There are exceptions to this calculation system. Unheated rooms and storage rooms are not taken into account. The receipt for utility bills contains a clause that describes general household needs. This parameter is also influenced by the value of the total area of housing.
How to remove a balcony or loggia from the OP
Very simple. You need to compare the data in the Unified State Register and the hydraulic fracturing certificate. The difference between the values will be on the balcony or loggia. It is important not to forget that their area was included in the OP taking into account correction factors of 0.3 and 0.5, respectively.
If the Unified State Register of Real Estate still contains old data, then as the owner you have the right to personally submit a written request, indicating the exact address of the object that contains the information to be corrected. The state welcomes this initiative, as it contributes to faster updating of information in the Unified State Register of Real Estate.
