How Important Is Square Footage When Buying A Home?

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First-Time Seller Tips: What You Should Know In Advance

When I put my house on the market, nobody told me about the flurry of real estate agent meetings, showings, open houses, and staging appointments. When you add the paperwork, I was overwhelmed. After the process was over and I left the closing, I decided to create a website that focused on all of those things that I didn't know I'd have to do. My goal for this site is to make sure that other first-time sellers have a resource to learn what they can expect from the sale and closing process. I hope that the posts here help you prepare for your first sale with the confidence of an old pro.

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How Important Is Square Footage When Buying A Home?

3 August 2018
 Categories: , Blog

One good step to take when looking at homes for sale is sitting down making a list of all the most important features you want in a house. As you make this list, one of the features you might list is the square footage you hope to find. The square footage you find in a home is an important factor, but it is not the main factor you should look for, and here are a few things to know about this.

Square footage is an entire house

The first thing to understand is that the square footage of a house includes the entire house and is made up of every room. Because of this, you might find a house that has the square footage you are hoping for, yet it might be divided in a way that doesn't offer what you want. For example, if you hoped to find a three-bedroom house with a large living room and kitchen, you might think you will find that if you find a house with the square footage, you hoped to find. The problem is that this house might have large bedrooms and a small living room and kitchen. In other words, the square footage of a house matters, but if it is not divided up the right way, the house will not be what you are looking for at all.

It's better to keep an open end on this

Instead of stating that you want a house that has 2,000 square feet, for example, you should set a range of square footage, and you should include the other top features you want to find. For example, you may want to state that you want a house that has between 1,800 to 2,400 square feet in it, but that you also want a house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a basement, and a large yard.

It is better to be less specific about the square footage you are looking for and more specific about the other features. You should also divide your list of features by those that you must have and those that are considered optional. This will help you settle for a house if you cannot find one that offers everything you are looking for.

Choosing the right house to buy can be difficult, and this is why you should take your time as you look. To begin your search, talk to a local real estate agent about what you are looking for.