Finished basements and attics do not add to the primary square footage. The square footage of a finished basement that is below grade (underground) adds less value than the square footage of above grade living space.
Well, an attic is considered finished when it meets the criteria for being livable and you can get to it from the inside of your home. So basically, it has to be appraisal-approved.
Finishing unfinished space in the house is an extremely cost-effective way to offer what potential buyers are looking for. It's true everywhere, but especially in older neighborhoods with smaller homes, a finished attic can definitely add to resale value.
If it is, then any part of the room with a ceiling of 5 feet (1.52 m) or higher should be included [source: Boddy]. If not, you shouldn't include any of that space. As for rooms in the house that aren't finished, like basements or attics, they should not be included in the total square footage.
Is an attic a story? A habitable attic is a story, which means that a habitable attic is limited to three stories above grade plane. But creating a fourth-floor habitable attic isn't completely out of the question.
To be included in the square footage, an attic would first need to meet the same criteria as any other space — heating, flooring, ceiling and wall covering. In our market, it would also generally need to be accessible by a conventional stairway.
But most places here don't have that problem so the roofs don't have to be pitched steeply and sometimes not at all. That means the opportunity to have an attic is not there. It is cheaper to build a house without that high pitch so most construction companies build them that way. Thus, no attics.
What do Appraisers EXCLUDE in the Square Footage of a House? Some common spaces are not considered to be living space and are therefore not included when calculating the square footage of a house: Screened patios (and open ones as well). Garages, unless they have been converted to living space.
You determine this by multiplying the LENGTH x WIDTH of the space. For example, if you attic floor area is 30′ x 50′ then you're measuring 1,500 sq ft. Check out our *NEW* SuperPerf™ AtticFoil™ that was designed for laying on the attic floor in cold climates.
Attic conversions are popular right now. They don't require you to add on to your home, but they can give you extra space and even another bedroom or bathroom. Although they tend to cost less than a home addition, it's still worth researching what you can expect to pay for your attic renovation.
This rule means, at least half of your attic space must be 7 feet high by 7 feet wide, with a total of 70 square feet. Keep in mind, codes vary from place to place, but for using the attic as an actual room, this rule typically applies.
Reach out to your local municipality to see if you need a permit for your attic remodel. A permit is usually only needed if: You are adding electrical wiring or ventilation. You plan to change the structure of your home in the process, such as knocking down an existing wall or adding a dormer.
On average, you can expect to pay between $10,600 to $50,000 — or $50 and $150 per square foot — to refinish your attic, according to Angie (formerly Angie's List). A specialized or high-end attic conversion can cost as much as $200 per square foot.
A 4-season porch (also known as an all season room or sun room) is a room that functions as an interior room, but allows you to take in the views of the outdoors year-round. It has permanent heat and is included in the finished square footage of the home.
A general guideline is homeowners need one square foot of roof vent for every 300 square feet of ceiling space, if your home has a roof with a vapor barrier, or 1:300. If not, you should have one square foot of roof vent for every 150 square feet, or 1:150.
This means that for every 300 square feet of enclosed attic space, 1 square foot of ventilation is required – with half at the upper portion (exhaust vents) and half in the lower portion (intake vents). This formula is traditionally used for static roof vents which are rated for Net Free Area in terms of square inches.
Multiply your house length by your house width to get the area. (For example, 40 feet x 30 feet = 1,200 square feet.) Next, multiply the area by your roof's pitch. (1,200 x 1.05 = 1,260 square feet.)
Finished attics have to meet certain coding requirements to be considered a legal and safe living space.
Size and square footage discrepancies can also happen because technical square footage is different than usable space. A house may have a sizable unfinished basement, unventilated attic, or crawl spaces that add to the actual area of the home, but not necessarily to the amount of space available to live in.
This is because the home inspector isn't there to measure and document the property to gauge valuation factors like square footage—they're looking to establish construction and building materials information to help plan for repairs and maintenance.
You can't remodel every attic. Some attics lack sufficient headroom, while others don't have strong enough joists to support the weight of a finished space. Local building codes often have specific requirements for attic renovations, such as minimum floor space, ventilation, and fire safety measures.
BUILDING CODES
Regulations vary from county to county, but most attic conversion building codes require: A minimum of 70 sq. ft. of floor space.
A garret is a habitable attic, a living space at the top of a house or larger residential building, traditionally small with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a building, at the very top of the stairs.