Dimensions on Property Listings

I am wondering what the standard is when dimensions are provided on a property listing.

For instance, should the provided SQM be the internal living area or the external size of the building?

Similarly for individual rooms, should the length*width include the external bricks or just the livable space. Is there an element of false advertisement in providing the external masonry in the dimensions?

Esel

Not an expert, but measurements are usually done internally afaik.

JimmyVik

They are done by an intern EA going around with a dodgy measuring device.

Take them with a pinch of salt. When you view you can see how big the rooms are.

Tow

Jimmy is correct. Buy your own tape/laser measure. While you would expect to see an EA overstating property size and I have seen the opposite.

looksee

When I was looking for a house a couple of years ago I realised that land descriptions were very loose and exaggerated. Anything in a town didn't mention a plot size. Over a quarter acre was rounded off to a half acre and anything over half an acre was an acre. It was quite outrageous, a glance at Land Direct would easily show the exact size so the over-enthusiastic estimates were obviously designed to mislead.

Eventually in exasperation I wrote to the Estate Agents' association and complained about it. I didn't get a reply and I doubt my single complaint would have made a difference, but it was noticeable that fairly suddenly areas became more accurately measured.

What I am saying, in a roundabout way, is, if you find something consistently misleading in advertisements, write and complain about it. There are Estate Agents with integrity, the dodgy ones needed to be weeded out.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/how-can-we-tell-if-the-measurements-of-a-property-are-accurate-1.3361547 is an article discussing this. The measurements are the internal sizings and are strictly regulated from a Surveyors point of view. Whether EAs follow them varies depending on the quality of the EA.

seamus

Yeah, it's cowboy country really. I always expected that the measurement should be the internal floor space of the house, including bathrooms but not including toilets or small ensuites, any outbuildings or any space not adapted for living in (e.g. a garage).

I just googled it there and there's no real standard. I've seen one site recommend that closet space be measured and added to the total. That could be a US thing though where closets are the size of a small bathroom.

The most accurate number will likely be the original architects plans, but unless the house was built after 2000 you'll have a pain in your hoop trying to get them.

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431683#Comment_118431683

If you are applying for planning the measure will be the outside of the walls.

So I always took the area of a house to be total area of the footprint of the whol house measured along the outside of the walls.

Doop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431683#Comment_118431683

There very much is a standard and its actually quite a science... although perhaps one not engaged by Estates agents. Its called IPMS (international Property Measurement Standard)

https://scsi.ie/ipms/

https://ipmsc.org/standards/residential/

For domestic stuff the info provided by EA's is usually riddled with disclaimers. So just confirm the measurements for yourself or ask your surveyor to do it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431701#Comment_118431701

I think this answers my question. It looks like the EA has based the room dimensions on the measurements on a planning map, the map looks like it's measuring inside the walls but I can deduce that it's actually including the external elements.

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431701#Comment_118431701

Is that just for new builds? I'm pretty sure I've read on here (many times) that the house extension limit of 40m² refers to internal measurements.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118431683#Comment_118431683

Is there a reason why you wouldn’t include bathrooms/small en-suites? Surely anyone looking at a property online would want those dimensions, particularly en-suites which are an important consideration.

I would also suggest the architects plans in no way trump after build actual measurements. There are occasionally differences in both design and dimension between plans and finished home.

Dimensions given in promotional info sheet or online should only be considered a guide, you need to measure yourself. A fact confirmed by the Courts.