7 August 2011

Size Guide for Homebuyers, typical internal areas for Houses and Flats

Most estate agents' websites include plans of the houses and flats they advertise. These often include the gross internal area, also known as square footage, square meterage or GIA. But how do you know if the number quoted is good or bad or the type of property? You can check it against other properties in the area, but this will only tell you how it compares locally, not whether it is a good size property.

This article looks at residential space standards and should help you interpret the vendor's plans and measurements before you visit a property.

First things first, here’s some basic numbers you can work to;

Property Type Number of beds Number of people Good area in sq m Good area in sq ft
Single storey











----------------
2 Storey House






----------------
3 Storey House


studio
1

2
2

3
3
3

4
4
-----------------
2

3
3

4
4
-----------------
3

4
4
1
2

3
4

4
5
6

5
6
-------------------
4

4
5

5
6
-------------------
5

5
6
37
50

61
70

74
86
95

90
99
-------------------
83

87
96

100
107
-------------------
102

106
113
400
540

655
755

795
925
1020

970
1065
------------------
895

935
1035

1075
1150
------------------
1100

1140
1215

You can also print off our handy Click and Print Guide to Target Areas

These figures are based on the Mayor of London's 'London Plan', July 2011 and represent the minimum square footage standards for new housing in London. While ‘minimum’ might not sound impressive, these areas represent an improvement on typical home building space standards for the last 10 years. A ‘good’ square footage will always be subjective but homes of these sizes should feel decent and livable. If you have your eye on somewhere smaller than the target space standards above, ask yourself, would you be happy with one less cupboard or one less wardrobe compared to the another property?

Of course, there’s more to residential space standards than Gross Internal Area. The next thing to look for is individual room sizes. Again, here are the key numbers to look out for;

Room Good area in sq m Good area in sq ft Minimum width in m Minimum width in ft
Double Bedroom
Single Bedroom*
Open-Plan Kitchen / Living
12
6
22 (2 people)
24 (3 people)
27 (4 people)
30 (5 people)
129
65
236
258
291
323
3m
2m
4m**
9'10''
6'6''
13'1''
HATC Ltd recommend a minimum area of 7 sq m and width of 2.6 m. From personal experience as an architect and a tenant, I’ve found 6 sq m (i.e 2m x 3m) to be viable and more realistic.
** HATC Ltd recommend as little as 3.2m width for living areas. While their research is much more extensive than my own, I recommend you aim a little higher.

Internal dimensions are often shown on estate agents’ plans, although its also a good idea to take a tape measure with you when viewing properties just to be sure. If the spaces don’t measure up, the rooms may still be useable, but won’t be so flexible or comfortable. For instance , a single bedroom that is less than 2m wide, will fit a single bed but only in one position. You won't have the flexibility to move furniture around when you feel like a change.

You should also be wary if the stated square footage appears to be high but the property includes a long hallway or large rooms with no natural light. These spaces are not so useful and can give a false impression of the useful square footage.

Too many cupboards at the expense of space in bedrooms can also be an issue, as can too few cupboards overall or storage in the wrong space. Windows in odd locations, debatable inclusion of en suites bathrooms and unusual circulation can also reduce the practicality of a large home.

Ultimately your choice of home will be the result of a combination of factors. Hopefully though, with our handy Click and Print Guide you can gauge the useful square footage of properties on plan before dedicating a whole day and countless emails and missed calls to arranging a viewing.