In the modern world, transactions related to the purchase of real estate regularly occur. In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare for such a deal. Many are interested in what is the total area of an apartment, an apartment, how this indicator is determined. This issue is especially important for those who plan to sell or buy real estate in the near future.
Practice shows that this particular indicator directly affects the cost of housing. The larger the total area, the correspondingly higher the cost of housing. However, here you must understand all the features regarding the size of the living space. Only then will you be able to essentially assess how the selected apartment meets the requirements.
Main components
The calculation of the total area of the apartment is carried out according to several indicators. Three characteristics can be distinguished:
- living space;
- general;
- area of the apartment.
Without taking these indicators into account, it is impossible to say exactly what residential real estate is. Therefore, when buying, you should definitely clarify this information. If you know what is included in each type of floor space, then you can not be afraid of cheating when concluding transactions with real estate.
total area
What you need to know about this? The first thing to decide is the total area of the apartment. It can be either suitable for living or not. It can be just premises that are directly related to the proposed property. Often, sellers and real estate agents resort to tricks and indicate the total area of the premises as residential. This is not entirely true, since balconies and loggias are still included in it. Therefore, this parameter must be specified separately.
Living space
Let's dwell on this in more detail. What is the living space of an apartment? First of all, you need to find out what is meant by this term. Living space, as you might guess, is a space suitable for people to live. It would seem nothing complicated. However, many hardly answer what is included in this area.
In order to fully understand what each of the three areas includes, you need to consider another concept - the area of the apartment. This refers to the entire room. This includes a balcony and a loggia. Such a space is still considered useful. The concept of usable area includes various mezzanines. It is important to avoid confusion. In foreign countries, the useful area is understood as all those used in residential premises.
Components
The total area of the apartment is not only premises suitable for living. Only rooms are for living space. The larger they are, the higher this indicator. It should be borne in mind that the bathroom does not belong to the living area, since you can not live in it. Although this is a necessary place in any apartment.
It should also be noted that the kitchen is not included in the living area. This is not entirely true in terms of logic, but this feature is better to take into account. Many sellers today are trying to increase the size of their living space due to the kitchen, as well as loggias and bathrooms.
Calculation Rules
As you already understood, living space is considered the main indicator affecting the value of real estate. Let's try to figure out how it is considered. This moment is very important. A component of this space is the room in which you can live. Therefore, to calculate the living space of a room, it’s enough to simply put together the footage of all the rooms. As a result, the necessary indicator should be obtained. To calculate the area of a room, it is worth using simple mathematical formulas. Measurements are taken on the inside of the baseboard.
What premises belong to the total area?
Let's dwell on this in more detail. Often when buying residential real estate the question arises: is the loggia included in the total area of the apartment? Everyone should know this, since this indicator plays a rather important role. It can be judged by how much space is allocated for the needs of residents, and not just for living. Such premises include:
- restroom;
- bathroom;
- hallway;
- bedrooms;
- living room;
- wardrobe;
- other utility rooms.
Loggias and balconies should not be assigned to the total area of the premises. Based on the housing code of the Russian Federation, the rooms in question do not apply to the apartment at all. Often, buyers are not aware of this norm, which leads to negative consequences.
How is the area of stairs and niches considered? They can be included in the overall space of the apartment, but under certain conditions. In addition to premises, this indicator includes:
- niches with a height of at least 2 meters;
- stairs located in the apartment and the space below them;
- arches, more than 2 meters high;
- protruding elements.
Differences in area
This aspect needs to be emphasized. How is the total area of a two-room apartment determined? What indicators are taken into account? There are certain differences between the residential and the total area, which must be taken into account. These include:
- Number of square meters: living area is only a fraction of the total. For this reason, its footage should be much smaller. Sometimes these indicators can differ from each other by half.
- Premises included in the total area: the living room includes rooms for sleeping and relaxing (bedrooms, nurseries, guest rooms). The total covers all rooms in the apartment.
- Possibilities of use: the possibility of receiving subsidies, adopting a child, and so on, depends on the size of the living space. The total area affects the market value of housing, the value of utility bills and the size of contributions for major repairs.
Instructions for accounting the area of the apartment
So what do you need to know about this? Today, many are interested in how the total area of a 2-room apartment is calculated. In order to independently determine this characteristic of the room, you will need:
- roulette;
- technical passport of the room;
- calculator;
- paper;
- pen and pencil.
To learn how to take measurements yourself, you need a tape measure and a calculator. It will be more convenient to take measurements if someone helps you.
First, draw a diagram of the apartment on a piece of paper. So it will be more convenient for you to enter the values on the plan. Do not forget to take measurements in the utility rooms - corridors, storage rooms and so on. Measure the length of the premises by the level of the baseboard. To do this, make sure that the tape measure is tightened well and accurately. The sums of all measurements must be converted into meters and written on a piece of paper. If the room has an irregular shape with protrusions, corners and roundings, it will be easier to break the plan into separate figures and indicate their sizes on the diagram.
The length and width of each room should be multiplied and fixed on the plan. When you add up the area of all rooms, you should have a total result.
Example
To calculate the common room you will need a simple geometric formula. The total area of the apartment is S. a, b, c, d - sides. a, c - 6.55 meters, b, d - 4.55 meters. From the value of the total area, it is necessary to calculate the area of windows and doors. Using measurements of all rooms, you can set the area of the entire room. Information on the total space of the apartment can also be found in the technical passport.
Loggias and balconies
What you need to know about them? Many believe that the loggia is included in the total area of the apartment, but there is no balcony. Although the differences between the two concepts are obscure, you should not leave them unattended, as this may entail serious legal consequences. Together, the inhabitants of the house can transfer the outside of the loggias and balconies for use in advertising purposes. In some cases, it brings a good income.
Controversial issues
It is advisable to get acquainted with them in the first place. How is the total area of the apartment determined? Balcony and loggias should be considered when calculating? What regulates various situations? There are two main legislative acts that govern the determination of housing area. It:
- Housing Code 2005;
- SNiP 2003 "Residential multi-apartment buildings".
It should also be noted that some of the provisions described in these documents were declared invalid in 2009 by Federal Law 384-FZ. Let's go over the main important points of the housing code:
- Art. 15, p. 5 - the basis for the calculation of residential premises. The total area of the apartment consists of the sum of all areas. This includes rooms and utility rooms that are designed to meet the needs and requirements of apartment owners. Terraces, balconies, loggias and verandas are not included in the total area.
- Art. 16, p. 1 - determination of the types of premises: residential buildings or parts thereof, apartments, rooms.
- Art. 16, p. 3 - formulates the concept of an apartment as a structural room, which is of a separate nature and is located in an apartment building with direct access to common areas. The constituent parts of the apartment are one or more rooms, auxiliary rooms designed to satisfy domestic needs.
According to the above SNiPa, the determination of the total area of the apartment commissioned takes place on the basis of external dimensions. Here we are talking about the inclusion of a balcony and a loggia.
When calculating the area, it is recommended to use the following factors:
- 0.5 for the loggia;
- 0.3 for balconies and terraces;
- 1 for cold storerooms and verandas.
Keep in mind that SNiPs are not the main document. The Housing Code is more important in this case, and you should focus solely on it.
Many officials today insist on adding extra square meters to the housing area. Therefore, property owners are interested in whether the loggia is included in the total area of the apartment. If the norms of 2003 are taken as the basis of the calculations, then such an opportunity is provided there. However, one should still be guided by a more important document, such as the RF LC. According to this regulatory act, the balcony is excluded from the total area of the living space.
According to ZhK and SNiP, partitions are considered part of the main and auxiliary premises, therefore their size is part of the total area of the apartment in sq. M.
In our country, existing laws and regulations change quite often, so there can be a lot of questions related to determining the area of a dwelling. Most of the features of settlements are regulated by various documents and by-laws, which may contradict each other. This can cause some difficulties for ordinary people.
Buyer Rights
This aspect should be given special attention. Questions about the rules for calculating the area of residential premises often arise when buying a home in new buildings. Controversial situations often arise. For example, a buyer, purchasing housing from a developer, signs a contract for the purchase of an apartment with an area of 77 square meters with the inclusion of a loggia. At the same time, the contract did not contain references to the coefficients used in the calculations.
As a result, after the apartment is put into operation, the buyer receives a technical passport with the indicated total area of the apartment 72.5 square meters. m. Thus, it turned out that the seller cheated and when drawing up the contract did not indicate the coefficient by which the loggia is taken into account. The buyer in this case has the right to appeal to the courts.
Conclusion
In this review, we examined the basic rules for calculating areas. The total area of a dwelling is the sum of the areas of all rooms, including a kitchen, a bathroom and a corridor. Residential is only a space intended for sleep and relaxation. According to the LCD, balconies are not included in the total space of the living space.