E3only

hi guys,

looking at a home here is the scenario

lot size 8000
sq footage 1400
recently got a permit to have a sunroom built which i think to the naked eye could be around 200 sq foot.
asking price is a cool 600K. At 1400 that's 428 per sq foot. At 1600, it would be 375 which for the location it is in, is not bad price...especially that it was been redone, hardwood flooring, good cooking appliance etc.

Question for experts - Does the 200 never get included in the sq footage officially? On public records it still shows 1400 sq foot.

Please let us know if any input. thanks in advance...

sir_eccles

My guess is it might depend on whether it is considered to be "finished" as in unfinished and finished basements.

Might be a question for the county tax assessor.

E3only

Tell me more. Are you saying it may be considered as basement and therefore not counted in?

Pulaski

Square footage is always quoted for "finished" heated and cooled space with a minimum headroom reqt too - so the space over a garage can be finished, carpeted, and furnished, but still not count in full to the sqft if the sidewalls are really low.

Pulaski

No, it's not a basement, but basements are rarely (in most parts of the country) finished to where they are included in the house's square footage. Likewise for "sunrooms".

Michael

Basements, garages, sunrooms, redone attic spaces and exterior decks are generally not considered in the square footage.

lansbury

Are you using your own realtor. They will be able to advise how it compares to comparable properties in the area, and what sort of offer to make.

Pulaski

They are if they're finished to the same standard as the rest of the house, including heating/ cooling, but the included area is reduced by any area with headroom less than x" (60" I think, in NC, at least).

E3only

Yup asked her but BE is a great resource for me!!

Previous owner did not bother apparently due to some tax reasons. She says tho if we get this place then the assessor will value and measure it an provide that. At that stage we may have to go to tax office or some place to have that reflected on record

FYI this is not like just an addition. It had permit and concrete slab and may be 9 foot high ceiling. It's a really nice sun room.

md95065

As long as all of the appropriate building permits were obtained you don't need or want to get anything "on the record" anywhere - everything than needs to be "on the record" already is "on the record".

When the property it is sold it will be reassessed by the local assessor and they will figure out a value which will be used as the basis for your property taxes (so you would like that figure to be as low as possible).

When the property is sold next time the purchaser will decide how much they think that it is worth based on the totality of the circumstances and not just some random square footage number.

All that you should care about is:

1. whether all of the appropriate permits and approvals were obtained for the extension
2. how much you want to offer for the property

Sally Redux

Yes, alarm bells as to whether the proper permits were obtained and inspections done.

E3only

Thx. Yes it's listed and confirmed clearly that all permits are in place.

Tarkak9

Ask a local appraiser how they handle sunrooms.

If you call up the local building department, ask them what they define as livable, conforming and countable squarefootage with regards to a sunroom (a defining element could be if its heated, insulated, supported structure or attached one etc - an attached garage is poured concrete slab but its not counted as livable square footage).
Talk 'generally speaking', don't give a specific address for the time being. You can always get a permit history on a property - pulling a permit is one thing, final municipal inspector sign-off is another. Assessor's office will love to add squarefootage as they can reassess the value for tax purposes and increase property taxes, which is what the seller faced.
The current sqft on record is probably based on the original footprint of the house.... so use that first when reviewing comps etc. Also check with your insurance agent if the sunroom will be covered etc.