Inconsistent internal floor area for new build house

Firearrow

Hi guys,

I have just veered off purchasing a new build house from one of the Stewart Milne developments because I found that the floor area that was being quoted by their agent (117 m2) was very different to that which could be calculated from the marketting brochure (87 m2). I tried asking for an explanation from the agent, but she was not able to fully explain the discrepancy of 30 m2 and instead started being rude and defensive.

I would have gone ahead to potentially purchase trusting the 117 figure, but just by chance did a manual calculation from the floor plan in the marketting brochure because the size she had quoted seemed oddly large for the plan I had access to. Lucky for me that I did, because at the very least it appears to be a case of some form of misselling.

Just wondering if any body else has come across this? I would think that it is not usual for people to tally the marketted floor plan area with that quoted by the developer - so perhaps a tale of caution.

david29dpo

Builders have always worked to a tolerance of +/- 2 foot so no surprise there.

bob2

david29dpo wrote: »

Builders have always worked to a tolerance of +/- 2 foot so no surprise there.

That's a huge 34% discrepancy that I doubt can be accounted for through tolerances. Perhaps they are including spaces that you're not including in their calculations? e.g. garage.

Firearrow - what one their house types was it? They're all called things like the Argyll/Bathford/Denewood/Millwood?

Better_Days

What does the EPC say as these usually give the floor area?

BobQ

Not sure I would regard this as a big issue once you accept that the UK builds the smallest houses in Europe.

The dimensions are only ever going to be approximate and the marketing brochure is unlikely to be accurate (it probably says so). I cannot see how the agent could be accused of mis-selling if the place is bigger than the marketing brocure.

There is probably a good reason. You can measure the Gross External Floor Area (uses external dimensions of property and includes external walls). Or the Gross Internal Floor Area (based on internal dimensions including unusable space under stairs and in internal walls. Or you can measure room sizes and exclude areas like the hall and stairs). You can also add garages if you want. It really depends on why you are doing it.

As observed the best option is to look at the EPC.

thelem

It could also by a copy-paste error. Is one of the other houses in the development 117m2?

moneyistooshorttomention

Out of interest - I follow the various different ways possible of measuring gross square footage of a property.

Which of those ways does the EPC use? Is it measure the house externally or every bit of internal space (including hall/stairs/landing/understairs cupboard/loft) or just the rooms themselves?

BobQ

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Out of interest - I follow the various different ways possible of measuring gross square footage of a property.

Which of those ways does the EPC use? Is it measure the house externally or every bit of internal space (including hall/stairs/landing/understairs cupboard/loft) or just the rooms themselves?

Wikipedia refers to this definition:

http://resources.peakdistrict.gov.uk/pubs/planning/housing/appendix6.pdf

mark?_3

how the space is distributed is often just as important as the raw square footage so the reduction shouldn't necessarily put you off.
I assume there isn't a showhome on the site your looking at? Ask the sales rep if they have another development with a similar/same house and try and get a real feel for the place - although beware the shrunken furniture trick!