The decision to invest or not in an apartmentt it's a difficult one to take, even more so if you haven't done your homework in advance, that is, you haven't found out all the important details. Fortunately, there are several ways through which you can get all the relevant information about construction and finishes or type of housing. Obviously, we are referring to the process of < span style="font-weight: 400;">evaluation of an apartment.
But what do you do when you come across terms you don't understand? What is useful surface? What does the built surface mean? And what is the difference between the two? We explain both, but also the connection between them, in the following.
What is the usable area?
The useful surface is represented by the sum of the spaces in a house that can be furnished and arranged or in which one can walk, regardless of whether we are talking about a single plan or several . The usable area includes living rooms and bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, absolutely all storage spaces, whether closed or open, but also transit areas, i.e. hallways.
The useful surface does not cover balconies or loggias, door thresholds, niches where radiators are placed or the surfaces occupied by stoves, bathroom boilers, obviously if they are in the house.
A term often used by real estate developers is the total usable area, i.e. the sum of the usable area and the area of the balconies/loggias. Then we have to deal with the term habitable surface, meaning exclusively the rooms in the house (living room and bedroom). The living area does not take into account balconies, loggias or other rooms.
What is the built surface?
The built surface is represented by the footprint, more precisely the built area at ground level, relative to the facade plan. This can be discovered by adding the useful surface of the rooms, balconies, loggias, the related surface of the inner and outer walls of the house, but also of a share of the surfaces of the common parts of the boilers, more precisely the dryers, washing machines, the stairwell and other annexes.
It is also worth remembering that the box or the parking space will be specified separately, being considered independent annexes.
By the unfolded built surface we mean the unfolded surface for all floors and is relevant in the case of multi-story buildings. In general, it is represented by a multiple of the built surface.
The built surface of a building is relevant for determining the annual tax that the owner will pay.
Why is the difference between the useful surface and the built surface important?
We have already established that usable area and built area are two very different terms. Simplified, it represents the difference between the space you can occupy in the apartment and the total area of the apartment.
Why is it worth knowing the difference between the two? Do you want to pay the price of the built square meter or the useful square meter? Between the two values there can be a difference of up to 20%. Basically, if you pay the price per built square meter, not the price per useful square meter, you will pay approximately 20% more than the apartment and you will live in 20% less space than what you pay. < /p>
So, before signing anything sale-purchase contract find out what is the useful surface and what is the built surface. Depending on the answer received from the developer, you can make an informed decision!