Washington DC/Baltimore

[Nahtanoj]

On Redfin, most of the house listings include the number of square feet of the house (for example, 2,000 square feet or 3,000 square feet). 

If a house has a finished basement, is the finished space in the basement included in this number of square feet of the house?  Or is it excluded?

(In case it makes a difference, I am looking at listings in Montgomery County, Maryland.)

[Nahtanoj]

On Redfin, most of the house listings include the number of square feet of the house (for example, 2,000 square feet or 3,000 square feet). 

If a house has a finished basement, is the finished space in the basement included in this number of square feet of the house?  Or is it excluded?

(In case it makes a difference, I am looking at listings in Montgomery County, Maryland.)

[philip-gvinter]

The county property tax records do not include the finished square footage but the local MLS does allow for it. In order to see how much of the finished square footage is in the basement take a look at the difference between the two.

[Nahtanoj]

Thank you! 

But the tax records on the County's website (see https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/tax/index.asp) do not seem to say anything about square footage.

Still, it's good to know that the MLS allows people to show basement space in their square footage numbers.  That seems to be what we see in the Redfin descriptions.

[philip-gvinter]

The public records I am refering to are the state department of taxation records located at http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/rp_rewrite/ osrry for the confusion.

[Nahtanoj]

Thank you!

[lisagreaves]

I always tell people to ignore square feet.  

1) People calcuate it differently.  Even what is in the tax records isn't accurate if there has been an addition or if previously unfinished rooms have been finished.  What is on Redfin's site is only what is on MLS - what the listing agents enter - so it's not our data and we don't vet it.  Some listing agents don't put anything for square feet because they don't want the hassle of having to verify that it's accurate.

I think searching for bedrooms and bathrooms - especially bathrooms - will give you a good sense of how big a place is, plus the photo of the outside of the house.   You will see if it's a 1k-2k sq ft Cape Cod or a 4k sq ft new construction style.

2) Not all square feet are the same.  I've visited a condo building in DC with dozens of units that were around 700 square feet.  You would be amazed at how one 700 sq ft layout feels cramped and one feels spacious.   So go with what the house feels like.