Purchase and sale
When the stated living area is to be checked or recalculated before a transaction.
Living area · usable area · measured survey
Living and usable area calculation
Floor area figures are often copied, estimated or out of date. I measure myself, with a laser, and calculate according to the agreed basis. Then you have an area figure you can rely on.
Jens Krüger · Let’s talk: +49 172 868 5666
Would you like a living area calculation based on a real measurement? For floor area measurement, the required dimensions are recorded with a laser distance meter and then evaluated according to the calculation basis agreed for the instruction.
from €799 incl. VAT
Up to 150 m², provided the complete measurement can be carried out in one site visit. Larger areas according to transparent bands; normal sloping ceilings are included in the standard price.
When is a living area calculation useful?
When existing area figures are missing or contradictory, or need to be checked reliably for an important decision.
Property valuation
When reliable living and usable areas are needed for a valuation.
Letting
When area figures are needed for a lease, service charge accounts or an internal check.
Missing documents
When old plans do not contain a reliable area calculation or the actual situation differs.
Conversion and existing buildings
When the layout or use has changed and the existing figures no longer fit.
Plausibility check
When an existing area calculation is to be checked by a new measurement.
What does the floor area measurement include?
- site visit and recording of the required dimensions with a laser distance meter
- review of existing floor plans and area documents, where available
- evaluation of the measurement according to the agreed calculation basis
- tabular schedule of areas by room or area
- transparent documentation of the result
The calculation basis is clarified in advance.
“Living area” and other area terms are not interchangeable. Which rules suit your purpose depends on the specific task.
Living area, floor area and lettable area are not the same
Which area calculation makes sense depends on the property and its intended use. For residential property, calculations are often made according to the German Living Space Ordinance (WoFlV). For other tasks, DIN 277 may be relevant or useful. For commercially used property, a lettable area calculation according to the agreed gif guideline may also be considered.
Living area according to WoFlV
The Living Space Ordinance (Wohnflächenverordnung) contains special rules for counting residential space. Sloping ceilings, balconies, terraces and certain ancillary rooms are therefore not simply counted in full as living area.
Floor areas according to DIN 277
DIN 277 follows a different system for determining and classifying the floor areas and volumes of a building. A floor area determined according to DIN 277 is therefore not the same as the living area according to WoFlV.
Lettable areas according to gif
In the commercial property sector, the lettable area guidelines of the gif (German Society of Property Researchers) have become the market standard. The current MF-GIF 2023 can be applied to different uses and mixed-use buildings. It is not a statutory requirement; what counts is the calculation basis agreed.
How are sloping ceilings counted under WoFlV?
- clear height below 1.00 m: not counted
- clear height of at least 1.00 m and less than 2.00 m: counted at 50%
- clear height of 2.00 m or more: counted at 100%
How are balconies and terraces counted?
Under the WoFlV, balconies, loggias, roof gardens and terraces are generally counted as living area at a quarter, but at most at half, of their floor area. Which proportion is appropriate in the specific case depends on the circumstances.
What counts as living area – and what doesn’t?
In principle, living area comprises the floor areas of the rooms that belong exclusively to the dwelling. Under the WoFlV, cellars, storage rooms outside the dwelling, laundry rooms, attics and drying rooms, boiler rooms, garages and business premises, for example, do not count as living area. Whether a use is permitted under building regulations can also be relevant for the classification.
Floor area measurement is more than length × width.
Depending on the calculation basis, clear heights, sloping ceilings, balconies, terraces, stairs, niches or building components are treated differently. The result therefore always states the basis on which the area was determined.
Plausibility checks of existing living and usable areas
For larger apartment buildings, mixed-use buildings or extensive property portfolios, it can make sense to check existing area calculations and records for plausibility in a targeted way, rather than measuring all units again completely.
Particularly in connection with financing or refinancing, the scope of the check can be agreed with the client and – where necessary – with the lending institution. Depending on the task, selected representative flats, commercial units or floors can be measured on site and compared with existing floor plans and area figures.
A plausibility check is not a complete recalculation.
Which units are checked, which documents are used and what conclusion the check can support are defined in advance and documented transparently in the written report. For such individual review instructions, the fee is quoted according to the specific scope of work.
Floor area figures for financing and letting
Transparent area figures can be just as relevant for property valuations, financing and refinancing as for tenancies. Which evidence a lender needs in the specific case depends on the institution, the property and the task.
Area discrepancies can also have financial consequences under tenancy law. For residential leases, according to the case law of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), an actual living area more than 10% below the agreed area can in principle constitute a defect entitling the tenant to reduce the rent. However, the 10% threshold is not a general measuring tolerance for living areas; the significance of a discrepancy depends on the intended use and contractual purpose.
Overview floor plans for the area calculation
On request, simplified overview floor plans can be produced from the measurement. They show the room layout, key dimensions and the information needed for the area calculation.
Not architectural or construction drawings.
The overview floor plans document the measurement and the area calculation. They are not as-built, permit or construction drawings and do not show wall thicknesses, windows and doors, for example, at the level of detail of architectural plans.
How much does a floor area measurement cost?
Floor area measurement
from €799 incl. VAT
Up to 150 m²: €799 · up to 200 m²: €999 · up to 250 m²: €1,199 · up to 300 m²: €1,399. Each additional 50 m² or part thereof adds €200.
Sloping ceilings and complex measurement situations
Normal sloping ceilings, for example in a detached or two-family house with an ordinary pitched roof, are included in the flat-rate prices.
Where measurement is exceptionally complex – for example several changing roof slopes, complex dormers, loggias or roof terraces cut into the roof, complex maisonette geometries or a comparably high measuring and calculation effort – a surcharge of 50% is applied to the share of the flat-rate price attributable to the affected attic floor area. The surcharge does not apply to the whole instruction.
Optional overview floor plans
Overview floor plans are only offered together with floor area measurement.
Up to 150 m²: €499 incl. VAT · up to 200 m²: €599 · up to 250 m²: €699 · up to 300 m²: €799. Each additional 50 m² or part thereof adds €100. Normal sloping ceilings are included here too. Where an exceptionally complex geometry leads to a correspondingly higher drawing effort, the same rule applies: a 50% surcharge on the share of the floor plan price attributable to the affected attic floor area.
Frequently asked questions about floor area measurement
How is the living area measured?
The required dimensions are recorded with a laser distance meter during the site visit and then evaluated according to the agreed calculation basis.
Who prepares a living area calculation – including for financing?
The dimensions are recorded personally during the site visit and the areas calculated according to the agreed basis, for example the Living Space Ordinance (WoFlV), DIN 277 or the gif guidelines. Such a calculation is often needed for financing, purchase, sale or letting. Please check in advance with your bank whether it requires a particular calculation basis or format – the calculation will then be prepared accordingly.
What happens with sloping ceilings?
Normal sloping ceilings, for example under an ordinary pitched roof, are included in the flat-rate price. Only for exceptionally complex roof and floor plan geometries with a considerably higher measuring and calculation effort is a 50% surcharge applied to the share of the flat-rate price attributable to the affected attic floor area – not to the whole instruction.
Can an existing area calculation just be checked for plausibility?
Yes. Especially for larger apartment buildings, mixed-use buildings, property portfolios or financing cases, an individually agreed scope of review can make sense. Existing documents are compared with selected units or floors. Such a plausibility check must be clearly distinguished from a complete recalculation of all areas.
Are floor plans included in the price?
The tabular schedule of areas is part of the floor area measurement. Simplified overview floor plans can be ordered as an optional extra.
What is the difference between WoFlV, DIN 277 and gif?
The regulations and guidelines use different area concepts and serve different purposes. The WoFlV contains special rules for living areas, DIN 277 classifies the floor areas and volumes of a building, and the gif guidelines are used in particular for lettable areas in the professional property industry. Which basis suits your instruction is clarified in advance.
Regional presence
Offices in Dresden, Berlin and Lemgo
Dresden · SaxonyProperty valuation in Dresden & Saxony →
Berlin · Potsdam · BrandenburgProperty valuation in Berlin & Brandenburg →
Lemgo · East Westphalia-LippeProperty valuation in Lemgo & OWL →
Do you need reliable living or usable areas?
Send us any existing plans, the approximate size of the property and the intended use. The required scope can then be assessed quickly.
Let’s talk.You speak directly to me: +49 172 868 5666