Another question via the Plugoo widget. See that box on the side there? Say hello if you see me online. If I’m at my computer, I try to stay logged in, so hopefully it’s not too hard to catch me that way.
So - you had your home appraised, and it came in larger than what the assessor says. Is that a concern?
Ah - maybe.
If you’ve got an older house and we’re talking about a small size differential, then I’m probably not too concerned if I’m the homeowner, or even if I’m the person purchasing the home. I’m told the assessor sometimes measured the exterior of the house and subtracted a percentage to account for interior walls to find the square footage, whereas an appraiser usually measures each room. There are many ways to measure square footage, you’d be surprised.
If the appraiser and the assessor figures are vastly different, then it starts setting off warning bells in my head. Was there a large unpermitted addition that the assessor doesn’t know about?
Normally, if I see significant discrepancies between assessor and any one else’s square footage estimates, I have the house formally measured. There are companies that measure homes and guarantee their results, like Floor Plans First. Especially if you’re trying to price and sell your home, it’s important to squeeze out as much square footage as possible, so you can get the most value out of the home.
