Typical/average floor area to ground area ration for a house?

[usenet]

What's the typical ratio of floor area to total area of a house? E.g.if my house has a total area on the ground of, say, 150 square metres what's the actual usable floor are of one storey? Is it 10% less, 20% less or what? I realise that it will vary significanlty according to size of rooms, thickness of walls, etc. but there must be a 'ball park' figure one can use to estimate the floor area.

Also, does anyone know what the area quoted as the size of French houses is? I know it's the total area of all storeys but is it:-

The total ground area times the number of storeys (i.e.including wall and other 'lost' space).

The total area of all 'walkable on' floors.

The area of a specified set of rooms, excluding halls, etc.

[Rick Dipper]

In switzerland where they use the size to sprcify a house, its the simple length * width, and round up a bit. It takes no account of walls, doors, corridors. And if you have some space in the bomb shelter or sharde use of the washer this is added in.

You also get 2 1/2 room flats, ie bathcupboard, bedcupboard with a kitchen shelf on one side.

I guess france will be similar.

Rick

[Andy Hall]

In France I believe that they use net areas and exclude kitchen, bathroom and hallways.

I can ask a French colleague who is just buying a property if you need a definite confirmation.

.andy

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[usenet]

Yes, that's vaguely what I thought and was what I meant by the third possibility above. It means that a French house specified as, for example, 200m2 will be considerably more than that 'on the ground'. That's what I'm after really, trying to compare the size of our house in the UK with the quoted floor areas of houses in France.

That would be useful, yes please.

[Andy Hall]

OK.

I've sent him an email and asked what the story is and also whether cellar is included or not. I also asked whether it makes a difference if the property is an appartment or a house and whether it varies across the country.

I'll post anything he sends me for you.

.andy

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[Andy Hall]

Here's what I got:

Q: If I remember what you said correctly - living room, dining room and bedrooms are counted, but kitchen, bathroom, toilets, passages and entrance halls are not. Is that correct? A: Yes it is. Actually, when someone talks about a 3 rooms house or apartment, only living room, dining room and bedrooms are counted.

The more important point discussed is the surface (area). in that case, people often specify the whole surface (area) and the details of each room, including kitchen and bathroom. ====

Q: What about a cellar if there is one? Are these normally quoted separately? A: the Cellar must be specified but not counted as a room and is not included in the calculation of the whole surface.

==== Q: Also, is this done differently if the property is an apartment as opposed to a house, and does it vary in different parts of the country? A: No except the fact that for a house you specify the number of floors, the surface of the garden and of the terrace if there is one. The unit usually considered is the price per square metre of the whole house, and it varies according to the quality of the non cited rooms and spaces (cellar, garden, terrace, swimming pool...)

.andy

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[usenet]

Andy Hall wrote: [snip]

Thanks Andy!