A.D. Cantelmo PropertyManagement
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
Is Square footage as important as people think?
What
is the importance of a home’s square footage? Well if you talk to most people,
very important! In fact when people look for homes, whether they are buying a home, or renting, one of the first things
they want to know is the square footage. Being a Licensed General Contractor,
and a Real Estate Broker in California, I am intimately aware of the importance
of square footage or as I like to say, the non Importance.
The tale of the tape
In a boxing match, they look at both fighters and give their weight and height, arm length and other body features. "The Tale of the Tape" should give the boxing fan an indication of who is better suited to win the fight. But as anyone who has ever watched a fight knows, the tale of the tape does not always tell the whole story.
If I took you into
two homes and one was 2000 square feet, and one was 1500 square just by the "Tale of the Tape", you would thing that the home with more square footage would have the advantage, but if threw away the numbers, there is a
possibility that you could feel, that the smaller home actually has more room
then the larger. Why would that be? Because as far as the actual building
square feet, the 2000 square foot home is in fact the larger home, but the
layout of the home makes all the difference.
When
you walk into a home that has many closed off area’s and walls and you compare
that to a home that is open with many windows, the difference between 500
square feet is not very important.
"Smoke and Mirrors"
Anyone who has read the description of a
home that a Realtor has put together is familiar with the term, “Light and
Bright” why is that? The lighter the home, the roomier it appears. Not too many people like to live in a gloomy
closed off dark home. Not only is a dark home less attractive, but it also looks smaller.
Let’s
take a look at how you can make a smaller home seem much larger. First let’s go
back to the “light and bright” description. Lighten up your home with paint
that is a light color. If you go to Behr.com they have many colors to choose
from and you can even try out several colors on your computer.
Your flooring
should also not be too dark. If you have carpet go with a light color. If you
want wood floor, go with a lighter color, like a Natural Red Oak. If you want to see
different colors go to lumberliquidators.com and you can see a variety of wood
floors.
Your
furniture makes a big difference in the look and feel of your home. If you have
large furniture that takes up too much room, or too much furniture in a room,
that will make the home feel smaller. Your window coverings also can make a
home feel stuffy and small. Stay away from bulky coverings, and again make them
light in color.
Using mirrors can also be a big help in making a home feel larger. Putting mirrored wardrobe closet doors in bedrooms can help a small bedroom feel much larger. Adding mirrors to a small living room can give the appearance of a nice sized room. You have heard the term "Smoke and Mirrors", well, if it works in Hollywood, why not you home.
Removing obstacles
Making a home more open, does not have to be complicated or expensive Let
me give you a personal example.
I live in a tri-level home, as you go up the three stairs;
to the right was an iron railing that was 8’ long. I removed the railing, and
even though the railing was not solid and you could see through it, removing it
opened up the living room and made it look much larger.
If you go through your home, look for obstacles that have no use, but make the home look smaller. A door to a hallway that does not need to be there, decorative privacy walls that have no use other then decorative purposes. Anything that takes up space that has no real use can clutter a home and and make it look smaller.
There are other more expensive ways to make a home look larger, like removing a wall, or adding windows, but most of the time, just doing the things that I have mentioned will help without breaking the bank.
The
most important thing to remember, is that square footage is just a number, that
I think sometimes is used as an “I have, you have” talking point and has
nothing to do with necessity. The most important thing to remember when looking
for a home is that the feel and layout of the home is so much more important than how
much square footage the home has.
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management Specializes in Property
Management in Orange County Ca.