Why You Shouldn’t Trust Price Per Sq Foot

Why You Shouldn’t Trust Price Per Sq Foot

Price per sqft is one of the most misleading ways to shop for a home builder. In the industry, we joke that buying a house by the sqft price is like buying a car per pound. It is misleading and irrelevant. Calculating the price per sqft can be difficult and confusing. The industry standard for calculating it is the total cost of the home divided by the livable square footage of the home. This “livable square footage” does not include porches, decks, garages, driveways, and unfinished spaces in the home. But all of these are included in the total cost of the home!
Take a 1,200 sqft. home with three bedrooms and two baths vs. a 1,800 sqft. home with the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms. The 1,200 sqft home will have a higher cost per sqft simply because they both have three toilets, bedroom windows, front door, and so on. The 1,800 home has the same number of those items spread out across more sqft. If you take the price per sqft of the 1,200 sqft home and multiply it out to 1,800, you would be severely over-budgeted. And the opposite is true if you go in the opposite direction. 
You also must consider what finishes are included in the total price of the home? The higher ended finishes are going to increase the price. When it comes to shopping for your builder, it is best to tour their products and talk to them about what you can get with your budget. Cost per square foot is only useful when you know everything included in the builder’s cost. Be sure to consider all the costs associated with how you want your house finished, not just built.

For Sale

This townhome, featuring 1,882 sq ft, three bedrooms, two and a half baths could be the home for you! All of your living space is on the main floor. The kitchen has plenty of storage with an island and a pantry. There is also a powder room and a mudroom off of the two stall garage. Upstairs, you will find three bedrooms. The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet. The two other bedrooms share another full bath. The laundry is conveniently located upstairs with all of the bedrooms. 

Features:

  • 2 x 6 Exterior walls
  • Vinyl siding and stone maintenance-free exterior
  • Sliding glass door that leads to the backyard patio
  • Sprinklers and full sod
  • Painted hardwood trim
  • Stone countertops
  • Carrier high-efficiency electric furnace
  • Bathroom and walk-in closet in the master bedroom
  • Laundry located upstairs
  • Kitchen pantry