4,737,169
This answer will likely vary. By area and even by agent. Certain situations may come into play as well.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Kat Palmiotti
Kalispell, MT
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Valeria Mola
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
-
John Pusa
Glendale, CA
-
Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
-
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
-
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Carpinteria, CA
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
-
Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Praful Thakkar
Burlington, MA
-
Bob Crane
Stevens Point, WI
2,520,681
We do in our market Praful Thakkar
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
John Pusa
Glendale, CA
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Valeria Mola
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
-
Mary Yonkers
Erie, PA
-
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
-
Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
-
Praful Thakkar
Burlington, MA
6,685,588
As long as it is finished, and this is all separated out on our MLS as to finished, unfinished, below ground and above etc.
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Kris Collis, Associate...
East Stroudsburg, PA
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Valeria Mola
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
-
Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Praful Thakkar
Burlington, MA
-
Bob Crane
Stevens Point, WI
5,310,779
North Carolina State has rigorous rules on how we account for basement or attic space (or any additional space connected to or separate from the main dwelling) when we list having to do with whether or not it's heated living area, finished living area, etc. We pay no attention to tax records for square footage in our listings... they are notoriously incorrect and one of the first things we are taught in real estate school is to never use the tax records' square footage for listings in mls.
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Kris Collis, Associate...
East Stroudsburg, PA
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Mary Yonkers
Erie, PA
-
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
-
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Carpinteria, CA
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
5,584,639
if and when that happens, it's clearly described in the remarks.... the living area should be above grade....
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Carpinteria, CA
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
-
Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Praful Thakkar
Burlington, MA
-
Bob Crane
Stevens Point, WI
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,100,809
We don't do basements here, BUT we do lots of AZ rooms.
IF they are fully habitable (insulated, heated cooled plumbing electrical AND they 'flow' with the rest of the house . . . like no 'step down' to a converted garage . . . they can be counted in square footage. We defer to City/County records to see what was permitted, and taxed. If it does not pass all that muster, it's noted that there is that additional living space that does not show up in official records. I have argued with sellers over this. Your drywalled-in garage mancave is not square footage!
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Kris Collis, Associate...
East Stroudsburg, PA
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Mary Yonkers
Erie, PA
-
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
-
Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
-
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Carpinteria, CA
1,538,434
We do not have basements in California, with a few exceptions. What we do get are add-ons without permits. For those the SF is usually listed as "Per Seller" or if they had an appraisal since the modification, then it's listed as "Per Appraiser".
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Kris Collis, Associate...
East Stroudsburg, PA
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,231,853
Sounds like my area, too.
As a Realtor, I knew that finishing my basement as a family room might not net us more $$$ at time of sale. However, we have been here 20+ years and have no plans to move in the near future. We thoroughly enjoy our family room.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
-
John Pusa
Glendale, CA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,870,453
We cannot do that here but there is a seperate space for basement, recroom.
We get fined.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Mary Yonkers
Erie, PA
-
Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
469,575
2500 if the basement is truely finished and usable "living" area.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Mel Ahrens, MBA, Kelly...
Hood River, OR
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Mary Yonkers
Erie, PA
1,513,143
Unless it has ingress and egress it is not allowed here and if the listing shows more sq. ft. than tax records, there must be an explanation in the public remarks.
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Kris Collis, Associate...
East Stroudsburg, PA
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
-
Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
1,258,649
Only with a disclaimer that the finished basement square footage is included
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Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
John Pusa
Glendale, CA
-
Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
5,486,412
Ours is broken down so, when we have basement space (both heated or unheated), we enter it into MLS as basement-heated or basement-unheated.
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Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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John Pusa
Glendale, CA
-
Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
-
Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
827,615
Here in BC all finished space is counted in the total Sq. Footage. However in different parts of Canada anything below ground level is not counted even if it is finished.
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Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
777,875
Our MLS is so brilliant they've taken this into account allready. We can enter both but in separate fields- so it's clear what is above ground & what is below ground.
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Kris Collis, Associate...
East Stroudsburg, PA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
922,129
Yes, if it is a legal living area. On our MLS there is also a breakdown of sq footage based on location, where basement area is reported.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
457,060
I do not. But FlexMLS will add it to give a total finished and unfinished sq footage.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
4,358,080
Praful Thakkar it depends on the property and the area.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Mary Yonkers
Erie, PA
5,114,065
I have never listed a house with a basement. In fact I have never been in a house in Texas that had a basement.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
-
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
2,848,056
Optional
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
759,592
We can disclose how we come up with the square footage in our MLS listing details - per county, per appraiser, per builder, per owner. If per owner and there is something odd, we would let selling agents know that the square footage includes the finished basement.
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Kris Collis, Associate...
East Stroudsburg, PA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
-
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,598,552
Reading answers.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
2,071,135
We don't have basements in our area. Don't know.
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Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,619,361
public records show what I can show. No more, no less.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
5,166,343
Basements are very rare in my area...can't even recall seeing one...but if included it would be noted as below grade space.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
3,660,766
We do have some areas in Phoenix ( not many) that have big homes with basements that are more like just another part of the house - all totally finished out. Sold one recently that was huge - and it's exactly what my clients needed - huge. And yes, if a basement is finished out it is included in square footage.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
5,774,095
Yes, we would. A
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
8,149,414
In our area, we use the square footage provided by the real estate assessor.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,262,263
No basement here in this area. I do know one investor who could not build a 3000 sf sfh home on 1 level wne tunderground. Put the biggest granite slab and Subfreeze with a separate entry calling it 3000 sf and priced accordingly. No one took the bait.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
3,265,419
Yes, total living space is included here in my selling area. Not garage space though.
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Steve Higgins
Kelowna, BC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
3,430,007
I am with Michael Jacobs on this. I see similar details in my MLS - notes in the remarks that the square footage includes basement. The most important thing, IMHO, is to just disclose and avoid deception.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
2,323,701
In our market, central Washington state, the basement is included and noted whether it is finished space or not. Cellars without windows are not included.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
3,416,372
That is a horrible practice, mis-leading and a good way to upset buyers. Our MLS also is against this. I do write it in the comments section though but onl SF above ground counts
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
2,574,385
It depends on what the rules are for MLS in your area!
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
536,943
Our mls is separated for main level, up, and down, then the total of all finished and unfinished space.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
662,373
Our MLS breaks it out as above grade & below grade and total finished sq ft
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
5,481,776
Above grade counts, below grade noted even if a walk-out!
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
6,002,794
In our Denver MLS, we enter the "above ground" SF, and it does show the total SF also.
942,327
Our MLS has a place for sf above ground and sf below ground and a spot for the total of the two. We do see agents add unpermitted space to totals and disclose that it is unpermitted.
932,948
Basements can be living areas, but are usually separated into finished and unfinished square footage. With all the photos allowed in MLS's these days, I would think most buyers could figure out what is finished in basements just by looking at the photos.