Back in the late 1980s, the unit of measurement used in Australia has always been SI or metric units. However, most contractors and realtors still make use of the old method Imperial measurement of squares for property quotations. That said, be careful not to confuse these two units of measurement.
Square VS Square Meter: The Comparison
Square is the most common unit of measurement used in referring to the overall house size, while square meter is the one used to measure the total lot size.
A square is equal to 9.290304 square metres. One convenient way of measuring a square meter is multiplying the length by the width of a block.
The symbol for square meter is m² and 1m² is equal to 10.75 square feet or 0.1075 of a square.
Pointers on how houses are measured
Make sure that the dimensions given are clear to avoid any confusion. See below examples for some references.
- The overall quotation can sometimes be including the external walls that typically measure 0.25m thick. That equates to around 10-20m² of space occupied by the external walls that can’t be used.
- Areas are also measured below the roof level that may equate to about 20-40m² if the house has full eaves.
- Staircases are often measured as square footage and typically they are counted twice in a 2-storey house since the measurement starts from the floor from where they descend from and at the same time occupies space on the ground floor.
- Garage is sometimes incorporated in the overall plan, and sometimes it’s not.
Having known some of these important details to consider, it is also said however that up to 10% dispute in the dimensions is still allowable.
What is the standard size of an Australian home?
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian houses have an average floor area that measures 242 square meters in 2021 – a decrease of less than 1% in the past 10 years. The said drop can be a mix of different factors such as higher land cost, buyer’s preference to reside in infill locations, or building 2-storey houses and maximizing the space.
The Structure
A standard house in Australia built for an average family typically includes:
- 3 bedrooms
- 2 bathrooms
- 1 garage
These are the basic requirements for most families, but some may opt to have a larger space, while others are fine with smaller ones.
Factors influencing house sizes in Australia
Location
This is one of the most important things that a family considers when building their home. The type of neighborhood usually dictates the house size in a particular part of the country. A typical example is when a family with small kids is starting their new home, they might want to live where there are good schools nearby, which can be a bit pricey.
Climate
Living in areas where the weather tend to get extreme such as freezing winter, burning summer or sometimes flood build ups, it is surely requiring more building materials for good insulation. Also, there are weather conditions that may suggest which house is better – like in winter, a smaller house can be cozier, while in summer, a larger house has cooler temperature.
Budget
We can’t deny the fact that money plays an important role in choosing a house. Whether you choose to build your own, or directly buy from the market, the budget would always be on top of each buyer’s considerations. According to an Australian real estate statistics, the price of housings declined during the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, building a house costs cheaper than buying one.
Are you ready to get a new house?
One good point to consider is to never rely on mere documents showing quotations but rather doing the measurements yourself and see if the dimensions match closely. With that, you can be guided well before contract signing takes place. Another thing, it won’t harm if you ask for some professional guidance most especially if you are planning to have a bigger purchase.
Whether you choose a bigger house or an average one, always remember that the family’s needs will always be your top priority and that safety should never be compromised at any cost.
