Dane Hahn

Hi Abbie,

Good question and certainly one the town or county assessor will take into consideration. Assessors figure your total square footage, then add the extras, pool, fireplace, tile etc. Appraisers will try to find similar homes which have recently sold that already have a pool to determine your value.

The good news is homes are not generally sold by $/sq ft. (I do agree some sellers OFFER their house by that method, and buyers and investors who are--bottom feeders--may be looking for a deal and check the lowest $/sq ft;) but people who are looking for a family home really have other parameters.

And dollars per square foot really don't tell the story. What if there is a big parcel of land? Or a tennis court? Or water views? Or a long manicured driveway? Or a pool and spa with tile or pavers? All of these add to the value/asking price, but the asking price is then divided by the square footage (in New England square footage can include the basement--in Florida it's usually only the area that is air conditioned). The final cost per square foot varies by style. So the square foot cost is best used when comparing similar condos or homes in a neighborhood built by ONE builder.

Dane Hahn
Broker NH/FL - Sat Aug 22 2009, 10:10