Square Footage of HK Property

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  1. #1

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    Square Footage of HK Property

    I just measured my apartment outside wall to outside wall (yes I know it's Friday night..). What possessed me to do this I don't know, I guess I just always wondered if it really was the size it's meant to be.

    It is only 68.75% as big as it's supposed to be :O

    Now, I have heard before that they sometimes they include your apartment's share of communal space in working out it's square footage, but my building has no communal space at all. It has small, tiny halls and two tiny lifts serving 78 apartments. Essentially it is an off the street building. So how on earth can the communal space spread over 78 apartments add some.... 45.45% to the actual real life size of my apartment.

    Does anyone know how apartment size is normally done here? Any clues re my apartment ?

    Last edited by kryzlowski; 09-10-2009 at 11:45 PM.

  2. #2

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    Three things.

    1) You need to understand the meaning of " Gross Floor Area " ( GFA ) in regard to how apartments are listed. The actual space being verbally described, or expressed, as a % ( Efficiency ) against the GFA, in many cases. Older buildings tend to have lower efficiency than new ones.

    This article explains in easy terms 1181-b1

    Presently. new developments by law must be described in GFA and SFA ( Saleable Floor Area ). SFA is nearer to the actual physical dimensions of your space and does get over the old confusion of GFA, UFA and Saleable area. There is also a calculation laid down in the buildings ordinance ( if your REALLY bored ) that must be used by anyone calculating GFA in new developments as in times past, developers could get pretty creative in the means of calculation.

    2) You need to work on your maths. 100 - 68.75 = 31.25. Lets blame it on the same virus that made you pick up the tape on a Friday night.

    3) You measured the OUTSIDE wall dimensions of the apartment block? Are you Spiderman ??


  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boris:
    Three things.

    1) You need to understand the meaning of " Gross Floor Area " ( GFA ) in regard to how apartments are listed. The actual space being verbally described, or expressed, as a % ( Efficiency ) against the GFA, in many cases. Older buildings tend to have lower efficiency than new ones.

    This article explains in easy terms 1181-b1

    Presently. new developments by law must be described in GFA and SFA ( Saleable Floor Area ). SFA is nearer to the actual physical dimensions of your space and does get over the old confusion of GFA, UFA and Saleable area. There is also a calculation laid down in the buildings ordinance ( if your REALLY bored ) that must be used by anyone calculating GFA in new developments as in times past, developers could get pretty creative in the means of calculation.
    Ok, this sheds a lot of light. It's the other way around to what I thought too, I always expected that older buildings would be more true to size, whereas newer ones would be more 'creative'. Not sure what made me think that though, but it's partly why I was so shocked about my apartment (it's an old building).

    So, out of interested when you descibe your apartment 'space' above would that normally included internal walls etc? It sounds like maybe GFA does, but SFA doesn't? The calculations I did included this, but it'd be interesting to know if they are starting to calculate size without.

    Do you have any idea of how long ago buildings started having to be listed in GFA/SFA? E.g would a building built in 1997 have a good 'efficiency' do you think?


    Quote Originally Posted by Boris:
    2) You need to work on your maths. 100 - 68.75 = 31.25. Lets blame it on the same virus that made you pick up the tape on a Friday night.
    With all due respect (and appreciation for replying), no I don't. The actual size is 68.75%, and to come up with the listed size (100%), they added 45.45% onto the actual size (68.75%).
    See what I mean? 45.45% of 68.75 equals (very very nearly) 31.25. And then as you discovered 31.25+68.75=100


    Quote Originally Posted by Boris:
    3) You measured the OUTSIDE wall dimensions of the apartment block? Are you Spiderman ??
    I WISH! I started watching Heroes recently so I've been looking out for some special 'ability' but unfortunately none yet .

    What I meant was I measured from outside wall of the apartment, to the opposite outside wall, etc. I.e all internal walls are included in the 'actual' figure which I worked out.
    Last edited by kryzlowski; 10-10-2009 at 11:18 AM.

  4. #4

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    Sorry forget my first few questions. I read through the link and realised the answers are there regarding GFA/SFA.

    But, I was wondering generally if anyone knows when efficiency started improving? Again, taking the example of a 1997 building? Or are we talking much more recently than that?


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by kryzlowski:
    But, I was wondering generally if anyone knows when efficiency started improving?
    But the thing with newer buildings is, they typically have nicer/larger lobbies, clubhouse facilities, larger podium, etc. which probably counts toward communical space.

    My building is about 3yrs old and I'm quite sure it's no more than 65%.

  6. #6

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    Buildings which are pre-1990 will have greater efficiency.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax:
    Buildings which are pre-1990 will have greater efficiency.
    Did you mean to say greater efficiency post-1990, and not 'pre'-1990? If so then you and Boris are saying opposite things lol

  8. #8

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    From the Ratings and Valuation Department (http://www.rvd.gov.hk/en/doc/statist..._technotes.pdf)

    A domestic unit is measured on the basis of ‘saleable area’ which is defined as the floor area exclusively allocated to the unit including balconies and verandahs but excluding common areas such as stairs, lift shafts, pipe ducts, lobbies and communal toilets. It is measured from
    the outside of the exterior enclosing walls of the unit and the middle of the party walls between two units. Bay windows, yards, gardens, terraces, flat roofs, carports and the like are excluded from the area.
    "Gross" area is not officially defined but includes the internal area of the unit, bay windows, plus a share of the common areas - so the GFA is an inflated area while SFA is closer to the actual space inside your unit. Keep in mind that newer developments exploit this loophole by building bay-windows in every room so they can inflate the GFA. Older buildings did not have this "bay window" loophole so had no reason to build them.
    Last edited by albahk; 13-10-2009 at 09:51 PM. Reason: clarity

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boris:
    2) You need to work on your maths. 100 - 68.75 = 31.25. Lets blame it on the same virus that made you pick up the tape on a Friday night.
    Er, no. As the OP pointed out, it is you who is innumerate. The statement "the communal space spread over 78 apartments add some.... 45.45% to the actual real life size of my apartment. " is perfectly correct.

  10. #10

    is there a website anywhere that i can check the official size of our flat?


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