Simple question: Do either or both the terms above include the basement? Are there situations when the basement would or wouldn’t be included in that figure, for example whether or not the basement is finished and heated?
If you want the official spec (assuming you’re in the US), you’ll have to get ANSI Z765-2003.
“Floor space” and “gross living area” don’t have universal definitions as far as I know - perhaps there are regional conventions near you. Generally, finished space above ground level is considered “living space”, or “finished square footage”. Any space below grade level is normally listed separately, even if finished (e.g. heated, insulated).
Stairs from a finished area that go down to a basement or unfinished area are considered finished living area.
Arjuna34
thanks for the response. Unfortunately, actually viewing the houses is not a simple option. We’re thinking of relocating in a couple of years, and I was looking at Re/Max’s website regarding houses in the Boston area. Obviously at some point we’ll have to go on a factfinding mission there at the appropriate time
Encouragingly, the prices seemed cheap by SoCal standards.
Maybe you could pick a representative house in the area, and email the real estate agent about what those terms precisely mean in their usage? They’re probably consistent within the same real estate agency, and maybe the entire area, so then you’d know for the rest of the houses.