A home is under contract, and the buyer's appraisal reports less living area than the seller advertised. Both parties are now looking at the same house and different numbers. Does the difference mean someone made a mistake, and would another measurement help?
Not necessarily, and sometimes. The first question is what each figure describes. An independent measurement can document the home's area for an agreed purpose, but it does not automatically change the buyer's lender appraisal or decide what happens to the sale. Before ordering one, find out what question you need answered and who needs the information.
Start with the space in question
Imagine a listing includes a finished garage conversion in the advertised figure, while the buyer's appraisal reports a smaller living-area total. That is a hypothetical example, not an Action Appraisal case. The smaller total does not tell you by itself whether the appraiser missed the room or reported it separately. Nor does the larger listing figure establish how the room should be reported in an appraisal.
Conversions and additions are relevant questions for established homes in the Austin area and other Central Texas communities. A useful comparison asks whether the figures describe the same spaces, not just whether the totals match. If the appraisal explanation notes a space counted separately from the main living-area total, that detail gives the buyer and seller a more specific question to discuss than the difference between two totals alone.
What a separate measurement can answer
A standalone measurement is one way to document the home's area under an identified method. For applicable home-measurement assignments, Tom Wagner uses ANSI Z765. Depending on the property and the applicable method, a finished space may be documented separately rather than included in the main living-area total. The square-footage verification page explains more about the service and how different spaces are reported.
Measurement and value are different questions. A measurement-only assignment documents area for its agreed purpose; it does not provide an opinion of market value. If the question is how the property's features relate to value, ask whether a separate appraisal is appropriate for your intended use.
Will the buyer's lender use a new measurement?
A separate measurement does not replace or revise the lender's appraisal. Whether the lender will consider additional information, and what it requires, is for the lender to address. A buyer with questions about the lender's appraisal can start with the lender. A seller can discuss the discrepancy and the available information with their agent or other advisers as appropriate.
Before paying for another measurement, ask the intended recipient what information would be useful for their purpose. If you want an independent measurement for your own understanding, explain that as well. The intended use and recipients should be clear when the assignment is discussed; a report prepared for one purpose is not automatically usable for another.
The measurement also does not decide the terms of the contract or whether the transaction closes. Those questions belong with the parties and their appropriate advisers, not with a measurement-only report.
What to have ready for a conversation
You do not have to resolve the discrepancy before calling. If available, have the listing figure and the relevant appraisal information nearby, along with any plans or records of an addition or conversion. Note which space you think accounts for the difference and which details you do not know. Tell the appraiser who needs the information and that a closing is pending, so you can discuss what the measurement would cover, the fee and timing before deciding whether to proceed.
Action Appraisal offers square-footage verification across served communities in Travis, Williamson and Burnet counties, excluding Taylor and Horseshoe Bay. To discuss your property and what you need clarified, contact Action Appraisal or call 512-470-8181.
About Action Appraisal
Tom Wagner is a Texas Certified Residential Appraiser, credential 1323538-CR, and the appraiser behind Action Appraisal. He provides residential appraisal and measurement services in the areas noted above. Learn more about Tom and Action Appraisal.
It provides general information, not legal advice or an appraisal of a particular property.