An important element for real estate appraisers related to single-family homes or apartments is that of technical parameters. Thus, I chose to develop this topic in order to better understand those to whom we offer our services how to correctly frame a property.

For apartment-type buildings, we need to know its type (detached, semi-detached, circular), the degree of comfort, its usable area and its total area, and for single-family homes, it represents the built area, the developed area and the usable area.

Detached, semi-detached and circular apartments

Detached apartments They have a hallway from which access is made to each room. Due to the construction method, it is the type of home that offers comfort, not requiring you to move from one room to another.

Semi-detached apartments They have one or two hallways and differ from the detached ones in that they force you to move from one room to another, the available space being modified depending on the type of comfort.

The circular apartment It is a combination of the detached and the semi-detached, with two hallways, the difference is that access from the first hallway to the second can be done both through the kitchen and the living room, so the idea of ​​spinning in a circle can be created.

The degree of comfort

The comfort of a home is established according to its usable area and is regulated in Decree-Law no. 61/1990. The properties were divided into 4 categories as follows:

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Usable area and Total area

These notions are defined in the Housing Law (Law 114/1996) as follows:

Usable surface of an apartment includes the sum of all the useful areas of the rooms. It includes: living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, WC, shower, kitchen, storage and circulation spaces inside the home.

Total area includes the usable area plus the area of ​​balconies, terraces or loggias.

Surface areas of single-family homes

Single-family dwellings have three types of surfaces: usable, built, and developed, and are regulated in Law 350/2001. These surfaces also help calculate urban indices that determine how much can be built on a certain plot of land, depending on the regulations in the area.

Built surface represents the built area at ground level, except for the uncovered terraces of the ground floor that exceed the facade plane, platforms, access stairs. The ground projection of balconies whose level is below 3.00 m from the level of the arranged ground and of the closed loggias of the floors is included in the built area.

Built surface desfasurata of a building represents the sum of the areas of all levels of the building, delimited by the external contour of the building envelope. The following are not included in the calculation of the developed built area: the area of ​​basements with a clear height of up to 1.80 m, the area of ​​basements strictly intended for parking vehicles, technical spaces or spaces intended for civil protection, the area of ​​balconies, loggias, open and uncovered terraces, non-passable terraces and canopies, as well as undeveloped bridges, pedestrian/road access alleys within the premises, external stairs, protective sidewalks.

Usable surface is the unfolded area, less the area related to the walls. The useful area of ​​the dwelling is the sum of all the useful areas of the rooms. It includes: the living room, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the shower, the kitchens, the storage and circulation spaces inside the dwelling. It does not include: the area of ​​the loggias and balconies