There are so many factors that come into play when purchasing real estate. One of these factors is lot size. A larger lot often comes with more opportunities, but if you’re not careful, you can end up paying much more than you had planned on in home maintenance costs and taxes. Here’s a detailed guide on lot size in real estate and how to measure the area of the land using various units of measurement.
The lot size is the physical area of land that a property sits on. It’s usually measured by how many square feet or acres the lot is.
When estimating the cost of your property, one thing that has a big impact on price is the size of your land.
A bigger plot of land typically means more space for your family to live. Hence, it could make all the difference if you’re planning to build an addition or just want more room for kids to play outside.
When selling a home, buyers typically want to know the lot size of the property they are considering buying. It is important because often there will be limited opportunity for building on the property if it has a small, narrow lot. The bigger the land, generally speaking, the more options buyers have.
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Moreover, a big lot also means better value. For example, if one acre of land costs $10,000 and another acre costs $20,000, then the first parcel is being sold at a price per square foot (a measure used to compare the cost between lots) that's 50% higher than the second parcel.
Larger lots tend to come with lower taxes, reduced utility costs and provide more room for outdoor living (garden space, patios, pools, etc.).
An average single-family dwelling lot measures 8,177 square feet.
You may need to consider different lot sizes depending on the house style or where you live.
If a large family lives in an area with small lots, they may be forced to purchase multiple houses rather than one larger house because they don't have enough land to build on.
In this case, the cost per square foot would be higher because more money would go towards construction and less would go towards land value per square foot.
Many homeowners often wonder: how can I measure the size of my lot? Calculating the size of the lot on your property is as simple as multiplying the lengthwise dimension by the width. The area's longer side will be measured in linear distance, and the width or breadth will measure how far apart the long sides are from one another.
You won't need the help of experts to measure the length and width; all you need is a measuring ribbon or a ruler.
Commercial lot sizes are measured by how many units of measurement the land covers, not by the number of square feet. The three units of measurement are acres, acres-per-parcel (usually refers to a subdivision), and square footage. An acre is equal to 43,560 square feet while an acre-per-parcel usually measures 40 acres.
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The following measurement units are used in Pakistan to determine lot sizes, therefore you should be aware of them if you plan to purchase or sell real estate there:
MARLA | SQUARE FEET | SQUARE METERS | SQUARE YARDS | SQUARE INCHES | ACRES |
A typical unit of area is the marla. | It resembles a square. | It is used to calculate the sizes of rooms, buildings, property parcels, etc. | It is a unit of area equivalent to a square with one yard on each side, | equivalent to a square with sides of one inch each. | It is a regional standard measure used in USA and UK. |
The marla was specified to be equal to the 272.25 sq ft, 30.25 square yards, or 25.2929 sq m. | The distance is one foot on either side. | The area measures 1 meter on each side or the equivalent of a square. | it is equivalent to 0.8361 square meters | Equivalent to 6.452 square centimeters | 4,840 square yards or 0.405 hectares make up an acre. |
It was exactly 1/160 of an acre. | The symbol used to denote a square meter is m2. | Square yards are referred to as Yd2, sq. | It is referred to as in2, sq. |
Different areas of Pakistan have different Marla to square foot conversions. The two transformations that typically occur are as follows:
According to the initial conversion, one Marla is equal to 272.25 square feet. It serves as the common unit for calculating sales records.
The second calculation is that 225 square feet equal one Marla. This kind of conversion is frequently used by housing developments, local governments, and development initiatives.
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Other Regional Units for measuring lot sizes in Pakistan are as follows:
UNITS | CONVERSIONS |
One Karam | 5.5 feet |
One square Karam also called sarsai | 25.29 sq. ft. |
One Marla | 9 sarsai |
One Kanal | 20 marlas |
One Bigha | 4 kanals |
One killa | 8 kanals |
One murabba | 25 acres |
One hectare | 2.47 acres |
FAQs
It refers to the amount of land per square foot that the property includes. Usually, it is calculated by multiplying the width of the property (feet) by its length (feet).
There are two main aspects of a house that determine its lot size: the length of the house, and the width. When calculating the space a house takes up on a parcel of land, these dimensions are counted as half their length and width, respectively. In general, the most popular lot sizes are:
1/4 Acre – For a smaller buildable space with room for some outdoor activity
1/2 Acre – Perfect for those looking to take full advantage of outdoor living.
The right size of the land depends on the sort of property and its environment. The typical sizes for residential lots range from 1 acre to 2 acres. A 3-acre property might be preferable if you want enough space to build a house.
There are two standard ways to measure lot size, by width or by depth. The lot's width is calculated from one side to the other, and its depth is calculated from the front to the back. The size of your lot in acres can be calculated by calculating the length and width of the lot. It will give you the size of your lot in square feet. By multiplying this number by 43,560, you can get a precise estimate of how many acres your property has.
The size of the land that has been divided from a larger parcel is referred to as a lot, and an acre is a metric of geographical calculation equivalent to 43,560 square feet.
Our comprehensive guide to lot sizes in real estate comes to an end here. Now that you understand how lot size affects the property you want to purchase and how to determine the size of your land, you can make an informed decision. Keep visiting our blog to learn more useful facts about real estate.