I could not disagree more with the previous writer, even though Mr Valenti's credentials are impressive. However, I have written three books on real estate and been teaching real estate on the University of Washington campus for 17 years, in addition to having been a contractor and remodeling instructor. From those experiences I can say that first of all there is simply no uniform way to measure square footage. I have studied this issue to death, and have concluded that buyers are looking at the wrong thing. The floor plan, ceiling heights, degree of open space, etc., and all the other variables of design will determine how comfortable and appropriate a house is for the buyers. And that can only be determined by a visit. Once the buyers are in the house, they never seem to bring up square footage again, so it is only a measure that some, mostly men, use to help them decide if they should even take a look. I tell all agents and sellers to never quote a figure. I've been an expert witness enough to have a reason for that advice. Also, and again from experience, I can tell you that many agents, even some who are very, very good in most ways, cannot convert a simple fraction to a decimal. They are simply inept with numbers and have no business trying to deal with something that even those of us with years of experience cannot determine to everyone's satisfaction. Our local paper has even done a disservice to the community by trying to determine the price per square foot in neighborhoods, when the figures they used would sometimes include a basement and sometimes not. That makes the comparisons absurd and useless. Don't quote square footage and don't let it be a factor in the decision process. Jim in Seattle