How Many Square Meters Do I Need?

How Many Square Meters Do I Need?

(These are the thoughts of CapitIL Real Estate Agency Sales Director Ben Levene.)

The purpose of this blog is to help you understand the market more than you did before you read this.

A big part of purchasing a property in Jerusalem is understanding realistically how many square meters you need.

In Israel, apartments are sold in square meters as opposed to square feet.

A square meter is about 10.7 square feet, for reference.

Let’s take a look at how many square meters you need for your Jerusalem apartment. 

Existing Apartments

When you are buying an existing apartment, personally, the number of square meters is less important than the feeling that you get when standing in the apartment.

Of course, if you are told that an apartment is 140 SQM, and it feels like 100 SQM, you should not buy that apartment.

However, there are times where a 95 SQM apartment with a good layout can feel more spacious than a 120 SQM unit that has a cramped layout.

There are some people who get stuck on needing a certain amount of meterage instead of realizing that there is more to feeling spacious than just the numbers.

There is also a big difference between the gross and net size so make sure you understand the size you are buying . 

Buying Off-Plan

A number of years ago, developers were selling properties including walls and parts of the shared areas in the size.

Today, shared space should not be included in the space are sold according to Israel’s sales law, however, sizes in projects still include parts of the exterior wall, which is important for you to know if you plan on purchasing off-plan.

That is not an issue, but rather something to be aware of. If you are purchasing a 100 SQM unit, you will probably receive 85 to 90 SQM net (each project varies and can be slightly more or less).

Each layout is different, which is why purchasing based off of numbers does not necessarily indicate its feeling of spaciousness. A better way to get an idea for how spacious your apartment will feel is to get the net measurements of each room as opposed to one overall number.

Focusing on the amount of bedrooms and their sizes, looking at the sizing of your living space and kitchen - that is what is important. This will give you a much better idea of how spacious your apartment will feel.

Balconies

There is a specific point I want to make about balconies. Let’s say for example, you are looking at a listing that has a 30 SQM balcony. That sounds fantastic and spacious!

However, if it is 1.5 meters deep and 20 meters wide, I would rather get a 2.5 x 4 meter balcony. It may technically be smaller, but it is much more practical. 

Personal Experience 

I have had clients who tell me that they are looking for 140 SQM, and when I send them a listing that is 128 SQM, refuse to look at it. I highly advise taking listings into consideration despite being a bit smaller than you originally intended as smaller apartments can still feel more spacious.

There is obviously a degree of importance to meterage when it comes to resale, however I urge my clients to avoid getting stuck on the specific number of meterage and be more open to considering the layout  and feeling of a specific unit.

A 150 SQM unit with 10 meter long hallways to bedrooms and another hallway of 5 meters might not be as practical as a well designed 130 SQM unit.

Conclusion

It is important to understand that numbers are not everything.

Shapes and feelings are a crucial factor in an apartment being spacious.

Do not rule options out based on numbers, because numbers do not always tell the full story. 

Contact CapitIL Real Estate Agency.

See available Jerusalem real estate here and new development projects here.