earlybird.

Tool

Floor area visualiser

See what a floor area in square metres or square feet actually looks like, and how it compares with the national space standard.

New build listings and floor plans give a home's size as a number, often in square metres on one site and square feet on the next. Few of us can picture what 75 m² or 900 sq ft is like to live in.

Enter a floor area to see it drawn to scale beside a parking space, a double bed and a sofa, converted between units, and compared with the government's minimum space standard for a home with the same number of bedrooms.

Units
Bedrooms
Floors in the home

Floor area

80 m²

In square feet861 sq ft
As one square room8.9 m × 8.9 m
Parking spaces it would cover6.9
Space standard minimum, 3 bed 2 floors84 m²
Below the minimum by4 m² (5%)

The minimum is from the Nationally Described Space Standard (2015) for the smallest home with that many bedrooms. Councils choose whether to apply it, so not every new home has to meet it. Floor areas on listings and floor plans are usually gross internal area, measured wall to wall inside the outer walls.

Parking space: 4.8 m × 2.4 mDouble bed: 1.35 m × 1.9 m3-seat sofa: 2 m × 0.9 m8.9 m × 8.9 m
Each grid square is 1 m × 1 m. The shapes below the floor are to the same scale.Parking space (4.8 × 2.4 m)Double bed (1.35 × 1.9 m)3-seat sofa (2 × 0.9 m)

Want the background? Read our guide: How to search for a new build home.

How this tool works

  1. The area is converted between square metres and square feet (1 m² is 10.764 sq ft).
  2. It is drawn as a single square room with a 1 metre grid, so you can see how big it is next to everyday things drawn to the same scale.
  3. Pick the number of bedrooms and floors, and it shows the minimum gross internal area in the Nationally Described Space Standard for the smallest home of that kind, and how far above or below it the home is.

What it assumes

  • Minimums are from the Nationally Described Space Standard (March 2015). Councils can choose to require it in their local plan, so it does not apply to every new home.
  • The minimum shown is for the fewest bed spaces with that many bedrooms, such as a 3 bedroom home for 4 people. Homes for more people need more space.
  • Floor areas in listings are usually gross internal area, measured inside the outer walls and including internal walls, stairs and cupboards.

Floor area visualiser: common questions

Short answers to the things people ask most.

How do I convert square metres to square feet?

Multiply square metres by 10.764. So 80 m² is about 861 sq ft. To go the other way, divide square feet by 10.764.

What is the minimum size for a new build home?

The Nationally Described Space Standard sets minimum floor areas, from 39 m² for a one bedroom, one person flat with a bathroom to 134 m² for a five bedroom, three storey home for eight people. It only applies where the council has adopted it.

Is the floor area on a listing the usable space?

Usually it is gross internal area: everything inside the outer walls, including internal walls, stairs and storage. Rooms with low ceilings in lofts may count for less. Check the floor plan for room sizes.

More tools

GARDEN

Garden size visualiser

Enter a garden's width and depth to see it drawn to scale, its area, and whether a shed, trampoline, patio set or car would fit.

Open the tool
SDLT

Stamp duty calculator

Work out the Stamp Duty on a new build, and what it's worth if the developer pays it.

Open the tool
MONTHLY

Mortgage repayment calculator

Estimate your monthly repayments from the price, your deposit, the rate and the term.

Open the tool
SAVE

Mortgage overpayment calculator

See how much time and interest you could save by overpaying your mortgage each month.

Open the tool

For developers

Building new homes? Get in front of buyers early.

Create a free account, get approved in 24–48 hours, and pay only for confirmed viewings.

Create developer account