Layouts and floor areas
Living area (obytná plocha)
In Czech: Obytná plocha
Living area (obytná plocha) is the area of the rooms used for living, such as the living room and bedrooms, sometimes also the kitchen. Bathrooms, hallways and storage are usually left out.
Also called: obytná plocha, habitable area
What it means
Living area, in Czech obytná plocha, is the sum of the areas of the habitable rooms, the rooms where you live, sleep or work. The living room and bedrooms count; the bathroom, toilet, entrance hall, corridor, walk-in wardrobe and storage room do not. Whether the kitchen counts depends on who states the area, and often on its size.
The figure is most useful when you want to know how much space really goes to rooms. Two flats with the same total area can have very different living areas, for example when one has a long corridor and a large bathroom.
How it works in the Czech Republic
Flat adverts do not always state living area; total or floor area appears more often. For houses, some advertisers give it alongside usable area (užitná plocha) to show how much space is habitable and how much goes to technical and storage areas.
You can work it out yourself from a floor plan with dimensions by adding up the rooms. Decide in advance how you will treat the kitchen so the comparison is fair: in a 2+kk the kitchenette is part of a habitable room, in a 2+1 the kitchen is a separate room.
Authorities, banks and others may use their own rules, for example for attic rooms or kitchens. If you need an exact figure for a contract or a loan, ask how it was calculated.
Practical example
For example, two 2+kk flats are both advertised at 54 m² (illustrative figures). In the first, the living room with kitchenette and the bedroom take up most of the area; in the second, a lot of it goes to the corridor, a walk-in wardrobe and two bathrooms. The second flat's living area is noticeably smaller although the headline figure is the same.
What to watch out for
- Ask whether the kitchen is included in the living area.
- Add up the room areas from the plan yourself and compare with the advert.
- For attic rooms, find out how much of the floor has full ceiling height.
- Do not confuse living area with total, usable or floor area.
Frequently asked questions
Is the kitchen part of the living area?
Sometimes. It depends on who gives the figure; a kitchenette in the living room is usually counted as part of that room.
Why is living area smaller than the flat's area?
Because it leaves out the bathroom, toilet, hallway, corridor and storage. The difference depends on how much space these take up.
How do I find the living area if the advert does not state it?
Ask for a dimensioned floor plan or a room-by-room breakdown and add up the rooms.