Layouts and floor areas

Total area (celková plocha)

In Czech: Celková plocha

Total area (celková plocha) is the headline size figure in a Czech listing. Depending on the advertiser it may cover only the flat or also a balcony, terrace, cellar or front garden.

Also called: celková plocha, total floor area

What it means

Total area, in Czech celková plocha, is the number an advert usually shows as the main size figure. It is not a fixed concept: one advertiser counts only the floor area of the flat, another adds a balcony, loggia, terrace, cellar, parking space or the front garden of a ground-floor flat.

The total area can therefore be much larger than the space you actually live in. Before you compare offers or work out the price per square metre, find out what the figure is made of.

How it works in the Czech Republic

When you buy a flat in personal ownership (osobní vlastnictví), what legally changes hands is a unit (jednotka). Under § 1159 of the Civil Code, a unit comprises the flat as a spatially separate part of the building and a share in the common parts of the property. The area in an advert, however, normally describes only the flat and its ancillary rooms, not a share of the staircase, roof or corridors.

Balconies, terraces and cellars may be part of the unit, or they may belong to the common parts of the building that the flat owner only has the use of. The owner's declaration for the building (prohlášení vlastníka) shows how it is in a particular building. This matters because it determines exactly what you are buying.

With a mortgage, the bank relies on a property valuation (odhad) in which the valuer breaks down the areas in their own way. A gap between the advertised total area and the area in the valuation can occur, and it is worth clearing up before you sign a reservation agreement (rezervační smlouva).

Practical example

For example, two flats with the same asking price of CZK 6,000,000 (an illustrative amount) both list a total area of 70 m². The first is a 62 m² flat with a loggia, the second a 52 m² flat with a terrace and a cellar. The price per square metre of total area is the same, but in the second case you pay noticeably more for the flat itself.

What to watch out for

  • Ask for a breakdown of the total area: flat, balcony or terrace, cellar, other spaces.
  • Work out the price per m² from the flat's own area so you compare like with like.
  • Check in the owner's declaration whether the balcony, terrace or cellar belongs to the unit.
  • On the title deed (list vlastnictví), check which unit and which share in the common parts is being sold.

Frequently asked questions

Is total area the same as the flat's area?

Not necessarily. It often includes a balcony, terrace or cellar, so ask what it consists of.

How do I find out the real size of the flat?

From a room-by-room breakdown, the owner's declaration for the building or an expert valuation. If the figures differ, ask the seller where the difference comes from.

Does total area include a share of the common parts?

Usually not. The share in the common parts appears on the title deed as a fraction, not as square metres in the advert.

  • Floor area (podlahová plocha)Floor area (podlahová plocha) is the floor surface of the rooms of a flat or house, measured inside between the walls. What advertisers include varies, so always ask how it was measured.
  • Usable area (užitná plocha)Usable area (užitná plocha) is the area of all spaces in a flat or house that can be used, including rooms and ancillary spaces such as bathroom, hallway or storage. What is included varies.
  • Price per square metre (cena za m²)Price per square metre (cena za m²) is a property's asking or sale price divided by its area. It helps compare flats of different sizes, but only if the same type of area is used for each listing.
  • Residential unit (bytová jednotka)A residential unit (bytová jednotka) is a flat as a spatially separate part of a building together with a share in the building's common parts. It is the usual form of owning a flat in Czechia and is recorded in the land register.
  • Title deed (list vlastnictví)A title deed (list vlastnictví, LV) is the land register sheet that shows, for one cadastral area, who owns which properties and what burdens them, such as mortgages, easements or a pending change of ownership.
  • Appraised value (odhadní cena)Appraised value (odhadní cena) is the value a valuer or court expert sets for a property for a specific purpose, most often for a bank granting a mortgage. It can differ from both the purchase price and market value.

Sources

Laws and official pages this text is based on (in Czech).

This text is for information only and has not yet been checked by a legal or financial expert. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Verify important details in the listed sources or with a professional.

Updated 25 October 2026

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