DRAWINGS - HOW DO I MEASURE MY HOUSE?

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Have you been asked to provide a measured survey of your home? Have you then approved surveyors for the cost of that work? Was it really expensive? If you can use a CAD package (if you don't know what that is, then the answer is probably no!), then there's really no reason why you can't avoid the expense and do it yourself.

It's worth noting that a set of drawings from a professional surveyor will probable be more accurate, as they tend to use expensive equipment (total stations or automatic surveying stations) that generate very accurate drawings. It's also worth noting that your time has value, so spending a lot of time measuring and drawing your own home isn't for everyone.

If you want to have a go yourself, here's a quick guide on how to go about it in a sensible way.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • A couple of hours

  • A laser measure, or a tape measure that’s long enough for your biggest room - if you’re using a tape measure, you’ll need someone to help as well

  • Plenty of paper, ideally with a grid, but anything will do

  • A couple of different colour pens/pencils

  • Your phone (to take photos)



First, sketch out an overall floor plan of your home, with each floor on 1 sheet of paper - it can be really basic - it’s just to communicate the overall arrangement of rooms.  On each plan, give the rooms a name and a number, and mark which is the front and which is the rear of the house.


Then, take a photo of each plan.




MEASURING EACH ROOM


Now, starting with room number 1, measure it in detail. You’ll need to know:

  • the overall size of each room

  • the ceiling height in each room 

  • the size and position of doors and windows

  • the size and position of any chimney breasts or large fixed features


If you can, put each type of measurement in a different colour, which will make the end result easier to understand.


Once you’ve measured each room, take a photo of that sheet, and then take photos of the room.  This way the photos of each room will be grouped with the measurements for that room.

Repeat this process for each room and space.




OTHER THINGS TO MEASURE AND PHOTOGRAPH

If you can safely get there, measure the height in the tallest part of your loft, from the top of the loft floor joists, to the bottom of the roof ridge beam.



Take photos of the outside of the house, from the front, the back, and any sides that you can get to.


    


Once you have all the photos of the house and your measurements, you can start drawing everything.


Good luck!

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