The heated sqft differ from list and county web.

[Huiping S.]

The list heated area is >2000 sqft but the county web shows this property heated area is1890 sqft. The seller added the architecture's map as evidence on property disclosure that the remodel work added new sqft. The work has been finished for more than 7 years by seller by far.

Should I trust seller or how to verify which number is correct? So much sqft be added, does the seller need to get the permission from county? The seller brought the property by cash 11 years ago, and looks the information didn't have update since then.

Thanks.

[Rob Orazi]

Id bet dollars to doughnuts that the extra square footage is not properly permitted. If the municipality does not think it exists it does not exist, that's what I tell my clients when we run across this sort of thing.  

No never trust the seller. There is a good chance they don't know there is a problem. They may have hired a contractor who did not do their job properly. 

The really bad news is when you call the city or county to come look at the new area of the house there is a very high probability that the inspector will tell you (or the seller) they need to see inside the wall which means pulling down the sheet rock or paneling or what ever then if they find a problem with the electrical or how the studs are arranged they will want that to be fixed or worse case they find it structurally unfit and have it torn down.

The square footage is easy enough to verify what is actually on the house. Measure the length of the outside walls. Subtract 6 inches from each wall length to account for the wall width and you will have a better idea for the square footage footprint of the house. Depending on how the law in your area accounts for cooled or heated area there may be some space that doesn't count then subtract that area out and you'll have that much clearer a picture.