Calculate price per m² with balcony & basement weighting
When buying, renting, or evaluating a property, the price per square metre is one of the most powerful metrics available. It allows you to compare properties of different sizes on a level playing field. Our free price per m² calculator goes one step further by letting you apply individual weighting factors for balconies, terraces, and basement areas – giving you a truly accurate picture of what you're paying for.
Imagine two apartments listed at the same price. One is 65 m², the other 85 m². Without the price per square metre, it's difficult to judge which is the better deal. This metric normalises property comparisons and is widely used by estate agents, banks, mortgage lenders, and valuers across Europe and beyond.
However, a raw calculation based on total advertised area can be misleading. Many listings include ancillary areas like balconies, terraces, or storage rooms in their total floor area. These spaces are typically worth less per square metre than actual living space, and ignoring this can lead to skewed comparisons.
Our price per m² calculator allows you to enter different area types and assign each a weighting factor reflecting its relative value. This approach mirrors professional property valuation standards and ensures your result is both realistic and comparable.
The calculator computes a weighted total area by multiplying each area by its factor and summing the results. It then divides the total price by this weighted area to produce your price per m².
Consider a flat listed at £320,000 with 70 m² of living space, a 12 m² balcony, and a 6 m² storage room. Using a 50% weighting for the balcony and 0% for storage:
Weighted area: 70 + (12 × 0.5) + (6 × 0) = 76 m². Price per m²: £320,000 ÷ 76 = £4,211/m². If you had used the full 88 m², you'd calculate only £3,636/m² – a difference of over £500 per square metre that could dramatically affect your decision.
This calculator is useful in a wide range of property scenarios:
Weighting factors reflect how much a given area type contributes to the practical and financial value of a property. In Germany, the Wohnflächenverordnung (WoFlV) provides legal guidelines: balconies are typically counted at 25–50%, while cellars are excluded. Similar conventions exist in the UK, France, and other European countries, though they may differ in the exact percentages used.
Our calculator lets you set your own factors, giving you flexibility whether you're comparing properties in London, Paris, Munich, or Madrid.
Always ask the estate agent or seller for a breakdown of how the total floor area was calculated. Listings often combine living area and outdoor space without being explicit about it. If you're unsure, request the floor plan and measure yourself or hire a surveyor for high-value purchases.
Try running multiple scenarios with different weightings to understand the range of possible outcomes. This is especially useful in negotiations – showing a seller that their effective price per m² is higher than comparable properties can be a persuasive argument.
In most European countries, balconies are weighted between 25% and 50% of their actual area. A well-designed, south-facing balcony in a warm climate might justify 50%, while a small north-facing one in a cooler region might only merit 25%. Use our calculator to test different scenarios.
Generally, no. Basements and cellars are typically excluded from living area calculations because they don't meet habitability standards (adequate ceiling height, natural light, ventilation). In professional valuations, they are often weighted at 0–10% of their area.
Yes, the same mathematical logic applies to commercial real estate. However, commercial valuations use different area standards (such as GIA or NIA in the UK), so make sure you understand which measurement basis applies before entering your figures.
Price per m² is a highly useful benchmarking tool, but it should be used alongside other factors such as location, property condition, energy efficiency, floor level, and local market trends. It's a starting point for comparison, not a complete valuation.
Absolutely. Simply enter the monthly rent instead of a purchase price to calculate the monthly rent per m². This is the standard metric used for rental market comparisons in most countries.