In brief: Before comparing apartment sizes, ask what each square-metre figure includes. Match the figure to the exact apartment and plan version, request its measurement boundary and a breakdown, and keep unanswered questions visible. A larger advertised total is not enough to decide which home gives you the space you need.

The International Property Measurement Standards Coalition explains that its standards address what floor-space measurement includes, rather than simply the units used.[1] This checklist uses that distinction as a comparison aid; it does not establish which measurement rules apply to an apartment in Armenia.

1. Match the number to the exact apartment

Save the listing and request the plan for the selected building, floor and apartment. Record the plan's date or revision, the area figure and the label used beside it. Keep the original wording: do not silently rename “total area” as “living area”.

Ask whether the figure comes from a design drawing, an on-site measurement or another document. If the home is unfinished, distinguish a planned area from a measurement of the completed apartment. A plan for a similar unit is not confirmation of this one.

2. Ask where the measurement stops

Request a marked-up plan showing the boundary used to calculate the stated area. Use these questions to clarify the figure, not to prescribe an answer:

  • Is the boundary at an outside wall face, an inside finished face, a wall centreline or another defined line?
  • Are internal walls, columns or service shafts included?
  • Does the stated figure include a balcony, terrace, storage space outside the apartment or any share of common areas?
  • Which parts are reported separately, and which have not been measured or explained?

Ask for the method or standard's name where one is used, plus a plain-language explanation of the inclusions. A label alone is not the explanation you need for your comparison. Do not assume that two sellers use the same boundary because both give an area in square metres.

3. Separate the areas you want to compare

Keep the advertised total as one field. Request separate figures for the enclosed apartment area on the stated basis and any balcony or terrace, with an explanation of how each relates to that total. Record any weighting or adjustment the provider has used; do not invent your own coefficient.

Put both apartments' answers next to each other under the same headings: reported figure, boundary, included parts, separate outdoor space and evidence source. If the bases differ, ask a suitable measurement professional whether a like-for-like comparison can be prepared from the available information.

Do not subtract an assumed wall area or balcony allowance to create a supposedly corrected total. If the breakdown is missing, write basis unresolved. A precise-looking result cannot repair missing information.

4. Check the drawing without turning a screenshot into a survey

Read the written dimensions before judging room size from the picture. IPMS measurement guidance prefers annotated drawing dimensions over reliance on scaling alone.[2] Do not infer a reliable length from how wide a room looks on a resized phone screenshot.

Where access is permitted and safe, ask whether important dimensions can be checked in the actual apartment, noting the measurement points and whether finishes are complete. Record any spot measurements separately. They do not certify the apartment's total area, and adding a few room rectangles is not a substitute for a defined measurement method.

For awkward shapes or a decision-critical discrepancy, request professional measurement and an explanation of its scope. Do not enter restricted construction areas or remove finishes to complete this checklist.

5. Keep an area-comparison card

Copy these fields into your notes for each candidate:

  • Identity: address, building, floor, apartment; listing and plan references.
  • Version: plan date/revision; planned or measured; measurement date if provided.
  • Reported figure: number, units and original area label.
  • Basis: marked boundary, method or standard, included and excluded parts.
  • Separate areas: balcony, terrace, external storage or common-area component if reported; relationship to the total.
  • Evidence: document or named professional source; your separate spot-check notes; unanswered questions.
  • Next action: request a breakdown, reconcile a difference or arrange an appropriate measurement check.

A useful completed card lets you explain what each number represents and what remains unknown. If you cannot do that, keep the size comparison open rather than ranking the apartments by the headline total.

This is a practical comparison record, not an interpretation of ownership, registered boundaries or contractual rights. For the broader shortlist, use Dignisi's guide to choosing a new-build apartment. Your next step here is to send the unresolved area questions for the exact unit to the person who supplied its figures.

Sources

Primary sources checked on 8 November 2026. The questions and comparison card are editorial guidance, not an Armenian measurement standard.