How to Read an Apartment Floor Plan Before You Buy
The floor plan is often the only thing you see before buying an off-plan apartment. Read it well and within minutes you can tell whether the advertised area makes sense, whether the layout suits your family, where the light comes from, and what is missing. This guide shows you how to read a plan as a buyer, not an engineer.
1. Start with the scale and north arrow
- Scale: at 1:100, one centimetre on paper equals one metre; at 1:50, it equals half a metre. A plan with no scale and no written dimensions cannot be used to judge areas.
- North arrow: it tells you which way each window faces. If it is missing, ask for it or for the building site plan.
Example: a room measuring 4.2 cm by 3.6 cm at 1:100 is 4.2 m by 3.6 m, about 15.1 sq m. At 1:50 the same drawing is only 2.1 m by 1.8 m, about 3.8 sq m.
2. Learn the common symbols
| On the plan | Usually means | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Thick solid lines | Walls; shaded squares are often concrete columns | Which walls can be changed? Columns and load-bearing walls cannot |
| Quarter-circle arc at an opening | A door and its swing | Does it clash with a wardrobe or another door? |
| Thin parallel lines in a wall | A window | How wide, and which way does it face? |
| Dashed line | Something overhead: a beam, lowered ceiling or the balcony above | Does it reduce ceiling height there? |
| Numbers along edges | Dimensions | Are they internal (net) or wall-centre measurements? |
| Furniture drawings | Illustration only | Is the furniture drawn at realistic sizes? |
3. Check the areas yourself
Add up the room areas and compare with the advertised area. Hypothetical example: reception 24, bedrooms 14 and 12, kitchen 9, bathroom 5 and corridor 6 sq m make 70 sq m net. If the sale area is 90 sq m, the 20 sq m difference is about 22% of the sale area, covering walls and shared spaces. That is not necessarily wrong, but calculate the real price per net metre too. See our guide to net vs gross area and loading ratio.
4. Read the layout as you would live in it
- Can guests see bedrooms or the bathroom from the entrance?
- Long corridors are paid space you barely use.
- Does the kitchen have an outside window, and is it near the entrance?
- Does the only bathroom open straight onto the reception?
- Sketch a real bed and wardrobe in each bedroom to test it.
- Is the balcony included in the sale area, and is it deep enough to sit in?
Combine this with floor and orientation choices from our floor and view guide.
5. What the plan does not show
Ceiling height and dropped beams, meter and drainage locations, what faces your windows (a neighbouring wall, a light well or a busy road), and how close the lift and stairs are. Ask for the full floor plan, the unit's position in the building and, if possible, a section drawing, and visit the site if construction has started.
Checklist
- Confirm the scale, north arrow and written dimensions.
- Add up room areas and compare with the advertised area.
- Note each window's direction and view.
- Test furniture layouts at real sizes.
- Ask about columns and load-bearing walls before planning changes.
- Have the signed unit plan attached to your contract; see our contract clauses checklist.
FAQ
Is the marketing plan binding?
Not necessarily. What matters is a unit plan with dimensions, area and position attached to the contract and signed by both sides. Ask a lawyer to review the clause.
Are dimensions net or including walls?
Ask the seller directly and get it in writing, since measuring methods vary between developers.
Can I move the kitchen or remove a wall?
Only after a structural engineer reviews it and the developer or owners' association approves, as applicable.
Is reading the plan enough?
No. It is a first step; site visits, contract review and developer checks still matter.
Masari lets you compare unit prices, floor plans and payment plans before contacting any seller.