Measuring up a home before the handover: rooms, furniture and access

Measuring up before you move in covers the length and width of each room, but also windows, doors, stairs, radiators, sockets and all the small obstacles that only become very real when the removal van is parked outside.

You can use the measurements for furnishing, curtains, furniture, internet and the first estimates for a renovation. But they do not replace a professional measurement of the home's official floor area.

Short answer

When measuring up before moving in, it is especially useful to measure:

1. The length, width and height of each room
2. Windows, window reveals and the distance to the floor
3. Doors, door openings and clear passage
4. Stairs, landings, lift and front door
5. The position of radiators and fixed installations
6. Sockets, network sockets and ceiling light points
7. Water, drains and ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom
8. Large pieces of furniture that need to come in

You do not automatically have access to the home before the handover day (overtagelsesdag). A visit must be agreed with the seller, usually through the estate agent (ejendomsmægler). If you have a right of disposal (dispositionsret), access follows the specific agreement.

Your own measurements are practical measurements. They do not change the BBR floor area, the registered floor area or the purchase agreement (købsaftale).

In brief

• Always agree access before the handover.
• Start from a floor plan, but check the measurements yourself.
• Measure walls in several places, especially in older homes.
• Measure the whole way from the street to the room's final position.
• Note fixed installations and which way openings open.
• Take photos along with the measurements so the numbers have context.
• Do not use your own measurements as documentation of the home's official floor area.
• Do not order made-to-measure products without the check the supplier requires.
• Use a professional if in doubt about floor area, structure or larger projects.

Access before the handover

Once the purchase agreement is signed, the home still belongs to the seller until the agreed handover. So you cannot count on being able to let yourself in and measure up.

Contact the seller through the estate agent and ask whether a short visit can be arranged.

Make it clear:

• What the purpose is
• Who is coming
• How long the visit is expected to take
• Whether a supplier or tradesperson is taking part
• Which rooms need measuring

The seller can say no or suggest another time. It is still the seller's home.

If you have a right of disposal

A right of disposal can give access before the ordinary handover day. But the right follows the specific agreement. It may be limited to certain purposes, and there may be conditions about insurance, utilities and work.

Read more in the guide on right of disposal and keys before the handover.

A measuring visit does not in itself give you permission to drill, fit things, move items in or start a renovation.

Practical measurements and official floor area

It is important to distinguish between two different questions.

Practical measurements

Practical measurements help you answer questions such as:

• Can the bed stand between the window and the door?
• Can the dining table get through the stairwell?
• How wide do the curtains need to be?
• Is there room for the washing machine?
• Where can the router go?

Here you measure the internal surfaces and openings you will actually use.

Official floor areas

The BBR floor area (from the Building and Housing Register, BBR) and the registered floor area (tinglyst areal) are used for other purposes and may be calculated using other methods.

Boligejer.dk explains that the registered floor area of an owner-occupied flat (ejerlejlighed) is measured to the outside of the external walls and to the middle of party walls shared with neighbours. It can therefore differ from the floor area you experience inside the flat.^[1]

BBR contains, among other things, information about the building's area, use and installations. BBR also states that the registration must reflect the actual physical conditions, but that the information does not in itself document that something is lawful under other legislation.^[2]

Measurements taken with a laser or tape measure therefore do not correct a possible error in BBR.

If there is a significant difference between the documents and the actual conditions, the question should be looked into separately. If there is doubt about the official floor area, you may need a chartered surveyor (landinspektør) or another relevant professional.

Equipment for measuring up

You do not need a whole workshop.

A simple bag can contain:

• Laser measure or tape measure
• Pencil and rubber
• Printed floor plan
• Phone or camera
• Spirit level, if something needs to hang precisely
• A list of large furniture
• Possibly a small torch

The laser measure is quick for rooms. The tape measure is often better for door openings, frames and short distances.

Write the measurements down straight away. A number like 243 means little later if you have forgotten whether it was the wall, the window or the height under the stairs.

Draw a simple floor plan

You do not need to draw like an architect.

Use one sheet per room and note:

• The room's name
• Length and width
• Ceiling height
• Doors and which way they open
• Windows and sill height
• Radiators
• Sockets
• Ceiling light points
• Built-in cupboards
• Pipes, water and drains

Give each wall a letter. Wall A can be the wall with the window. Wall B the next one clockwise.

Then you can write:

Then take a photo of each wall and put the letter in the file name or the note.

How to measure a room

Measure the room's length and width in several places.

In older homes, walls can be crooked and corners are not always exactly 90 degrees. If a made-to-measure cupboard has to fit from wall to wall, a few centimetres can make a big difference.

Note:

• Longest and shortest measurement
• Ceiling height in several places
• Projections, chimneys and columns
• Sloping walls
• Skirting boards
• Radiators and pipes
• How doors and windows open

For ordinary furniture planning, simple measuring can be enough. For a custom-built kitchen, cupboard or window, follow the supplier's method and any check measurement.

Windows and curtains

A window has several measurements, and the right one depends on the product.

Note, among other things:

• Width and height of the opening
• Width and height of the frame
• Distance from floor to window
• Distance from window to ceiling
• Space beside the window
• Position of the handle
• Whether the window opens inwards or outwards
• Radiator or other obstacles

Curtains can be fitted on the wall, on the ceiling or inside the window recess. The three solutions do not necessarily use the same measurements.

If you order a made-to-measure solution, use the supplier's measuring guide. Some suppliers insist on measuring up themselves so they can guarantee the fit.

Doors, stairs and the moving route

It is not enough for the sofa to fit in the living room. It also has to be able to get in there.

Measure the whole route:

1. Gateway or garden gate
2. Front door
3. Entrance hall
4. Stairwell or lift
5. Landings and turns
6. The door to the room
7. The final position

For doors, measure the clear opening. The door leaf, handle and frame can reduce the passage.

For stairs and lifts, you can note:

• Width
• Height
• Depth
• Diagonal
• Size of the landing
• Turns and corners
• Clear opening of the lift door

Also measure the piece of furniture, including legs, armrests and packaging. Check whether parts can be taken off.

Record the installations

Where the installations are can decide how the room works.

Note:

• Sockets
• Switches
• Ceiling light points
• Network sockets
• Aerial or coax sockets
• Fibre box
• Radiators
• Thermostats
• Ventilation
• Water pipes
• Drains
• Fuse box and stopcocks

This is especially relevant for a home office, TV, kitchen, washing machine and dishwasher.

A photo of a socket is fine. A photo without the distance to the corner is less useful. So combine photos and measurements.

Internet and home office

While you measure up, you can also plan the digital side of the home.

Look for:

• Where the internet connection comes in
• Where the router can go
• Whether there are network cables
• Distance to the home office
• Floors and thick walls
• Power by the router and workstation

A fast internet line does not necessarily fix poor wi-fi at the other end of the house. Read the guide on internet and TV when moving.

Kitchen and bathroom

The kitchen and bathroom need more than wall measurements.

In the kitchen

Note:

• Water and drains
• Electrical outlets and circuits
• Ventilation
• Windows and doors
• Radiators
• Current cabinet measurements
• Space for fridge, oven and dishwasher

In the bathroom

Note:

• Floor drain
• Water connections
• Ventilation
• Position of toilet, basin and shower
• Floor falls and differences in level
• Space for washing machine and tumble dryer

Moving water, drains, ventilation or electrics is a job for professionals. Practical measurements tell you where things are. On their own, they do not tell you whether they can be moved lawfully and technically.

Measuring up for a renovation

You can use the measurements for the first sketches and cost estimates. But larger projects often require more precise recording.

For a renovation, it may be relevant to record:

• Crooked walls and floors
• Structures
• Materials
• The age and position of installations
• Damp or other issues
• Possible load-bearing walls

Do not order the work based only on a simplified floor plan from the sales listing. Tradespeople and suppliers may need to inspect the home and check the measurements.

Read the guide on renovating after buying a home and gather the first expenses in the Moving-in Calculator.

When do you need a professional?

Measuring up yourself is good for planning. It is not always enough for ordering, dealing with the authorities or documentation.

A professional may be relevant when:

• There is a significant difference between the documents and the home
• The official floor area is unclear
• A made-to-measure product has to fit precisely
• Walls, floors or ceilings are crooked
• Structural changes are planned
• Electrics, plumbing or ventilation need moving
• A building permit must be applied for
• A dispute depends on a precise measurement

Boligejer.dk points out that doubt about registered floor areas may require a measurement by a chartered surveyor.^[1]

Room-by-room measuring template

Make an extra table for large furniture:

Example: the sofa fits in the living room, but not on the stairs

A sofa is 218 cm long, 92 cm deep and 78 cm high. The living room has plenty of space.

The stairs are 85 cm wide, and the landing has a sharp turn. The front door is 88 cm wide, but the clear opening is smaller because of the door leaf and frame.

Here the room's measurements are not the problem. The moving route is.

Possible questions are therefore:

• Can the legs or armrests be taken off?
• Can the sofa be turned on the landing?
• Is there another way in?
• Does it have to go through a window, and does that need professional help?

It is cheaper to ask these questions with a tape measure in your hand than with the removal van paid by the hour.

Common mistakes

Relying only on the floor plan

The floor plan may be simplified and is not necessarily drawn to scale. Check the measurements that matter for purchases and orders.

Measuring the wall in one place

Crooked walls can give different measurements at the top, middle and bottom.

Forgetting the moving route

Furniture has to fit through doors, stairs, lifts and turns.

Confusing your own measurements with the BBR floor area

Your internal measurements and the official floor area are not necessarily calculated in the same way.

Ordering made-to-measure goods without a check

The supplier's measuring method and responsibility may require a professional check measurement.

Thinking that measuring up is a condition inspection

Measuring up is about dimensions and positions. It does not replace an inspection for defects and faults.

Starting work before access has been agreed

A visit to measure up does not automatically give you the right to carry out work.

Measuring checklist

Before the visit

• Get access agreed with the seller
• Clarify who is taking part
• Print or save the floor plan
• Measure large furniture at home
• Write down questions and areas to focus on
• Pack the laser, tape measure and phone

In the home

• Measure all rooms in several places
• Measure the ceiling height
• Measure windows and doors
• Measure stairs, lift and access
• Note which way things open
• Note radiators and installations
• Record network sockets and the fibre box
• Take photos of each wall
• Note crooked angles and differences in level

After the visit

• Write up the measurements neatly
• Link photos to the right rooms
• Check critical measurements again
• Send measurements to suppliers using their method
• Get a professional check for made-to-measure orders
• Add expenses to the Moving-in Calculator

In summary

Measuring up before the handover helps you plan furnishing, the move and the first jobs.

Do not measure only the room. Measure the way into the room too. Record windows, doors, installations and the large pieces of furniture that need to fit with the home.

At the same time, keep your practical measurements separate from the BBR floor area and the registered floor area. They answer different questions.

Once the measurements are gathered, you can use the Moving-in Calculator to get an overview of furniture, curtains, the move and the first projects.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. A supplier or relevant professional must check measurements used for made-to-measure production, dealings with the authorities or technical changes.

Frequently asked questions