What is the square footage of the living area for Jamie's house?

• A. 1180 sq ft
• B. 1200 sq ft
• C. 1208 sq ft
• D. 1216 sq ft

Answer: (C)

Understanding living area rests on counting only the finished, heated interior space and including all such space on every level above grade, while excluding spaces that don’t count as living area (like garages, porches, and unfinished spaces). To find it, you add up the usable square footage on each level that is finished and heated, usually by breaking irregular shapes into rectangles, multiplying length by width for each, and summing across levels. Spaces must be within the exterior walls and above grade.

In this problem, the total finished, heated areas across the applicable levels add up to 1208 square feet, which is why that option is the correct one. The other numbers would require either omitting part of a finished area or including a non-living space (such as a garage or an unfinished basement), which isn’t counted toward living area.