Buyers and tenants want to know how a home flows before they drive to see it. A clear listing floor plan with room names and sizes answers that on the first look, and listings with a plan tend to attract better-informed enquiries. Draughtspersons and plan studios prepare 2D plans and 3D dollhouse views for sellers, agents, landlords and developers, often within a day or two of a visit. Send one request and they quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
What a good listing plan shows
A listing plan is not a council drawing, so it can be simpler, but it must be honest. A good one has:
- every room labelled, with length and width in metres;
- doors, windows, built-in cupboards and fixed kitchen units in place;
- a north point, so buyers see which rooms get the morning sun;
- the total floor area, with the garage, patio and balcony shown separately;
- a clear, uncluttered style that reads well on a phone screen.
Many sellers choose a 2D plan plus a 3D dollhouse view for the main portal image. For rentals and student housing, a plan per unit type does the job.
Measuring during a visit
The plan-maker visits for an hour or less, measures each room with a laser, notes the position of windows and photographs the layout so the drawing can be checked later. Furnished rooms are fine, though a tidy house is easier to measure. For a block of flats or a development, the studio measures a typical unit of each type. Tell them about any rooms you cannot open, so they do not guess.
Avoid a plan taken from an old brochure or drawn by eye. A bedroom shown larger than it really is often leads to a disappointed buyer or an argument later.
Gross area, usable area and sectional title
Agents quote different areas, and buyers get confused. Gross area includes walls and often covered patios, while usable area is the floor space inside the rooms. In sectional title, a unit is described by its floor area and a participation quota, which sets the owner's share of levies and rates. A listing plan can show both the unit and the exclusive-use areas such as a garden or parking bay, but the official figures come from the registered sectional plan. Ask the body corporate or managing agent when the numbers matter.
Approved plans for the transfer
A listing plan is a marketing tool. It is not the approved plan. At transfer, many banks and buyers ask for the plans the municipality approved, and you can usually request a copy from the council's building control office with proof of ownership. If none exist or the house has changed, you will need as-built drawings and a council submission. Start early, because council can take weeks. See also our guide to floor plans in general.
What to include in your request
- The address and the type of property
- How many plans or unit types you need
- 2D only, or a 3D dollhouse view as well
- How soon the listing goes live
- Whether you also need approved plans for transfer
Real Estate Floor Plans for different clients
- Families building a new house: a clear plan with room sizes so buyers see the layout before the first viewing
- Owners adding or changing rooms: a plan of the finished house after alterations, for the new listing
- Developers and builders: unit-type plans for brochures and show units, in 2D and 3D
- Estate agents, sellers and landlords: quick, measured listing plans for each mandate and approved plans for the transfer
- Shops, offices and restaurants: plans of a shop, office or warehouse for a lease or sale advert
- Farms, smallholdings and rural homesteads: a plan of the farmhouse and cottages to accompany a farm or smallholding listing
- Churches, schools and crèches: plans of a hall or school building for sale or lease to another organisation
- Rental and granny flat investors: plans for each rental room or student unit so the listing shows what tenants get
Frequently asked questions
Are floor plans of a property public record?
How do I get the floor plan of a building I want to buy?
Does a listing plan have to be to scale?
How fast can I get a listing plan?
Real Estate Floor Plans by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg