What you need
- A tape measure (5 m is enough) or a laser measure. A laser makes long walls easier.
- Paper and pen. Don't try to remember measurements; write them down right away.
- Your phone camera. A photo of each wall settles the "was there a socket here?" question later.
- A helper, if possible. Someone holding the end of the tape makes the measurement more accurate.
1. Start with a rough sketch
Before you pick up the tape, draw the home on paper without worrying about scale: rooms, doors and windows, roughly where they are. Give each wall a letter (A, B, C…). You'll write the measurements on this sketch later, so you won't mix up which number belongs to which wall.
2. Measure the wall lengths
Measure each wall from corner to corner, close to the floor. Keep the tape taut and parallel to the wall; a sagging tape adds a few extra centimetres. If there is a cupboard or sofa in front of it, measure the wall in sections: corner to window, window width, window to corner. The sections add up to the wall length.
Write measurements in centimetres: 420 cm, not 4.20 m. Measure opposite walls separately; in older buildings a difference of a few centimetres between them is not unusual.
3. Check the right angles with the diagonals
In a rectangular room the two diagonals should be equal. Take two measurements from corner to opposite corner. In the 420 × 360 cm example room, the diagonal comes out at about 553 cm (√(420² + 360²)). If the two diagonals differ by more than a few centimetres, the room isn't quite square. Knowing this saves you surprises, especially with things that fit against the wall, like kitchen worktops and built-in wardrobes.
4. Measure wall thickness at a doorway
The easiest place to see wall thickness is a doorway: measure from one face of the frame to the other. Interior partition walls are usually 10–15 cm, and exterior walls usually 20–35 cm depending on insulation. But don't guess, measure: wall thicknesses are what connect the inside dimensions of the rooms to the outside dimensions of the home.
5. Measure doors and windows with their positions
The width of a door or window isn't enough; you also need its position. For each one:
- The distance from the nearest corner to where the opening starts,
- The width of the opening (including the frame),
- For windows, the height from the floor to the bottom edge (sill height) and the window height,
- Which way the door opens, and on which side it is hinged.
The door swing is the thing most often forgotten when arranging furniture: you can't put a wardrobe or bed in the area the door sweeps as it opens.
6. Ceiling height and projections
Measure the ceiling height at several points in the room. If there is a dropped beam, a projecting column or a suspended ceiling, mark its position and size on the sketch. These measurements are decisive when choosing wall cabinets, curtain rails and tall wardrobes.
7. Mark the fixed points
Note everything that can't be moved on the sketch: columns, chimneys, radiators, the boiler, the distribution board, sockets and switches. In the kitchen and bathroom, the positions of water supply and drainage points are especially important; worktops, sinks and toilets can only go near these points.
8. Transfer to the plan and check
Once you've finished measuring, you can move on to the plan. In Nodaform, pick the wall tool (W), point in the direction, type the length and press Enter; the wall is drawn to size. When the room closes, its area is calculated automatically. This is also a good way to check your measurements: if you measured opposite walls differently, you'll see it right away as the plan closes.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up metres and centimetres. Write everything in cm.
- Measuring one wall and assuming the opposite one is the same. Opposite walls can differ.
- A sagging tape. A tape that isn't held taut and straight reads too long.
- Forgetting skirting boards and trim. When measuring for furniture, their thickness takes up space too.
- Not noting the door swing. The plan looks right on paper, but at home the door hits the wardrobe.
- Guessing behind furniture. Measure in sections and add them up.
Checklist
- Sketch, with walls lettered
- All wall lengths (cm)
- Two diagonals for each room
- Wall thicknesses (from a doorway)
- Doors and windows: distance to corner, width, opening direction
- Window sill heights and window heights
- Ceiling height, beams and columns
- Sockets, switches, radiators, water supply and drainage points
These measurements are enough for layout, furniture and renovation ideas. For a permit, structural design or construction drawings, you need measurements and approval from a licensed architect and engineer.