suprafață utilă: the floor of the rooms without walls and without balconies, under Annex 1 to Housing Law 114/1996.
A villa at €300,000: €2,000 per usable m², about €1,579 per m² of total built area. An illustration.
If there is no built-area figure, the local tax authority multiplies the usable area by 1.4 to calculate property tax.
la roșu, la gri, la alb and la cheie are commercial terms. Different sources define them differently, so ask for a written specification.
The property is registered in the land register with an owner and a cadastral number. This is the state you want.
A Romanian property ad: the short answer
A Romanian ad relies on a few standard terms. la roșu, la gri, la alb and la cheie describe the level of finish, from "shell" to "turnkey". intabulat means the property is registered in the land register. P+1+M describes the floors. And most important of all: the area. suprafață utilă is the floor area without the walls, suprafață construită includes the walls, and desfășurată adds up all the floors. The price per m² is only worth something when you know which m² it refers to.
Most Israelis I meet have already browsed imobiliare.ro or Storia before they call. They come with screenshots, and one question recurs: "Why is this villa so cheap per m²?" Sometimes the answer is a good price. More often, it is simply a different m².
The areas: three definitions, three prices per m²
The official definitions appear in Annex 1 to Housing Law 114/1996, and are repeated almost word for word in the Bucharest Chamber of Notaries' 2026 market survey for Ilfov:
| Term in the ad | Abbreviation | What it includes | What it excludes |
|---|---|---|---|
| suprafață utilă | Su | The floor of the rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, storage and corridors inside the home | Walls, balconies and loggias |
| suprafață construită | Sc | The usable area, balconies, loggias, internal and external walls, and in a block also a share of the common areas | A basement storage room and parking, which are calculated separately |
| suprafață construită desfășurată | Scd / Ad | The total area of all floors, measured along the outer line of the walls, including the balcony walls | |
| suprafață locuibilă | Bedrooms and living room only | Kitchen, bathrooms, corridors |
And note "suprafață construită la sol": that is the house's footprint on the plot, not the area you will live in.
Why it changes the price: an illustration
Assume a villa offered at €300,000, with 150 m² usable and 190 m² total built area. (The figures are for illustration only.)
| How it is presented | Calculation | Price per m² |
|---|---|---|
| By usable area | 300,000 ÷ 150 | €2,000 |
| By total built area | 300,000 ÷ 190 | about €1,579 |
Same house, same price, a difference of more than €400 per m². When you compare two ads, compare usable area with usable area, otherwise you are comparing apples with oranges. And it is not only a marketing matter: the local tax authority also calculates property tax on the built area, and if there is no such figure, it multiplies the usable area by 1.4 (Article 457 of the Fiscal Code). Details in our article on the annual property tax.
And how is it in Israel?
In Israel, the Sale of Apartments Order (specification form) (in Hebrew) defines an apartment's area as the area enclosed by lines running along the outer face of the external walls, and where a wall is shared with a neighbouring apartment, the line runs through its middle. Balconies, storage and parking are shown separately. In other words, an Israeli "100 m²" includes walls, closer to the Romanian construită than to utilă. Anyone comparing a price per m² in Tel Aviv with a price per usable m² in Bucharest is comparing two different things.
The level of finish: from "shell" to "turnkey"
| Term | What it usually means | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| la roșu | Shell: structure, external walls and roof, no systems and no finishes | Low price, a lot of work |
| la gri / semifinisat | Insulation, plaster, pipes and wiring in place, no final finishes | The definition varies from developer to developer |
| la alb | Full interior finish and working systems, no furniture or appliances | |
| la cheie | "Turnkey": ready to move in | Some sources include furniture and some do not |
These are commercial terms, not legal ones. Romanian guides define them differently from one another, so "la cheie" in one ad is not "la cheie" in another. Ask for a written technical specification, with a list of materials and brands, and check it on the viewing. For what to look at on a viewing, see our villa viewing checklist.
When you compare two ads, compare usable area with usable area, otherwise you are comparing apples with oranges.
A short glossary for ads
- intabulat: the property is registered in the land register (Carte Funciară). This is the state you want. "fără intabulare" or "în curs de intabulare" require checking.
- CF / cadastru: the property has a land book and a cadastral number. Ask for the number and order an extract yourself, see our guide to the extract.
- P+1, P+1+M, S+P+1: ground floor (parter), one floor above (etaj), attic (mansardă), basement (subsol).
- casă duplex: in Romania this is a two-family house, two homes with a shared wall and separate entrances. "apartament duplex", on the other hand, is an apartment on two floors, like the Israeli duplex. Read the word before it.
- vilă / casă individuală: a detached house on its own plot.
- teren intravilan / extravilan: land inside the locality's built-up area, or outside it. You cannot build on extravilan land without a change of plan. See our guide to building permits and the PUZ.
- front stradal: the length of the plot's street frontage.
- utilități la poartă: utilities reach the gate, not necessarily connected to the house.
- PIF (punere în funcțiune): the official commissioning of a system, for example the gas installation with the distribution company. "PIF 2026" in an ad usually means the building was completed and commissioned that year.
- centrală proprie: a private heating boiler, not district heating.
- decomandat / semidecomandat: in apartments, every room opens separately onto the hallway, or only some of them.
- TVA inclus / + TVA: VAT included or added. On a new property from a developer it is 21%.
- comision 0%: the buyer pays no agency commission. Check who does pay, and for what.
- dezvoltator / direct proprietar: the ad is from the developer or the owner, not an agent.
Four questions to send about every ad
- What is the usable area (Su), and what is the total built area (Scd)?
- What exactly is included in the level of finish? Can I get a written specification?
- Is the property intabulat? What is the land book number?
- Does the price include VAT? What else do I pay beyond the price?
On the last question, see what buying a property costs beyond the price.
I will mention it once
At Compass on the Lake, 29 villas in Balotești, ask us for both the usable and the built area of every villa, with a written finish specification. I mention this not to sell, but because it is the demand worth putting to any developer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between suprafață utilă and suprafață construită?
The usable area (utilă) is the floor of the rooms inside the home, without the walls and without balconies. The built area (construită) adds balconies, loggias and internal and external walls, and in a block also a share of the common areas. The definitions appear in Annex 1 to Housing Law 114/1996.
What does la cheie mean in a Romanian ad?
"la cheie" means "turnkey": a property ready to move into, with finishes and working systems. It has no definition in law, and different sources define it differently, for example regarding furniture. So ask for a written specification and do not rely on the word.
What does intabulat mean?
That the property is registered in the land register (Carte Funciară), with a registered owner and a cadastral number. This is the state that allows a notary to carry out the transaction normally and a bank to register a mortgage. An unregistered property requires a more thorough legal check.
Is a duplex in Romania the same as a duplex in Israel?
It depends on the word before it. "casă duplex" is a two-family house: two adjoining homes with a shared wall, each with its own entrance. "apartament duplex" is an apartment on two floors, close to the Israeli duplex. When an ad says only duplex, ask which of the two is meant.
Why does the price per m² in Romania look low compared with Israel?
Part of the difference is real, and part comes from definitions. Many ads state usable area, without walls, while the Israeli "apartment area" includes the external walls. Always compare using the same definition, and only then judge the price.
The bottom line
A Romanian ad is written in a fixed language, and anyone who knows twenty terms reads it like a local. The most important of all is the area: before comparing prices, make sure it is the same m².
If you are looking at ads and would like us to read one or two together, ours or anywhere else, book a 30-minute call with me. We will go through the numbers and build a list of questions to send to the seller.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources and data: Housing Law 114/1996, Annex 1 · Bucharest Chamber of Notaries, 2026 market survey for Ilfov · Sale of Apartments Order (specification form) (in Hebrew) · PropertyBook: la roșu, la gri, la alb, la cheie · Domax: the duplex house · Distrigaz Sud Rețele: commissioning a gas installation · National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration (ANCPI) · Romanian Fiscal Code, Law 227/2015.
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Finish terms in ads are not defined in law and vary between sellers. The numerical example is for illustration only.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
