Floor area ratio (KAKS/emsal) calculation: the value lost in moving from theoretical entitlement to saleable square meters

A plot having a floor area ratio (KAKS/emsal) of 2.0 means that construction of twice the parcel's square meterage is permitted. However, this entitlement most often does not convert into 100% saleable area. Parking requirements, the common-area ratio, technical volumes, the air-raid shelter, and the special restrictions in the plan notes all reduce net saleable area.

In practice, in residential projects 70-85% of the gross floor area ratio entitlement converts into sellable apartments. In office and mixed-use projects this ratio can vary even more. The critical question for the investor is: 'From a 2.0 floor area ratio, how many saleable square meters do I actually end up with?'

The setbacks (çekme mesafesi) specified in the plan notes (from the road, the neighbor, and the rear) directly affect parcel yield. On narrow and elongated parcels, the theoretical floor area ratio entitlement often cannot be applied. On corner parcels, a two-frontage setback applies.

Geometry optimization requires the intervention of a professional architect. In the Lizaz Emlak advisory process, a preliminary schematic design (avan project) study is carried out before the plot decision is made, so that the actual buildable capacity is quantified.

One of the line items that most reduces saleable area is parking. Parking regulations mandate a certain number of vehicle spaces according to the number of independent units and the type of use. If these spaces cannot be accommodated in the basement floors, they occupy space at ground level and lead directly to a loss of value from the floor area ratio.

Basement parking also has a cost: as depth increases, excavation, shoring, and waterproofing expenses compound; on parcels with a high water table, this line item can determine the fate of the feasibility study. For this reason, the parking solution must be modeled from the very outset as an inseparable part of the floor area ratio (KAKS/emsal) calculation.

Two parcels with the same floor area ratio (KAKS/emsal) value will produce very different results if their plan notes differ. Some municipalities state that common areas, air-raid shelters, elevator and stair shafts, or certain technical volumes are not included in the floor area ratio; this situation provides a significant gain in area in the investor's favor.

Conversely, restrictive plan notes (a floor-height limit, a mandatory façade setback, a prohibition on roof use) render a portion of the theoretical entitlement unusable. In land valuation, any figure given without reading the plan notes is incomplete.

Plan notes can also be revised over time. An ongoing plan amendment or a pending objection directly affects the parcel's future capacity; for this reason, the currency of the zoning status certificate must be confirmed before purchase.

The transition from theoretical floor area ratio to net saleable area must be made with a spreadsheet, not by intuition. When the chain of gross floor area ratio → deduction of common areas → impact of parking → loss from setbacks and geometry → net saleable area is quantified, the real difference between two plots often proves more decisive than the price per square meter.

In the Lizaz Emlak approach, a plot decision is made together with a preliminary schematic design (avan project) study and a saleable-area model. The aim is to turn the question 'how many square meters of entitlement are there' into the question 'how many saleable square meters do I actually end up with, and at what cost'.