Understanding land measurements
The illustrations presented show a three-bedroom house fitting in a 50 by 100ft plot of land with some space for parking and other outdoor spaces. Illustrations by Julius Eryenyu Jojo.
What you need to know:
For some people, it is hard to understand the measurements of land. this is because it is at times measured in feet, metres and hectares.
With the rising real estate business in Uganda, land sale and buying is one of the most ventured into business Because of this, the biggest percentage of plots are sold in the measurements of 100x50ft.
Let us therefore first understand what is meant by 50 x100 or 100 x 50 plots. 100x50ft refer to measurements of the sides of the plot assumed to be in a regular rectangular form, with the longest side (length) being 100 feet, and the smaller side (width) being 50 feet, therefore the “100 by 50” refer to the side dimensions (measurements) of the plot and are always in feet, unless if indicated otherwise.
If taken into metric conversion, 50ft by 100ft converted into metres is 15.24 metres by 30.48 metres, so at least if you are buying a 50x100ft plot and you do not see those very measurements on the land tittle, you look out for 15 by 30.
However, due to irregularity of land shapes, some plots will come with some sides longer than others but still covering the same area as a 50x100ft plot. So let’s look at the area briefly.
Area
A 50x100ft plot is one-eighth of an acre, which implies that one acre of land constitutes of eight plots of 50ft x100ft, and an acre is equal to 100 decimals so if you divide 100 decimals by eight, the result is 12.5 decimals which is the area size of a 50ft by 100ft plot.
You might be frustrated not being able to find the “12.5decimals” on your land tittle (which is most likely), which might put the buyer and the seller in difficult positions.
It is important to know for that matter that, the land title will reflect the area of your plot/ land in hectares, and therefore a 50ft by 100ft plot covers an area of approx. 0.046 hectares.
To understand it in metres, you multiply by 10,000, and therefore the 50ft by 100ft plot is approximately 460 square metres.
Conclusion
When you are buying land, you may never see 50x100 anywhere, simply because its written or presented in different measurement units such as metres, or if the shape is irregular, look out for the area, it should be in the region of 0.046 hectares or 460 square metres, that way, you get value for your money and buy.
