majority of apts sq ft numbers are very inflated

Agreed, Steve.

Condos dimensions when taken from declaration are exterior dimensions - it includes all "dead" space - appraisers do an "interior" inspection measuring within the walls to walls and around those dead spaces - always look at an appraisal to get the "real" dimensions - brokers tend to overstate the size, its for their benefit (not yours)

Jonathan Miller confirms what Ive posted my experiences on previous threads, as I found 90% of floorplans are inflated @ 10%.
And your not being cheated by 10% if 90% of the metrics are based on the inflated footage your comping anyway.

"If you put two licensed architects in a room, you would not get identical measurements," he said. "You would get a close measurement, but there isn’t a level of precision available."

Miller said measurements in listings tend to be between 5 and 10 percent higher than the actual size.

"A 2,000-square-foot apartment might be closer to 1,800," Miller said. "That doesn’t mean that apartment in that building sold for 10 percent more than it was worth."

PS- Steve, how do you not include closets? Would you prefer seller's ripping out all their closets before selling to up their square footage?