Purchasing property can be an exciting but also overwhelming endeavor. One of the ways you can prepare to mitigate issues when making a purchase, is by understanding the differences between Carpet Area, Built-Up Area, and Super Built-Up Area. First-time buyers especially, often confuse these terminology because it affects available space and ultimately affects the price you pay. Real estate developers often refer to these measurements in their advertising and paperwork, therefore, it is important to know what you are paying for before buying.
In this blog, we will clarify all the not only meaning of these things, and their calculation, but also to offer you practical property buying tips with a goal of transparency and sound decision-making.
What is a Carpet Area?
The Carpet Area is the actual usable space in between the walls of your flat/propery — but then again you can think of it as the space in which you can put a carpet. It does not include any outer wall thickness, balconies, verandahs, common spaces and the thickness of the inner walls.
Carpet Area = Net usable area inside the house
For example, if your living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathrooms collectively measure 700 sq. ft., then that’s your carpet area.
Why is it important?
This area determines how much usable space you will receive.
RERA Act (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) forces builders to sell a house on Carpet Area which aims to be transparent with their purchasers.
Calculating the Carpet area will allow you to easily compare similar properties.
What is a Built-Up Area?
The Built-Up Area includes the carpet area plus the thickness of internal and external walls, and additional spaces like balconies or terraces.
Built-Up Area = Carpet Area + Internal and External Walls + Balcony or Terrace.
Built-Up Area is approximately 10-15% more than Carpet Area.
Why is it important?
Provides a more realistic definition of the property structure.
Built-Up Area is sometimes provided by Developers so that they can try to sell more space, which is why you should always request to know the Carpet Area separately.
What is a Super Built-Up Area?
The Super Built-Up Area (also called the “saleable area”) includes the built-up area plus a proportionate share of common spaces like staircases, lifts, corridors, clubhouse, and other amenities.
Super Built-Up Area = Built-Up Area + Proportionate Share of Common Amenities (Staircase, lift, corridors, clubhouse, etc.)
Super Built-Up Area is often the area developers use to price properties with which the price per sq. ft. is applied, that is not typically related to carpet area.
Why is it important?
It determines how much the price of your property will be.
Knowing the ratio of carpet to super built-up area helps you evaluate the fairness of the deal. Generally, a 65–70% efficiency ratio (carpet area/super built-up area) is considered good.
Comparison Table: Carpet Area vs Built-Up Area vs Super Built-Up Area
Property Buying Tips
Always ask for the Carpet Area – As per RERA, it’s the most accurate measure of usable space.
Compare efficiency ratio – A higher carpet-to-super built-up area ratio means you’re getting more usable space for the money.
Check the agreement carefully – Carpet Area should be explicitly mentioned in the sales deed.
Understand pricing – When the price is quoted based on the super built-up area, ensure you calculate how many actual carpet area you are getting.
Choose trustworthy developers – Always buy property from developers who follow transparent real estate area calculation practices.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between Carpet Area, Built Up Area and Super Built Up Area is important when making your property purchasing decision. Carpet area shows you the real usable area, built-up area shows the general area the property covers and a new home with respect to super built up area directly relates to property price.
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FAQ
Q1. Why is carpet area more important than built-up area or super built-up area?
Carpet area measure your actual usable space in your own home, as a homeowner this is what makes you feel comfortable and able to use your own property effectively. Built-up and super built-up areas can be ratios that inflate the amount of space you were considering in Entering into.
Q2. How much smaller is carpet area compared to super built-up area?
Generally, carpet area is about 65–70% of the super built-up area. It totally depends on the project and builder.
Q3. Does RERA mandate builders to sell on carpet area?
Yes, all developers will have to quote and sell on carpet area as per the RERA Act to shine a light on the costs of the properties to eliminate confusion.
Q4. How can I calculate the carpet area of my flat?
To work out the carpet area, using a tape measure you need to take the dimensions of all the inner pieces, such as bedrooms, the living room, kitchen, bathrooms etc., excluding even of the walls, balconies, and common areas.
Q5. Should I consider super built-up area while comparing property prices?
Yes, since most developers price properties on the super built-up area, it’s important to compare the carpet area-to-price ratio to know the real value you’re getting.
