Key Differences: Carpet Area, Built-Up Area, and Super Built-Up Area

Let’s start with understanding what is carpet area first. The carpet area or the RERA carpet area is the usable floor area of an apartment. It does not include the area covered by the walls. This area can be used for laying a carpet or for placing furniture. It does not include the following spaces: 

• External walls
• Balcony
• Terrace
• Verandah
• Shafts
• Common areas

Before starting to measure the carpet area, be clear on built-up area vs carpet area. The carpet area can be measured using a tape or a laser device. Measure the length and width of each room in the apartment and multiply to get the area of each room. Then, you can add up the areas of all the rooms to get the total carpet area of the apartment. This is how to calculate carpet area with precision. Alternatively, you can use online calculators or apps that can help you measure and calculate carpet area.

To measure and calculate carpet area accurately, you should follow some guidelines such as:

1. Measure from wall to wall, not from skirting to skirting.
2. Exclude the thickness of the walls from the measurement.
3. Include the space occupied by internal walls in the measurement.
4. Exclude the space occupied by external walls, balconies, terraces, verandahs, shafts, or common areas from the measurement.

RERA is a law that aims to protect the interests of home buyers and promote transparency in the real estate sector. According to RERA, carpet area means “the net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding the area covered by the external walls, areas under services shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah area and exclusive open terrace area, but includes the area covered by the internal partition walls of the apartment”.

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RERA carpet area differs from the carpet area as it excludes some areas included in the carpet area. These areas are considered common areas under RERA and are shared by all the apartment owners in a project. RERA carpet area is more beneficial for home buyers as it gives them a clear and standard definition of carpet area across all projects. It also ensures they get more usable space in their apartments and pay only for what they get.

The table below shows the difference between the carpet area and the RERA carpet area:

 

Carpet Area	RERA Carpet Area
The net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding the size of external walls, services shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah area and exclusive open terrace.	The net usable floor area of an apartment plus the internal walls.
The carpet area is usually 70% of the built-up area.	The RERA carpet area is usually 5% more than the carpet area.
The carpet area does not include the thickness of the internal walls.	The RERA carpet area includes the thickness of the internal walls.

The built-up area or built area, in a discussion about RERA carpet area vs built-up area, is the total area covered by an apartment, including the carpet area and the area of the walls. It also includes other areas, such as the balcony, terrace, veranda, ducts, projections, etc., attached to the apartment. The built-up usually 10-20% more than the carpet area.

The built area of an apartment is an important factor you should consider while buying a house, as it shows how much space your apartment occupies in a building.

To find out and compute the built area of an apartment, follow these steps:

1. Use a measuring tape or a laser device to measure the outer dimensions of each room in the apartment. Multiply each room’s length and width to get each room’s built area.
2. Add up the built areas of all the rooms to get the total built-up area of the apartment.
3. Add other areas attached to the apartment, such as a balcony, terrace, veranda, ducts, projections, etc., to get the total built area.

To find out and compute the built area of an apartment accurately, you should follow these guidelines:

1. Measure from wall to wall, including the thickness of the walls.
2. Include the space occupied by internal and external walls in the measurement.
3. Exclude the space occupied by common areas from the measurement.

The built-up area of an apartment is usually expressed in sq. ft or sq. m. To convert sq. ft to sq. m, you can multiply the value by 0.0929. To convert sq. m to sq. ft, you can multiply the value by 10.764.

Built-up area is important while buying a house because:

• It tells you how much space your apartment occupies in a building.
• It helps you compare different properties based on their overall size and dimensions.
• It determines the cost of your property as some builders may quote their prices on a per sq. ft basis of built area.
• It affects the stamp duty and registration charges as they are calculated based on the built area.
• It influences the value appreciation of your property as it reflects the demand and supply of overall space in the market.

You should always ask for the built area from your builder and verify it before finalising your deal. You should also check if the built area includes or excludes areas such as balcony, terrace, veranda, ducts, projections, etc. Avoid paying for these areas as they are not part of your usable space.

Related: What Is RERA Carpet Area And It’s Calculations: A Complete Guide

The difference between carpet area and built-up area can be calculated using a loading factor. Loading factor is the ratio of built area to carpet area, and it varies from project to project depending on the design and construction quality. It can be expressed as a percentage or a decimal number.

For example, if suppose the loading factor for a flats in Mira Road is 20% or 0.2, it means that walls and other areas occupy 20% of the built area, and 80% is the carpet area. To calculate RERA carpet area from built-up area, you can use the following formula:

RERA carpet area = Built-up Area / (1 + Loading Factor)

Before finalising the deal, check if the loading factor is applied to the carpet area or the RERA carpet area. You should prefer a lower loading factor as it means you get more carpet area for your money.

When you buy a property, you should pay attention to the super super-built-up area because it tells you:

1. The proportion of space in your apartment to the whole project area.
2. The quality and quantity of amenities and facilities you can access and enjoy in the common areas.
3. The price of the property, as most builders use the per sq. ft. rate of the super-built-up area to determine the cost of the property.
4. The eligibility and affordability of the loan and EMI, as these are based on the super-built-up area of the property.
5. The potential growth of your property’s value in the future, as properties with higher super built-up area will have more demand and supply in the market.

Before finalising the deal, you should verify the super built area with your builder. Also, check whether the super built-up area given by the builder includes or excludes areas such as parking space, preferential location charge, floor rise charge, etc. Additionally, make sure to review the letter of Allotment to understand all the terms and conditions associated with your purchase. Negotiating these charges before buying the property is important to pay a fair price for the apartment.

The saleable area is a term used to calculate a property’s price. It usually equals or is slightly more than the super built-up area, the total area covered by an apartment and the common areas. The saleable area may also include other charges, such as parking space, preferential location charge, floor rise charge, etc., added to the super built-up area. The saleable area is not a standard term and may vary from builder to builder.

It is usually expressed in sq. ft. or sq. m. To convert sq. ft. to sq. m, you can multiply by 0.0929. To convert sq. m to sq. ft., you can multiply by 10.764.

You should always ask for the saleable area from your builder and verify it before finalising your deal. You should also check if the saleable area includes or excludes parking space, preferential location charge, floor rise charge, etc. You should negotiate these charges accordingly.

The saleable area should be considered before buying the property because:

1. It shows the efficiency and design of the floor plan of your unit, as it indicates how much space is wasted or utilised in the layout.
2. It helps you negotiate the best deal for the property, as you can compare the saleable area with the carpet area and the super built-up area of different properties.
3. It impacts the resale value of your property, as buyers will look at the saleable area to assess the worth of your unit.
4. It affects the tax liability of your property, as property tax is calculated on the saleable area of your unit.

The difference between carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area can be summarised in the table below:

Carpet Area	Built-Up Area	Super Built-Up Area
The net usable floor area of an apartment	The total area covered by an apartment	The total area covered by an apartment and common areas
Excludes wall area	Includes wall area	Includes wall area
Excludes balcony, terrace, veranda	Includes balcony, terrace, veranda	Includes balcony, terrace, veranda
Excludes areas under services shafts	Includes areas under services shafts	Includes areas under services shafts
Excludes common areas	Excludes common areas	Includes common areas
Determines maintenance charges	Determines stamp duty and registration charges	Determines home loan eligibility and EMI

Buying a house is a big decision that involves many factors and terms. One of the most important factors is the size and dimensions of the property, which are described by terms such as carpet area or the RERA carpet area, built-up area, super built-up area, and saleable area. These terms have different meanings and implications for home buyers and sellers, and they should be understood and compared carefully. We hope this article has helped you gain clarity and confidence in choosing the right property for your needs and budget.