Let’s face it: most of the time, we are left confused by the terminology and lingo that real estate property brokers and realtors hurl at us. Terms like carpet area, a built-up area, and super built-up area frequently escape our comprehension, or at the very least, raise some questions. These three methods of computing the area or square footage are available in any residential development. There is a significant difference between carpet area and built-up area, despite the fact that they may not all sound very different!

From Carpet Area to RERA Carpet Area and Built-up Area to Super Built-up Area and more, L&T Realty has compiled this explanatory guide to clear all your confusion surrounding these terms, what each one exactly indicates, and the formulae using which each is calculated. Go ahead and give it a read if you wish to be a well-informed homebuyer:

Decoding the Terminologies

Carpet Area

The carpet area in an apartment is, as its name implies, the space that a carpet may cover. This area does not include the thickness of the apartment’s interior walls or shared spaces like the elevator, lobby, stairs, etc. It might be characterised as the space in your flat that you will actually use. A dwelling unit’s carpet area typically makes up about 70% of the built-up space. You will thus receive about 840 square feet of carpet space if the built-up area of your new apartment is 1,200 square feet.

RERA Carpet Area

Prior to the commencement of RERA, homebuyers filed cases with consumer courts alleging deception and fraud by builders and developers. Most complaints said that the carpet area was smaller than what the builder had first promised. RERA developed a precise definition of carpet area in order to address this problem as well as others that are persistent with the extent of the property. According to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), the carpet area is the net usable floor space of an apartment plus the internal walls, except the size of the exterior walls, balconies or verandah areas, and exclusively open terraces.

Built-Up Area

An apartment’s built-up area is the sum of the carpeted surface and the space protected by the thickness of the inside walls. In an apartment, the thickness of the inside walls typically accounts for 20% of the total space. The built-up area of an apartment includes a variety of areas that are required by the authorities. They make up about 10% of the entire built-up area and include places like dry balconies. As a result, only roughly 70% of the apartment’s entire space is really usable.

Super Built-Up Area

All of the aforementioned elements typically make up an apartment or housing unit’s super built-up space. Promoters and builders frequently incorporate facilities that come with the dwelling unit as well. Among them are things like a pool, a communal garden, a clubhouse, a gym and so on which include all the outside like a pool, a communal garden, a clubhouse, a gym, and so on. If you do not know what you want, you may find yourself paying far more than you intended to. If your housing unit or apartment is described as having, let’s say, 1,500 square feet, you should be aware that this size also includes any shared spaces for any amenities that come with the property.

Calculations

• Carpet area
  Carpet Area = (Area of living room + bedrooms + toilets + kitchen + balconies) – thickness of inner walls
• RERA carpet area
  RERA Carpet Area = The apartment’s net usable area (excluding external walls, balcony area, verandah area, and terrace area) + area covered by internal partition walls
• Built-up area
  Built-up Area = Carpet Area + Interior and Exterior Wall Areas + Balcony and Terrace + Exclusive Corridor
• Super built-up area
  Super Built-Up Area = Built-Up Area + Proportionate Common Area
  Or
  = RERA Carpet Area x 1 + Loading Factor

Commonalities and Differences Between Carpet Area, Built-Up Area, and Super Built-Up Area

Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and internal stairs are all included in the three categories. Exterior stairways, terraces, balconies, verandas, lobby spaces, lifts, and garden areas are included in the definition of Super Built-Up Area but are excluded from the definitions of Built-Up Area and Carpet Area.

Whether you are buying a 3 BHK flat in Bangalore or a 1 BHK flat in Ghatkopar, or whatever your choice of location or configuration, the above information will surely be helpful to you. Bookmark this to ensure that your real estate investment is backed by the right knowledge!