Carpet Area, Built-up Area & Super Built-up Area – How Are They Different From Each Other?

1. Introduction

If you are looking at investing in real estate as an asset, you have definitely come across various terms that may or may not be familiar to you, right? We know that many such terms and jargons may often end up throwing you off guard while making informed decisions. Well, we are looking at focusing on one of these, which is the most important one when it comes to deciding the price tag on your dream property – the area. However, the term does not appear alone, right? You would often encounter terms like carpet area and more, which although sound similar, mean completely different things. Let’s dive into three crucial terms in this regard: carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area.

2. Definitions

Carpet Area

To put it very simply, a property’s carpet area is the area that can be used to spread a carpet inside it. This means that it is the net area that is fully usable by you – this excludes places like balconies and terraces. Essentially, it is the area between all the walls of a given property. Staircases are only included in this area if they are present within the walls of the property. Thus, even lifts and lobbies are not included in this. 

Calculating this is very simple – it is 70% of the built-up area. For example, if you are looking at a built-up area of 100 square feet, the carpet area would be 70 square feet.

Built-up Area

The built-up area of a property is the sum of the carpet area and the wall-covered areas. This includes balconies, terraces (with or without any roofs), mezzanine floors, and any other such areas that can be inhabited by you. Remember that walls that are shared with other properties are factored in at 50%, while unshared ones are counted fully. 

When it comes to calculation, the formula is simple – built-up area is the total of the carpet area and the areas covered by walls – this number usually ends up at 10-15% more than the carpet area.

Super Built-up Area

The super built-up area includes not only the built-up area, but also the shared areas of the property, like lifts, porches, clubhouse(s), entrances, and lobbies, among others. However, areas like swimming pools, walkways, open sports grounds, lofts, etc. are not included in this. The calculation behind the super built-up area is considered as 1.25 times of the carpet area. For example, a carpet area of 100 square feet would be charged with an additional loading. Therefore, you will be charged the amount which would be ideally charged for 125 square feet. 

3. Area as per RERA

According to RERA, the carpet area not only includes the net usable area of the property, but also the area covered by the internal walls. This differs from the traditional definition of the carpet area. Thus, the calculation of both the built-up area and super built-up area gets impacted, thereby affecting the final amount that you are paying to purchase the property. Increased awareness and greater accuracy is required in order to ensure that consumers fully know about these particulars. A builder is thus obligated to disclose the exact carpet area of a property, so that you know what you are spending your money on. 

However, at the same time, there is no mandate present regarding the sale of a property purely on the basis of its carpet area. In case the carpet area of a property reduces, the builders are obligated to reimburse you the price difference within 45 days of the change. Also, in case the carpet area increases, the increased rate will be calculated at the same rate per square foot as initially agreed upon.

4. Conclusion

So, as you now know the difference between carpet area, built-up area and super built-up area, you can keep the above points in mind when you’re taking a look at investing in your next dream home. Just bear in mind: carpet area is the area coverable by a carpet, while the built-up area also includes wall-covered areas. And yes, the super-built up area also includes communal spaces like lobbies, elevators, clubhouses and more.

So, as you are equipped with this knowledge, we hope that your real estate journey is a happy and well-informed one. Stay tuned to this space in case of more information, knowledge-based pieces, real estate news and more!