When you go to buy a property, you may hear the term carpet area, built-up area, super built-up area, and so on. This can be confusing for many buyers. Propertywala has put together this handy guide with definitions of these terms.
CARPET AREA – A carpet area in simple words is the area where we can lay our carpet. It is an area in between external walls; it includes rooms, a kitchen, a toilet, a bathroom, and a staircase within the unit. Balconies, service shafts, and common areas are excluded from the carpet area. There have been some changes in the carpet area after RERA (REAL ESTATE REGULATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT ACT) came into effect in 2016. The internal walls were not included earlier under the carpet area but now after RERA, the walls which are used to divide the room are included in this term.
Next, there is some point to be noted for the buyers—before purchasing a property—to see the exact carpet area in the approved layout. This can help you understand how much carpeting will be included in your new home. So, before buying a property, ask your builder about the approved layout. And next is to compare two properties based on carpet area only for a clear understanding of the rate.
The formula for calculating carpet area is – The total area of the inner wall and floor is the carpet area.
BUILT-UP AREA – Now we will discuss the meaning of the Built-up area. The built-up area refers to the entire area covered by carpet plus inside weight-bearing walls and outside walls if any. In short, included areas are external walls, attached balconies, verandahs, a service shaft area, and a servant room. Excluded areas are terraces, and common areas like lifts and stairs, etc.
Walls adjoining other apartments will be factored in at 50% of your apartment’s build-up area. Built up area generally is approx 10% higher than the carpet area.
SUPER BUILT-UP AREA – When you purchase a property, you will hear about the term “super built-up area”. It means the build-up area of a flat and pro rata common area. For example, the total common space is 8000 sq feet among 8 flats in a complex, so the pro rata common area of a single apartment will be 1000 sq feet. Therefore, the common area includes built-up space like a lobby, lift shafts, staircases, pipe ducts, air ducts, and other covered common facilities. And the area which is not included in the common area is the roof terrace and open areas like parks and play areas as well as driveways. The approximately super built-up area is 25% higher as compared to the carpet area. Generally, it varies from 20% to 40% of the carpet area.
To convert the super built-up area into carpet area, calculate the loading factor, and subtract that from the Super built-up area.
LOADING FACTOR – The difference between the super built-up area and the carpeted area is referred to as the loading factor.
For your information, section 61 of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority Act (RERA) stipulates that promoters can be fined up to 5 percent of the total cost of the real estate project for giving false information or selling on the super area. It should be sold in the carpet area.