Understanding Carpet Area, Built-up Area, and Super Built-up Area

When purchasing a property, it's essential to check the various area measurements used in the real estate industry. Misunderstandings can lead to significant financial implications. Let's understand the carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area.

Let's recap the fundamental definitions:

• Carpet Area: The usable floor space within the apartment, excluding walls, balconies, and common areas.

• Built-up Area: The carpet area plus the thickness of walls, balconies, and exclusive corridors.

• Super Built-up Area: The built-up area plus a share of common areas like lifts, staircases, clubhouses, etc.

The carpet area is the most straightforward measurement. It refers to the actual floor space within the apartment's walls that you can cover with a carpet. This area excludes the thickness of the walls, balconies, or any other common areas. Essentially, it's the net usable space within your flat.

The built-up area expands on the carpet area by incorporating the thickness of the walls, balconies, and exclusive corridors within your flat. It essentially includes all the covered areas within the apartment's boundaries. However, it still doesn't encompass common areas like staircases, lifts, or lobbies.

The super built-up area is the total area that a buyer pays for. It includes the built-up area of the apartment, along with a proportionate share of the common areas in the building. These common areas can include:

• Lifts
• Staircases
• Lobby
• Clubhouse
• Swimming pool
• Garden
• Parking area

Developers often calculate the super built-up area by dividing the total common area by the number of units in the building and adding it to the built-up area of each unit.

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in India has provided clear guidelines to protect buyers' interests. It's crucial to check local laws and regulations for accurate interpretations.

To calculate the super built-up area, you typically need two pieces of information:

1. Built-up area: This is provided by the developer.
2. Common area factor: This is the proportion of common areas assigned to each unit.

The formula is:

Super Built-up Area = Built-up Area + (Common Area Factor * Built-up Area)

The common area factor usually ranges from 20% to 30% of the built-up area, depending on the project's amenities.

The Difference Between Carpet Area, Built-up Area, and Super Built-up Area

To illustrate the differences clearly, consider a hypothetical apartment:

• Carpet area: 1000 square feet

• Built-up area: 1200 square feet (includes 200 square feet for walls and balcony)

• Super built-up area: 1500 square feet (includes 300 square feet for common areas)

In this example, you would pay for 1500 square feet, but the actual usable space within your apartment is only 1000 square feet.

Knowing the difference between carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area is crucial for several reasons:

• Accurate price comparison: You can compare prices per square foot more effectively when using the same area measurement.

• Home loan eligibility: Banks often calculate loan eligibility based on the built-up or super built-up area.

• Property tax: Property tax is usually calculated based on the super built-up or carpet area.  However it depends upon local municipal regulations.

• Interior design: The carpet area is the most relevant measurement for interior design planning.

• Developer practices: Some developers might include additional areas, such as terrace or stilt parking, in the super built-up area, which can inflate the price.

• Legal regulations: Real estate regulations in different regions may vary regarding the calculation of these areas.

• Buyer awareness: It's essential to clarify the exact inclusions in each area measurement with the developer to avoid misunderstandings.

• Understand the difference: Clearly differentiate between carpet, built-up, and super built-up areas.

• Ask for detailed breakdowns: Request specific details about what's included in each area.

• Compare prices per square foot: This helps in evaluating the true cost of the property.

• Check RERA guidelines: Ensure the developer complies with the regulations.

• Consider additional factors: Location, amenities, and construction quality are equally important.

By understanding the nuances of carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area, you can make informed decisions when you want to buy flats in Bangalore. Always ask for detailed area breakdowns and compare prices based on the same area measurement to get the best value for your investment.