When you are a first-time homebuyer or a regular homebuyer, there are many terms and concepts that you need to understand yourself. Three important terms that you will come across are Carpet area, Built-up area, and Super built-up area.

It is important to know the difference between these three concepts while buying a house or property because they will affect the size and cost of the home that you are interested in.

Let’s understand Carpet Area, Build-Up Area & Super Build-Up Area One by one!

Understanding Carpet Area

The Carpet area is the total serviceable area measured from wall to wall from its inner surfaces. This is the area where you can lay your carpet or put your furniture. The Carpet area does not include the thickness of the inner walls.

In the Carpet area, The balcony or veranda area is excluded from the Carpet area, but the internal partition walls are included.

Measuring the Carpet area is to provide a constant way of measuring units of Real estate. It is a way of removing any variables that could potentially skew the results, like the size of the balcony or veranda.

When looking at a Property for sale, the Carpet area is a good way to compare different units. It will give you an good idea of the part of space you will have to work with once you move in.

Understanding Build-Up Area

Build-Up Area is the gross area of the house which includes the Carpet area & the thickness of the walls. The ducts and walls are also included in the build-up area.

Build-Up Area includes the area of the balconies, terraces, mezzanines, and the other detachable parts of the House. The word “built-up area” is frequently used interchangeably with the term “gross floor area” (GFA), but the two terms are not quite the same.

The GFA is the total area of all the building floors, including the attic and the basement area. It is measured from the outermost walls of the building, including the thickness of the walls. It is usually larger than the built-up area because it also includes the area of the stairs, lifts, and other common areas.

Understanding Super Build-Up Area

Nowadays, many modern buildings are planned with a so-called Super build-up area. Super Build-Up Area is the total area of the building that includes common amenities Like the area of lift shafts, lobby, and corridor. The super built-up area is usually 10-15% of the total saleable or leasable area of a Building or flat.

The concept behind the Super build-up area is to provide a more convenient use of space in a building, By including the common areas in the overall area of the building, the usable space in the building is increased. It can be beneficial for both the residents of the building and as well the owner or developer of the building.

Super Build-Up Area does not include the areas like compound walls, open-to-sky swimming pools, parks, driveways, etc.

The Major Difference between RERA Carpet Area & Carpet Area?

There is only one difference between RERA Carpet Area and Carpet Area is the thickness of the internal partition walls in a building.

RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) has made it mandatory for developers to sell apartments based on carpet area & according to RERA Carpet Area, the thickness of internal walls is included. In the Carpet Area, the thickness of the wall is not included!

So, RERA Carpet Area is generally 5% more than the Carpet Area of the building.

How to Calculate Carpet Area & RERA Carpet Area?

General Carpet Area Calculation

The carpet area can be calculated by a simple formula which is:

Carpet area = (area of bedroom + living room + kitchen + balconies + toilets) – the thickness of the inner walls.

In most cases, the carpet area in your apartment typically comprises between  70% to 90 % of its total built-up area

Let’s take an example of a real apartment carpet area calculation-

Suppose an apartment has a 1392.65 sq. ft. built-up area, and 82.8 % of that is the General Carpet Area.

Then, 82.8% of 1392.65 sq. ft. = 1153.11 is the General Carpet Area.

RERA Carpet Area Calculation

According to The RERA Act 2016, The RERA Carpet Area can be calculated by-

RERA Carpet Area = Net Usable Area of the Apartment (exclude external walls, Terrace Area, Balcony area, & Verandah Area) + Areas of the Internal Partition Walls

How to Calculate Built-up Area?

The built-up area is calculated by adding a Carpet Area or, RERA Carpet Area, Both Interior & Exterior Wall areas, an Exclusive Balcony, and Corridor if any.

Built-up Area= Carpet Area + Wall Areas + Terrace and Balcony + Exclusive Corridor 

Usually, the Built-up area is 10% to 15% more than the Carpet Area So, if your RERA Carpet Area is 1211 sq. ft., then the built-up area will be between 1332.1 sq. ft. and 1392.65 sq. ft.

What is The Loading Factor in Carpet Area?

The Loading factor is the difference between the Super built-up area and the Carpet area of a flat. It is important to know the loading factor because it can give you a sign of the quality of the flat.

For example, a higher loading factor tends to mean that there is less space for you to use and that the flat is not as good quality as a flat with a lower loading factor.

Calculating Loading Factor

Loading Factor is = (Super Built-up Area) – (Carpet Area)

As mentioned above we understand how to calculate Super Built-up Area & Carpet Area.

What is the difference between Built-Up Area Super Built-up Area?

There is usually confusion between the terms ‘Built-Up Area’ & ‘Super Built-Up Area’. Built-Up Area is the covered area of an apartment, including the internal walls with Carpet area on another hand Super Built-Up Area is the built-up area plus the area covered by the common amenities such as the lobby, lift, staircases, etc.

It is important to note that all Real estate developers include the Super Built-Up Area in their marketing, rather than the Built-Up Area because Super Built-Up Area is a catchy word.

The post Understanding Carpet Area, Built-up Area, and Super Built-up Area first appeared on Vastu Krupa Estate.