As the cost of a flat depends largely on how much area it covers, it will be beneficial for a buyer to have proficiency in the various space measuring terms. Carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area are the terms that are widely in use in India. As an aspiring home loan applicant, it is important that you know the different “areas” used to price the value of your apartment. After all, it is the price that dictates the results of a home loan EMI calculator.
What is a carpet area?
Carpet area as defined by Real Estate Regulation and Development Act, 2016 (RERA)-
“The net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding the area covered by the external walls, areas under services shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah area, and exclusive open terrace area, but includes the area covered by the internal partition walls of the apartment.”
To be precise, the areas covered under carpet area are:
- Bedroom
- Kitchen
- Dining room
- Bathroom
- Study
- Dressing room
- Stores
- Balconies and staircases inside the flat
- Any other room
Common areas such as lift, lobby, terrace, and external and internal walls are not covered under the carpet area. Banks will verify the carpet area of the property before they sanction the home loan. This is how you can find out the accurate measurement.
Carpet area = area of bedroom + living room + balconies + toilets – the thickness of inner walls
What is a built-up area?
The sum of the carpet area and the area covered by the inner walls, the balcony, flower beds, etc., make up the built-up area of your flat or apartment. It will always be larger than your carpet area.
Courtyards at ground level, garden, fountain, drainage, culvert, gully pit, boundary wall, watchman booth, etc., are not included in the built-up area.
To calculate built-up area, you can use this formula:
Built-up area = carpet area + area of walls + area of the balcony.
Numerically, if you want to assume the carpet area of the apartment you are about to buy, you should know this: if your builder says that the built-up area is 1000 sq ft, then your carpet area will not be more than 700 sq ft. It means that 30% of the total housing area is utilized in making the inner walls and balcony and the rest 70% is for the carpet area.
To sum up, some of the key exclusions from carpet area that are included in the built-up area are,
| Differentiators | Carpet Area | Built-up Area |
| Balcony | No | Yes |
| Utility areas | No | Yes |
| Staircase (outside the house) | No | Yes |
| Terrace | No | Yes |
| Verandah | No | Yes |
Conclusion
Just as a small change in home loan interest rates influences your cost of borrowing, the measurements in your flat’s area influence the cost per square foot. While selecting your home, make sure that you have a substantial carpet area, and it doesn’t differ a lot from the built-up area.
