Understanding Carpet Area, Built-up Area, and Super Built-up Area: A Comprehensive Guide

It is crucial to know important terms like “carpet area,” “built-up area,” and “super built-up area” when you are buying or renting a home. These measures tell you how much the house will cost and how much room you’ll have to live in. 

This complete guide will explain these terms in detail, giving you the power to make smart real estate choices. And with OLX by your side, it only takes a click to find the right home that fits your needs. 

Carpet Area

The entire area of a house that can be carpeted is referred to as the carpet area. It is, in basic terms, the area of the house that you may use. The carpeted area includes any internal walls that may be a part of your home, but it will not include things like your balconies and outdoor spaces. As long as the staircase is located inside the house, it will be included in the carpeted area of your property.

Calculating Carpet Area

Carpet Area  = Area of bedroom + Living room + Balconies + Toilets -Thickness of the inner walls

This formula accounts for the following components:

• Area of bedroom: The total area of all bedrooms within the house.
• Living room: The area of the living room.
• Balconies: The area of all balconies (note: usually balconies are not included in the carpet area, but this formula includes them, so you may need to adjust based on specific requirements).
• Toilets: The area of all toilets or bathrooms.
• The thickness of the inner walls: The combined thickness of all the inner walls that form rooms within the house.

When you sum up the areas of all these rooms and then subtract the thickness of the inner walls, you get the carpet area. This formula helps ensure that you are calculating the actual usable space within your house.

Importance of Carpet Area

The buyer may see how much space they would truly need to live in by looking at the carpet area. The price of the property must be determined using this measuring typically not the built-up area of the super built-up area, for the buyer’s benefit.

Built-up area? 

The carpet area and the space occupied by the walls make up the built-up area. Other areas like a balcony, terrace, flower gardens, etc. are also included in the built-up area of an apartment. For this reason, when a flat’s space is defined in built-up area terms, it appears greater.

Calculating Built-Up Area

Build-up area = carpet area + area of walls + area of balcony

This formula takes into account the following components:

• Carpet Area: The usable area within the house, which includes the bedroom, living room, and toilets, but excludes the thickness of the inner walls.
• Area of Walls: The total area occupied by the internal and external walls of the house.
• Area of Balcony: The area of all balconies in the house.

By adding the carpet area, the area of walls, and the area of the balcony, you get the built-up area. This gives a more comprehensive understanding of the total space available in the property, including all the additional areas beyond the purely usable (carpet) area.

Importance of Built-up area 

The built-up area is the total area surrounded by walls, ducts, balconies, and other structural components with the carpet area, which is the real useful floor space contained within the walls. Gaining an understanding of the built-up area allows one to see the property’s overall space better. The property’s cost is largely determined by its built-up area.

Super Built-up Area

The super built-up area is the total of a home’s built-up space and any common facilities that the owner will have access to inside the apartment complex. These common rooms, building stairs, lifts, and hallways. The super built-up area should never be mistaken for a built-up or carpet area. The other common areas of the society are, by definition, open to all members of the society, but the built-up area and carpet area of a home are only available to the owners of that flat. 

Calculating Super built-up Area 

Super built-up area = Built-up area + proportionate common area

This formula accounts for the following components:

• Built-up Area: The total area of the carpet area plus the area of walls and balconies.
• Proportionate Common Area: The owner’s share of common areas within the apartment complex, such as lobbies, staircases, elevators, and hallways. This is typically calculated based on the total common area divided among all the flats in the complex.

By adding the built-up area to the proportionate common area, you get the super built-up area. This provides a complete picture of the total space associated with a flat, including both the individual unit and the shared amenities and spaces within the complex.

Importance of Super Built-up Area

The super built-up area gives a buyer or tenant a broader idea of the overall amount of space, including common areas and facilities, that they will have access to. It helps to determine the total cost of an asset or rental because it takes into consideration both the common services and the space allocated to each unit.

Difference between carpet area, built-up area, and Super built-up area 

Carpet Area:

• Represents the actual usable area within a property.
• Includes rooms such as bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, study rooms, guest rooms, kids’ rooms, dining rooms, internal staircases, and pooja rooms.
• Excludes external spaces like balconies, terraces, or gardens.

Built-Up Area:

• Encompasses the carpet area along with the area occupied by walls, balconies, external staircases, internal staircases, terraces, lifts, verandahs, and other structural components.
• Provides a comprehensive understanding of both usable and structural areas within the property.

Super Built-Up Area:

• Extends beyond the built-up area by including common facilities and amenities shared among residents of the apartment complex.
• Includes areas such as lobbies, lifts, verandahs, gardens, and other common spaces.
• Accounts for both the individual unit’s space and the shared facilities within the entire complex, offering a broader perspective on the total area associated with the property.

Also read: Understanding Floor Space Index (FSI) – Meaning, Calculation, And Importance

To make smart real estate choices, you need to know the difference between carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area. With the help of OLX and this complete guide, you can confidently go through property measurements and find the perfect home for your needs. You can start looking for your dream home on OLX right now and learn how to make real estate deals go smoothly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much load should be on a carpet Area?

When a builder uses a loading factor of 1.25, it shows that 25% more space has been provided to the apartment’s carpet area.

What differentiates a built-up area from a carpet area?

The space that can be covered by carpet is known as the carpet area and the space that develops after adding wall space and carpet area is known as the built-up area.

Is the living area the same as the carpet space?

The living space and the carpeted area are the same, yes. These two phrases refer to the real space that is occupied by people.

What does the term “built-up area” mean?

The term “built-up area” refers to a home’s carpet areas, wall thickness, and other unused spaces. These can be flower beds, terraces, balconies, etc.

What’s covered by the carpet area? 

The carpet area does not include areas covered by external walls, spaces under service shafts, areas for balconies or verandas, and areas allocated for exclusive open terraces.