Carpet Area vs Built-Up vs Super Built-Up Area: What Pune Buyers Should Compare

Two flats advertised at the same size can offer very different amounts of usable space. The reason is that Indian real estate uses three overlapping area measures, and only one of them is defined in law.

1. Carpet Area: Under Section 2(k) of the RERA Act, carpet area is the net usable floor area of an apartment. It excludes the area covered by external walls, service shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah areas and exclusive open terrace areas, but it includes the area covered by internal partition walls. This is the space you can actually lay a carpet on.

2. Built-Up Area: Built-up area is carpet area plus the thickness of the walls and the exclusive balcony or terrace areas attached to the flat. It is larger than carpet area and is often used in older documents and valuations.

3. Super Built-Up (Saleable) Area: Super built-up area adds a proportionate share of common areas such as lobbies, staircases, lift shafts and sometimes amenity spaces. The loading differs from project to project, which is why super built-up figures cannot be compared fairly.

How to compare two flats: Ask each developer for the RERA carpet area of the exact unit and the agreement value. Divide the agreement value by the carpet area to get a price per square foot of carpet area. Compare that figure, and then compare the layout.

Check the layout, not just the number: A compact, rectangular carpet area with few passages usually feels larger than the same area broken up by long corridors. Look at the sanctioned floor plan for room dimensions, door swing and usable wall space.

Confirm what is sold separately: Parking, club membership, maintenance deposits and infrastructure charges are often listed outside the flat price. Ask for a full cost sheet so that the comparison includes everything you will pay.

On this website, configurations show a carpet area only when it has been confirmed from the developer's material. Where it has not, we say so instead of estimating.