All you need to know about carpet area and built-up area

Carpet area and built-up area are common terms you will hear when you look for a house. But what do they mean?

Individuals buying a house for the first time are often left confused as they are bombarded with several new terms. While each term has its value, carpet area is one of the more critical jargon that deserves attention. Understanding the carpet area can help you assert whether the house fits your requirements. This article will give you a thorough insight into the carpet area, its importance, and how it differs from built-up area.

What is the carpet area?

A carpet area, also known as the net usable area, is a space in your building where you can lay a carpet. It is the usable area or room in your house and is an important metric to consider when you buy property.

It includes the floor and thickness of the internal walls, excluding the balcony and the terrace. A staircase is included in the measurement only if inside the house. Technically, the distance between the walls of your home can be called the carpet area.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016

The measurement terms of carpet area were largely unregulated in India until a few years ago. Many sellers misled buyers into believing a house or a flat had more carpet area.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 was introduced to tackle this, and the measurements were standardised. Thanks to the rule, builders must now sell flats and apartments based on the standardised measurements. The carpet area excludes the outer wall, terrace, balcony, and veranda. However, the internal portion of the walls is included as the net usable space.

Importance of carpet area

The carpet area is essential to getting home loans. When evaluating your loan application, most lenders would want to know about the carpet area. However, it could get tricky because different lenders have different guidelines for measuring the carpet area. They may or may not agree with your measurement of the carpet area.

Hence, choosing a lender with excellent customer support, like IDFC FIRST Bank, is essential. IDFC FIRST Bank's executives work with you to figure out the best solution. 

Floor area and carpet area

Floor area is another term commonly used and has similarities to a carpet area. However, while the carpet area only includes the internal walls, the floor area also consists of the external walls.

How is built-up area different from carpet area?

You might encounter multiple terms that denote space when trying to buy a home. While some words, like carpet and floor area, are somewhat similar, others can be entirely different and often misused. Built-up area is one such term that is often misapplied.

Unlike carpet area, a built area is the total net area consisting of the walls and balconies of the house. Typically, 30% of the total area is used for this. If a flat has a built-up area of around 1000 square feet, it is safe to assume that the net usable space would be about 700 square feet. According to regulations, a built-up area can include parts certified by authorities as an internal house component.

Super built-up area

If your house is part of a housing society, there would be common areas that the people of the community share. There are called the loading factors. It would include elevators, lifts, lobbies, swimming pools, parking areas, etc. You might not have exclusive access to these amenities, but you pay a maintenance fee for their upkeep. The house area, including such loading factors, is called the super built-up area.

Before the rule mentioned above was introduced, many sellers used this super built-up area as the key measurement to use the confusion that already exists. But ever since the law became applicable, sellers are strictly required to use carpet area as their fundamental scale, reducing the confusion.

Understanding the terms like carpet area is critical before buying a home. Even with stringent laws, sellers might try to confuse buyers using common jargon. Ensure you conduct your research to get the best deal.

Disclaimer

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