You have a budget of, say, ₹60 to 90 lakh. You have shortlisted a 2 BHK and a 3 BHK. Both brochures show a big number. Before you fall for either, find out how much of that number is floor you can walk on.
Three words, three different areas
- Carpet area is the usable floor inside your front door. Section 2(k) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 defines it. It counts the rooms, kitchen and bathrooms. It leaves out the external walls, service shafts, an exclusive balcony or verandah and an exclusive open terrace.
- Built-up area is carpet area plus the thickness of the walls, and often the balcony. The RERA Act does not define it.
- Super built-up area adds a share of lobbies, lifts and stairs. The RERA Act does not define this one either.
Only the first can be checked against a statute. That is why it is the one to ask for.
A worked example with simple numbers
These are illustrative figures, not any real home. Two 2 BHK flats both have 840 sq ft of carpet area.
| Flat A | Flat B | |
|---|---|---|
| Super built-up (sq ft) | 1,200 | 1,100 |
| Rate per super built-up sq ft | ₹6,500 | ₹6,800 |
| Total price | ₹78,00,000 | ₹74,80,000 |
| Price per carpet sq ft | about ₹9,286 | about ₹8,905 |
Flat A looks cheaper at ₹6,500. Flat B is the better buy. You get the same usable floor for ₹3.2 lakh less. Only dividing by carpet area shows this.
How to read the plan itself
Once the carpet area checks out, look at how it is spent. Open the floor plan and trace these in order.
- Entry to living room. A long passage is carpet area you pay for but do not enjoy.
- Bedroom sizes. Multiply length by width for each. Ten feet by twelve is 120 sq ft. Add the rooms up and see what is left for living and dining.
- Doors and windows. Count where furniture can actually stand. A door swinging into a small bedroom can steal a wall.
- Kitchen and utility. Look for a window and a place for a washing machine, so you do not buy a flat that has no spot for one.
- Balcony. It sits outside carpet area. Check its depth on the plan, not by eye in a sample flat.
2 BHK or 3 BHK for a first home?
Ask what the extra room will do for you in the next five years. A third bedroom as a study or a parent's room can be worth it. If it would sit empty, the same money may be better kept for your loan down payment. Our Shalott Marque page lists the 2 and 3 BHK homes at the project; the price is on request.
Working out the loading yourself
“Loading” is the extra area added on top of carpet area to reach the super built-up figure. Builders do not always tell you the loading, but you can work it out with two numbers and a phone calculator.
Loading = (super built-up area − carpet area) ÷ carpet area × 100
Using the same illustrative flats as above:
- Flat A: (1,200 − 840) ÷ 840 = about 43% loading. Carpet area is 70% of the area you are billed for.
- Flat B: (1,100 − 840) ÷ 840 = about 31% loading. Carpet area is about 76% of the billed area.
Some people divide by super built-up area instead, which gives smaller percentages. Neither way is wrong, but always use the same method for both flats, or the comparison means nothing.
What a gap in carpet area costs you
Say two flats both cost ₹72 lakh. One has 820 sq ft of carpet area and the other has 780 sq ft. The difference is 40 sq ft, about the size of a small study corner. On price per carpet sq ft, the first is about ₹8,780 and the second about ₹9,231. That is a gap of roughly ₹450 for every sq ft you actually use. Put another way, the second flat charges you the same money for 5% less floor. All figures here are illustrative.
Common mistakes with area figures
- Comparing rates quoted on different areas. A rate on carpet area and a rate on super built-up area cannot be compared directly.
- Counting the balcony as living space. An exclusive balcony is left out of carpet area under section 2(k) of the RERA Act. It is still useful, but it is not part of the room count.
- Judging size in the sample flat. Sample flats often use smaller furniture and fewer walls. Trust the dimensions on the plan.
- Ignoring wall thickness. Two flats with the same built-up area can have different carpet areas because their walls are thicker or thinner.
- Forgetting parking and charges. Car parking, deposits and GST sit outside the area figure. Add them before you divide.
Step by step at the sales office
- Ask for the carpet area of the exact unit, as stated in the draft agreement for sale.
- Ask which area the rate is quoted on.
- Ask for the all-in price on a written cost sheet.
- Divide the all-in price by the carpet area. Write the answer down.
- Repeat for every flat on your list, then compare only these numbers.
- Read the agreement's clause on what happens if the final carpet area differs from the agreed figure, and how the price is adjusted.
Take this with you on the site visit
- The carpet area of your exact unit, in writing.
- The rate and which area it is quoted on.
- A plan with the dimensions of each room marked.
- A tape measure, for handover day.