REAL ESTATE FOR GEN Z | EP 03
By Verified.RealEstate
The brochure says “1,100 sq ft”, and your brain has already placed the sofa, gaming setup and coffee corner. Before you picture your future flat, check how the brochure and agreement describe its size: carpet area, built-up area or super built-up area. They count different things—and that headline number may include a share of spaces outside your home. Let’s decode what you actually get.
Carpet area: start here
Under RERA, carpet area is the apartment’s net usable floor area, including internal partition walls. Bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathrooms count.
RERA carpet area = Internal usable floor area + internal partition wall area.
External walls, service shafts, exclusive balconies or verandahs and exclusive open terraces do not count.
So “where you can spread a carpet” is only a rough explanation. The internal walls still make the cut.
Built-up area: add the extras
Built-up area generally adds items such as external walls and attached balconies to the carpet area. Ask for the exact breakup; the label alone is not enough.
Do not add internal partition walls twice. RERA carpet area already includes them.
Built-up area ≈ RERA carpet area + external wall area + attached balcony area.
Super built-up: shared spaces enter the chat
Super built-up area generally adds a proportionate share of common areas, such as lobbies, corridors and staircases, to the built-up area.
Super built-up area ≈ Built-up area + proportionate share of common areas.
That share does not become an extra room inside your flat.
One home, three numbers
Here is an illustrative calculation, not a standard formula for every project:
| Area | Example calculation |
|---|---|
| RERA carpet area | 800 sq ft |
| Built-up area | 800 + 50 external walls + 50 balcony = 900 sq ft |
| Super built-up area | 900 + 200 allocated common-area share = 1,100 sq ft |
The bigger number did not make your bedroom bigger.
Before paying, ask for the RERA carpet area, itemised area statement and floor plan. Compare price-per-square-foot quotes using the same area basis.
Square feet got you confused? VRE’s got you.
Not sure what the area figures in your brochure or agreement include? Share your floor plan and area statement with Verified.RealEstate to discuss your questions and the checks you may need before committing.
Next up: UDS—what share of the land comes with your flat?