What do you know about carpet area, built-up area and super-built-up area?

Nowadays, finding a home of one’s choice has become both easy and risky because of the wide variety of options available to choose from. A number of builders are out there providing you all that you require in a dream home in terms of construction, infrastructure, and much more.
However, finding out a home that matches your taste is not enough. Knowing a bit more technical details about your future home will keep things in your favour with less chances of builder exploiting your ignorance.

Homes are generally charged on the basis of the area. But, the usable area is not always same as that of the chargeable area. The difference between the usable are and the area you are charged for gives the space that is included in calculation.
There are certain terms which a buyer needs to keep in mind before buying a home because these terms will help you to calculate the amount you need to pay and evaluate whether the house is worth the money.

Carpet Area
Technically, carpet area is the net usable area measured wall to wall from its inner surfaces. Thus the thickness of the inner walls is not included. Carpet area is the actual usable size of the flat/villa minus the thickness of the wall.
This also includes the bathroom and kitchen. Any common areas outside the apartment like staircase, lift, security room, etc., are excluded from this calculation.

Build-up area
This is the gross area of the flat which comprises the carpet area as well as the thickness of the walls and the ducts. The build-up area can be 15-25 per more than the carpet area and sometimes known as the plinth area

Super Build-up area
It includes common amenities such as the area of lift shafts, lobby, and corridor, proportionately divided among all flats. The common usable areas, such as swimming pool, garden, and clubhouse may also be included in it. In other words, super build-up area is the total saleable area.
Ideally, the area of the common spaces should be calculated and added proportionately to each flat. However, the builders rarely do this. They consider 1.25 as the multiplying factor for calculating super build-up area, which is the result of multiplying the carpet area with 1.25. This would increase the total saleable area by approximately 25%.

The builders normally call it as the loading charge and sometimes also charge as high as 50% as there is no specific rule for loading charges. Thus for a 1000 sq ft flat which includes the super build-up in real only has 500 sq ft carpet area.
Hence for all those who are looking forward to own your dream home, it is very important to at least have a rough idea of these terms so that the builder cannot bluff things and make you pay for more than you are being offered in actual.

About Author:
Ankita Aggrawal is a business architect in real estate industry. She has 5 years of experience and she has got knowledge about various real estate projects including Villas in Bangalore . Projects in Bangalore, commercial properties,Residential properties etc.

residential property owners will have to pay the 11.74 per cent more residential property tax

If new proposed formula of the municipal administration to calculate property tax in the city is approved by the standing committee of the BMC on Wednesday so all the residential property owners will have to pay the 11.74 per cent more residential property tax than what is paid now and it will come in effect from April 1 2015.

As per the previous proposed property taxes system of BMC was based on the calculation of built-up area rather than carpet area. It is expected that the average of the increase in property tax across all categories will be 14.52 per cent with the new formula. While the earlier proposal would have taken the revenue from property tax to Rs 5077.62 crore, the revised proposal will mean a tax collection of Rs 4,563.33 crore. As per the statement of Senior BMC officials, we are confident on the new formula as it will get approval in the standing committee meeting to be held on Wednesday. It is expected that if new formula will not get approval, then property tax will increase by 27.43 per cent.

The new formula of property tax calculation is based on the carpet area and it will be presented to the group leader of political parties on Monday. The BMC has a target of collecting Rs 6,000 crore in property tax every year. As per the statement of senior official, “We are expecting to get Rs 90 crore on average from new properties in an addition to Rs 4,563.33 crore and due to that we are meeting our target and not even burdening Mumbaikars”.

Now with the new proposed formula we will get Rs 1,475.22 crore from residents, whereas; earlier we would have got Rs 1,320.21 crore. Now with the new proposed formula is it expected that we will get Rs 595.98 crore from open land whereas; earlier we would have got Rs 460.32 crore. On residents the increased burden would be only 11.74 per cent.”