There is a lot of confusion surrounding the carpet area and whether your balcony is included in it, and the short answer is yes.
If you are looking to buy a new home for yourself, you must familiarize yourself with some key terms that will likely pop up, such as built-up area and super area.
When purchasing a residential property for yourself, you need to understand the area measurements, so you know exactly how much space you’re dealing with, which is important if you’re looking to start a family and need as much space as possible.
The carpet area is the total area on the floor and does not cover walls and other places like the balcony, which is an important distinction to make to understand the terminology real estate agents use when helping their clients find a suitable property.
The total area of an apartment is the carpet area plus the total wall area, which determines how much actual space you’re dealing with.
Let’s explore which area type includes the balcony and the differences between different measurement terminologies.
Differences Between Built-Up Area, Super Area, and Carpet Area
The built-up area essentially covers the area of the floor and walls, including your wall’s thickness and other unutilized spaces, to give you a total estimate of your apartment’s space.
The equation is fairly simple, and some examples of unusable areas are the terrace and flower beds.
In contrast, the carpet area is the usable space in your apartment that can be covered completely with carpets, allowing you to cover places like bedrooms, bathrooms, and balconies.
The carpet area typically covers around 70% of the apartment’s total space, which means that if you own a property that is 2000 square feet, its carpet area will be roughly 1400 square feet.
Since many developers are guilty of not being completely honest with potential homebuyers about the dimensions of residential properties, laws were passed to force them to disclose the carpet area, so there is no chicanery involved in property transactions.
If you’re looking for a new home to move into, you will want to get the complete information from your real estate agent, so you have an accurate view of the property’s dimensions.
Since many people are familiar with what is included in the carpet area of an apartment, they get a clearer idea of how much area they can actually utilize if they choose to move in.
The short definition of carpet area is given as the net usable floor space, which covers all portions of flooring space in your apartment, including your balcony.
However, this differs from RERA’s definition of carpet area, which does not include the balcony or veranda space, making things a bit confusing.
Before RERA passed laws and regulations to force developers to be more transparent about the dimensions of a property, they could easily modify the blueprints of accommodation without any problems.
It is not as easy anymore since developers now need the permission of a buyer to make certain adjustments, putting the decision completely in the hands of the buyer.
This law has held strong and prevented any builders from violating the agreement between them and homebuyers since they can be held liable for paying a significant penalty.
What this means is that if you opt to purchase a home that is still under construction and you find that the dimensions you were presented with before are not the same as the final construction, you will receive payment from the builder.
Another important restriction was that of raising the carpet area, which cannot be more than 3%, putting the power back in the hands of the buyer.
Coming back to the built-up area, as a general rule of thumb, it exceeds the carpet area by 10-15%, making it more spacious and inclusive of the space taken up by the walls.
However, an important distinction is that the walls that are part of someone else’s property contribute only 50% to the built-up area, even if they form a part of your property’s structure.
In essence, the built-up area includes the carpet, wall, and balcony area, giving more accurate dimensions of your property, which are important to have if the project is still under construction.
Super area is a term used for the spaces that are up for sales, such as the courtyard, balcony, walls, and stairs.
Sometimes, developers may add the gymnasium, swimming pools, and gardens to the super area, making it a pretty inclusive term.
RERA enforces developers to give homebuyers accurate dimensions for the super area and carpet area, so there is no deception whatsoever.
Developers can only sell properties by charging rates for the carpet area and not the super area, making the prices more attractive for homebuyers.
The super area is a little more complex to determine since it encompasses the common area and built-up area, which is why there are simple examples to help you understand the differences between these area measurement terminologies.
If you’re dealing with 15 apartments on a particular floor of an apartment building and the common space of these 15 units is 3500 square feet, you can easily determine the area per unit, which will be 3500 square feet divided by 15 apartments, giving you 233 square feet per unit.
However, you may not know the total area occupied by the common space, which is not a problem because there’s another way to determine the super area of an apartment.
This is achieved by considering the loading factor in a particular equation, which is given as the carpet area times (1+loading factor), giving you the super area.
The loading factor can vary between 25-50% based on different factors, such as the developer’s choice and property location.
If you’re inquiring about balconies specifically, then they are often included in the carpet area and cannot be taxed, making them highly suited for conversion into a carpeted space as long as you get permission from the relevant authorities.
If one of your bedrooms connects to the balcony, you can easily combine the two and opt for a bigger carpet space.
Which Carpet to Choose for Your Balcony?
Many people choose to get their balconies carpeted in some form, whether it’s rugs or AstroTurf, making it possible to extend your carpet space and connect it to the exterior.
Most carpets cannot be used on balconies because they are not weather resistant and may deteriorate with time when left exposed to the external environment, which is why it helps to find options that are compatible with the weather conditions of your location.
There are reasons why people do not usually opt for covering their balconies with carpets, and these are because carpets can easily blow away by the wind and be a safety hazard due to them catching fire with ease.
Since carpeting can also damage the concrete surface of your balcony, you may want to opt for a rug instead, which is also quite moveable, allowing you to change its placement according to the weather conditions.
There are many types of outdoor carpets available that are weather resistant and fairly durable, allowing them to stay protected against the sun’s damaging rays.
You can easily find a low-maintenance and soft carpet for your balcony’s surface to provide excellent coverage and superior durability compared to traditional indoor carpets.
Some of the most commonly used fabrics for outdoor rugs include nylon, polyester, and acrylic, which are not only comfortable but have several qualities that make them well suited for the outdoor environment.
You may also opt for a rug made of natural fiber, which is an eco-friendly solution.
Nylon is a superior fabric with a long lifespan and stays protected against stains, making it highly suited for your balcony’s flooring.
However, it may melt or get really hot when left out in the sunlight, which is something to keep in mind if you live in a hot location and your balcony receives several hours of sunlight each day.
Polyester is also a good fabric since it is stain-resistant, but it has some drawbacks that are worth considering, such as fading colors and shedding problems.
Acrylic fabrics are moisture-resistant, while natural fiber is extremely soft and feels nice to touch, making them both worth considering.
Final Verdict
The carpet area includes your balcony space since it is also a part of the total floor area, which is something to keep in mind the next time you approach a developer or real estate agent for potentially buying a project under construction.
There are laws that prevent developers from deceiving homebuyers, making it possible to have an accurate representation of a property’s dimensions so you can make an informed decision regarding the purchase of a home.
Although balconies can be covered by carpets and rugs, you may want to stick with carpet tiles, which are excellent alternatives to covering your balcony’s floor.