Real estate can indeed seem confusing with terms like ‘carpet area’ and ‘built-up area’, right? If you’ve ever found it difficult to understand these terms, you’re not alone. However, it’s important to familiarize yourself with these concepts if you’re considering buying properties.

When purchasing a property, especially an apartment, understanding the different terminologies used to describe the space is crucial. Terms like UDS (Undivided Share of Land), Carpet Area, Built-Up Area, and Super Built-Up Area often cause confusion among buyers.

This article aims to simplify these terms and explain their roles. By providing clear definitions and practical examples, we hope to make the process of buying property less confusing and more transparent.

Undivided Share of Land (UDS) Undivided Share of Land (UDS) refers to the portion of land that a property owner owns in proportion to their share of the entire property. When you buy an apartment for instance, you are not just buying the unit alone, you do hold share of the land on which the building is constructed.

Example: Suppose you are buying an apartment that has 10 units with a total land area of 10,000 sq. ft. In this scenario you are not just buying one unit of flat, you also have the ownership in the land that the entire apartment complex is built in, right? Here, your UDS would be 1,000 square feet (10% of the total land area). (10000/10=1000)

You might wonder what is the significance of UDS, well what happens in the event when the building has to be demolished or redeveloped? You might lose your apartment, but still the value of your share of the land will be significant. This UDS also plays role and impact the resale value of your property.

Carpet Area Carpet Area is the actual usable area within the walls of the apartment where you can lay a carpet. It does not comprise of the thickness of inner walls but includes areas such as the kitchen, bedrooms, living room, and bathrooms.

The formula for calculating carpet area is:

Carpet Area = Total Built-Up Area - thickness of the inner Walls Example: If the total area within the walls of your apartment is 1,000 square feet and the thickness of the walls is 100 square feet, the carpet area would be 900 square feet. (1000-100=900), you see, here the thickness of the wall is excluded.

Carpet Area is a crucial measure for buyers as it represents the actual living space. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) mandates that builders disclose the carpet area of apartments. With this carpet area, you know, if the space is enough or not.

Built-Up Area Built-Up Area includes the Carpet Area plus the area occupied by the walls and the balcony. This area is larger than the Carpet Area because it takes into account the thickness of the walls and other additional spaces. The carpet area generally comprises about 70% of the built-up area. However, this percentage can vary based on the design and layout of the apartment.

The formula for calculating built-up area is:

Built Up Area = Carpet Area + thickness of the inner Walls + area of balcony Example: Lets continue from the previous example, if the area occupied by the walls is 100 square feet and the balcony is 50 square feet, the built-up area would be 1,050 square feet.

{900(carpet area)+ 100(thickness of wall)+ 50 (balcony)=1050}

Built-Up Area gives a broader perspective of the total area covered by the apartment, including walls and balconies, which helps in understanding the total space available within the property boundaries. And you get a idea of your space and can use accordingly

Super Built-Up Area Super Built-Up Area is the Built-Up Area plus the proportional share of common areas like lobbies, staircases, lifts, and amenities such as the clubhouse, gym, etc. The super built-up area is also known as the “saleable” area. This is the number that most real estate agents or builders will quote when you ask about the size of the apartment.

The formula for calculating Super built-up area is:

Super Built-Up Area=Built-Up Area+(Percentage of Common Areas×Built-Up Area) The Percentage of Common Areas usually ranges from 25% to 30%. However, this can vary depending on the developer and the amenities provided.

Example: If the Built-Up Area of your apartment is 1,050 square feet (continues from the previous example) and your proportional share of common areas is 150 square feet, the super built-up area would be 1,200 square feet.

Developers often price apartments based on the Super Built-Up Area, which can sometimes be confusing. Buyers should understand this concept to know exactly how much actual usable space they are getting.