Carpet area, built-up area and super built-up area explained

Two flats can both be called "1,000 sq ft" and feel very different once you walk in. The reason is that listings use three different ways of measuring area, and they are not interchangeable.

The three measurements

• Carpet area: the floor you can actually lay a carpet on, inside the walls of the flat. It leaves out the thickness of the walls.
• Built-up area: the carpet area plus the walls and usually balconies and similar attached spaces.
• Super built-up area: the built-up area plus a share of the shared spaces in the building, such as the lobby, staircases, lifts and clubhouse.

Why this matters when you compare

A larger number is not a larger home. A flat quoted on super built-up area will always show a bigger figure than the same flat quoted on carpet area. When you compare two listings, make sure both numbers are the same kind, or you are comparing different things.

What to ask

1. Ask which of the three areas the listing uses, and ask for the carpet area as well.
2. For a purchase, check which area the price is quoted on and which one the agreement states.
3. Measure the rooms yourself on the visit. Walls and fittings tell you more than a brochure figure.

Rules on how area must be stated differ by state and by project. This is general information, not legal advice. Ask the seller or a lawyer how the area is defined in your agreement.

Need to switch between square feet, square metres and other local units? Use our area unit converter, then browse apartments to rent with the same measure in mind.