Carpet Area vs Super Area vs Plinth Area - Builders Loop to buck extra!

Today a leading newspaper carried an advertisement on their front page from a builder claiming that they are going to shed a light on the truth and are digging out the fact how the projects from another leading builder are charging Rs 5800/sqft for Plinth Area using hidden costs like Common Areas etc while they charge only Rs 2370/Sq ft for Plinth Area exclusively.

Now, the focus of a property seeker shifts towards the fact that how must he save himself from these smart games from the builder where he tries to buck extra ? The smooth talking salesmen on the site of the builder chooses to skip on this fact too. So what should we do? The only way to save your skin from this hook is to have the right knowledge on the Carpet Area , Super Area and Plinth Area.

Here is a quick run through the exact definitions you should know before diving in to scoop the best deal on property.

`Carpet Area’ refers to the total usable area within the four walls of an apartment or a commercial space, as the case may be. In other words, it refers to the area for which a carpet can be laid if required by the owners.

`Plinth Area’ refers to the entire carpet area along with the thickness of the external walls of the apartment. It obviously includes the thickness of the internal walls and the columns, if any, lying within the four walls of an apartment. The commercial space is not taken into account in calculating the plinth area.

`Super Built-up Area’ refers to the plinth area of an apartment or a commercial unit as added by the balconies and other common areas like corridors, staircase, lift room, motor room, security room, meeting hall, gymnasium and an area reserved for indoor games.

The builders while advertising or quoting the rates for there properties tag the carpet area and print the rates of the same in there commercials and public issues. But what they usually sell you is the Plinth Area.
There has been a huge lot of roaring on this matter in past and yet the strength of the definition of Builder Area’s is enigmatic.

How many of us really get into the carpet area?
We seem to simply go by what the builders say in terms of the saleable/chargeable area.