Two flats are advertised at the same price per square foot. One feels noticeably smaller when you walk in. The difference is almost always in which "area" the price was quoted on.
The three areas
Carpet area is the floor you can actually use inside the flat's walls: rooms, kitchen, bathrooms. Under MahaRERA, builders must state the carpet area of every flat they sell.
Built-up area is carpet area plus the thickness of the walls, and sometimes balconies and ducts.
Super built-up area adds a share of the building's common spaces: lobby, staircase, lift well, sometimes the clubhouse. You use these, but you don't live in them.
Always ask: "Is this price per square foot on carpet, built-up or super built-up?" Then compare flats on the same basis.
How to compare two flats fairly
Ask both sellers for the carpet area in writing. Divide the total price by the carpet area. That gives you the price per square foot of space you will actually live in, and it is the only number that compares like with like.
On Nagari Guntha
Where a listing shows built-up area, we say so on the property page. Ask us for the carpet area on any flat and we will get it from the owner or builder before your visit.