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When buying a house, it is important to know the difference between carpet and built-up area. It depends on this that you have a clear idea of the distribution of the spaces, how to make the most of them and what to use each one of them for. Furthermore, aspects such as the taxes you will have to pay and the value of the property in case you want to sell it depend on these measurements. In this post, we explain what is the carpet and built-up area so that you never have doubts again.
What is the carpet area?
The carpet area includes only the spaces of the property that can be used by the inhabitants, leaving out partition walls, structure and installations and including, in addition to the rooms, kitchens and bathrooms and even the inside of the built-in wardrobes. In other words, it is the surface of the house that you can walk on. Therefore, construction elements such as partition walls or pillars are left out. This is why, if work is carried out on a house and walls are removed, the usable floor area increases.
How is the carpet area calculated?
A homeowner can easily measure the carpet area of his or her home. The carpet area can be calculated in two ways:
- By adding up the useful square metres of each room.
Carpet area = (m² living room) + (m² bedroom) + (m² kitchen) + (m² toilet) + (m² additional rooms)
- Subtracting the square metres occupied by the constructive structures (pillars, partitions, walls…) from the square metres of constructed surface area of the property.
In any case, we recommend that you contact a professional to carry out the exact measurement.
Do terraces count as carpet area?
In the case of properties with terraces, balconies, porches… they always count at 100%, and it is normal to separate the interior carpet area from the exterior one.
What is the built-up area?
The built-up area is the result of measuring the entire dwelling, including all the perimeter enclosures. In other words, it is the surface area resulting from the polygon that encompasses the perimeter of the property, including all the façade enclosures and half of the enclosures that adjoin common areas or other properties. Therefore, it will always be greater than the carpet area. It is important to bear in mind that spaces whose height is less than 1.5 metres are not included.
How is the built-up area calculated?
The built-up area of a dwelling is calculated by obtaining the entire area occupied by the building. If you do not have the floor plan of the dwelling to consult, you can use one of these ways of calculating it:
- In a standard home, the built-up area is usually 15-20% more than the carpet area, so you can apply a coefficient of 1.15 or 1.2 to calculate it quickly.
- Measure the perimeter of the property with Google Earth.
- You can consult it in the title deed of the property.
As with the carpet area, it is advisable to hire an architect or professional to carry out the measurement.
Built-up area with common areas
If the property is not a single-family dwelling (i.e. it belongs to a building with more than one dwelling, whatever its type and under the horizontal property regime), there is another concept of surface area: built-up area including common elements. That is to say, adding to the surface area of each dwelling the proportional part that corresponds to it of the common areas such as doorways, staircases, rubbish rooms, meters, gymnasium… It is with this surface area that the percentages of participation of each component for the community fees are obtained.
What is the carpet and built-up area used for?
These two measurements are fundamental when buying a property.
- The carpet area reflects the habitable metres of the home. That is to say, thanks to it we know how much space in the house we will be able to use in our daily lives, which is what really interests us as buyers.
- The built-up area is decisive for the paperwork and documentation relating to the property, such as the deeds, the valuation, the community fees and the total IBI you will have to pay each year.
Now that you know what carpet and built-up area are and why they are important, how about finding the house you are looking for? At Sonneil, we offer the most exclusive developments in privileged areas very close to the sea. Discover them!
