Carpet area is the actual usable floor space within the walls of your unit — the area you could, in theory, cover with carpet. Built-up area adds the thickness of the walls and balcony space to the carpet area. Super area (or super built-up area) goes further, adding a proportional share of common spaces like lobbies, staircases and corridors.
Since pricing is often quoted per square foot of super area, two properties with the same quoted area can have noticeably different carpet areas depending on how efficiently the building is designed. This difference is sometimes called the loading factor.
When comparing properties, always ask for the carpet area specifically, since that is what you will actually live in day to day.
