Developers sell dreams in super built-up, but you live life in carpet area. Between the two lies “loading”—the silent shrinkage that makes your home look bigger on paper than it feels in reality.
How many times have you walked into a brand-new apartment complex—lobby like a five-star, clubhouse dripping with marble, infinity pool sparkling—and yet stepped into the bedroom only to find it no larger than the one in your old society flat? Sometimes, just a shade bigger. This mismatch between the grandeur of the common areas and the modesty of your actual private space is no accident—it’s the invisible math of “loading.”
In India’s real estate jungle, every square foot counts. But what if you’re paying for space you’ll never live in? Welcome to the world of “loading”—a builder’s best-kept secret and a homebuyer’s worst deal. It’s the silent inflation of Indian housing. And in 2025, it’s worse than ever.
Here’s the math:
Loading (%) = (Super built-up area – Carpet area) ÷ Carpet area × 100
Loading is the difference between the super built-up area (the number most developers quote) and the carpet area (the actual liveable space inside your home). It includes common areas like lobbies, staircases, elevators, gyms, clubhouses, and even terrace gardens. Sounds fair—until you realise you’re paying Rs 1.5 crore for an apartment but only getting Rs 90 lakh worth of livable space.
A 1,000 sq ft carpet area with 40% loading means you’re billed for 1,400 sq ft—even though 400 of those square feet are not inside your home.
In 2025, the average Indian homebuyer is paying for 100% and getting 60%. This isn’t just bad math. It’s a systemic issue that erodes trust and transparency in Indian real estate. And it’s time we started calling it out. Ask yourself: Would you rather have an Olympic-sized pool… or an extra 100 sq ft inside your living room?
According to new research by ANAROCK: India’s average loading in Q1 2025 has hit 40%, up from 31% in 2019. Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) leads the pack with 43%. Bengaluru shows the steepest hike—from 30% to 41%. Chennai remains the lowest, at 36%. In top cities, you’re getting just 60% of what you pay for in terms of usable area. The rest is “common”—a euphemism for someone else’s corridor or clubhouse.
What’s fair?
Industry experts say anything above 30% loading should ring alarm bells unless the amenities are truly exceptional. Unfortunately, many buyers focus on brochure numbers without asking the critical question: “How much carpet area am I really getting?”
Even RERA covers carpet area, but turns a blind eye to loading. While RERA mandates clear disclosure of carpet area, it does not cap loading. Developers are under no legal obligation to explain what goes into that extra 40% you’re paying for. This regulatory blind spot has become a cash cow for developers. Flashy amenities? Sky gardens? Rooftop lounges? Great. But why should a buyer pay a premium for shared spaces, without clarity or consent?
Developers argue that today’s buyer demands world-class amenities. True. But loading is now a clever upselling tool, allowing builders to price units higher while shrinking actual homes.
In a departure from convention, a developer recently launched its latest Project in Sector 112 on the Dwarka Expressway. It openly quoted both carpet area and super area prices—Rs 27,000 per sq. ft. on carpet and Rs 16,000 per sq. ft. on super built-up. Legally, this is the right way to do it, since RERA mandates disclosure of carpet area, but in practice very few developers spell it out so transparently. Most still sell on the basis of “super area,” leaving buyers with an inflated sense of size and a fuzzy idea of what they’re really paying for. This developer’s move may set a precedent for cleaner practices in pricing, but until more developers follow suit, the loading grey area will continue to quietly eat into the square footage Indian homebuyers imagine they’re getting.
So what is unfair loading:
- 25% (Fair) → Standard in mid-segment projects, reasonable for basic amenities.
- 30–35% (Upper Limit) → Acceptable in premium projects with strong facilities.
- 40%+ (Red Flag) → Often means you’re paying for lobbies and clubhouses while your bedroom stays the same size.
The swanky lobby may wow your guests, but the square feet that matter are the ones where your family sleeps. Buyers need to push past the glitter and measure what they’re truly getting.
- Always ask for the RERA carpet area (mandatory disclosure in registered projects) —that’s the space you actually get to live in.
- Compare the super built-up to carpet ratio across developers—this shows who’s offering genuine space versus selling you marble lobbies.
- Remember: bedrooms and living rooms are where you live; gyms and sky lounges are bonuses, not substitutes.
