Price per square foot is the number buyers reach for to compare properties — and also the number most likely to mislead them. It is a useful common denominator, but only if you understand what it does and does not capture. Read it carelessly and you will overpay for a worse home.

Which area are you dividing by?

The single biggest trap is the area figure itself. Carpet area is the space inside your walls that you can actually use. Built-up area adds the walls. Super built-up area loads in a share of common spaces — lobbies, stairwells, amenities. A rate quoted on super built-up will look cheaper than the same home quoted on carpet, even though you get less usable space. Always confirm which area the rate uses, and prefer comparing on carpet area.

What the rate hides

Floor and light: two units at the same rate can differ hugely in liveability.
Condition: a rebuilt floor and a tired one may quote alike.
Parking, terrace, lift: rights and access rarely show up in the headline number.

Two properties with an identical price per square foot can be wildly different investments once you account for these. The rate flattens quality, orientation, layout efficiency and the extras that a tenant or future buyer will actually pay for. It is a starting filter, never a verdict.

Using it well

Treat price per square foot as a way to build a comparison set, not to declare a winner. Gather recent comparable transactions on the same area basis, in the same pocket, for similar property types, and let the rate flag which listings are worth a closer look. Then do the real work — visit, inspect, and weigh the factors the number omits.

Above all, verify. Quoted rates drift from actual transacted rates, and asking prices are not sale prices. Confirm the area definition in writing, check current comparables through independent sources, and never let a single per-square-foot figure stand in for judgement. Used honestly, the number narrows your search; used lazily, it makes your decision for you — usually badly.

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