Vanishing balconies in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru: Here’s why urban homes are forced to shrink open spaces

A clear trend emerging across cities such as Bengaluru and the NCR is that balconies are shrinking in size, vanishing from mid-segment homes, and increasingly being reserved for high-end developments. Experts say this shift reflects growing buyer awareness about what they are actually paying for within their homes. Balconies are no longer standard inclusions; they are evolving into aspirational features typically associated with luxury apartments.

In NCR markets such as Noida, Greater Noida, and Gurugram, balconies measuring 5–6 ft are usually included in the free floor space index (FSI), which is why most developers continue to provide them. In Mumbai, however, balconies have emerged as a post-COVID differentiator, a distinct selling proposition in a space-constrained market.

Industry experts point out that the shift is closely linked to rising land prices and availability and growing scrutiny over carpet versus super built-up area, a gap that many buyers realise only after committing to a purchase.

Chartered accountant Ankita Agarwal recently highlighted on LinkedIn how buyers often mistake “super built-up area” for actual usable space. A home marketed as a 1,200 sq ft apartment may offer barely 850 sq ft of carpet area, with the rest accounting for walls, balconies and shared common areas.

“The difference is not just technical, it is financial,” Agarwal wrote, pointing out that at current prices, buyers could be paying ₹12–15 lakh extra for space they never physically use. She said that loading factors, the gap between carpet and super built-up area, now range from 15 per cent to as high as 45 per cent in some projects, effectively pushing up the real per sq ft cost.

CoinSwitch co-founder Ashish Singhal also shared on LinkedIn that he “wouldn’t be surprised if people cancelled house hunting altogether, even after searching for months,” in response to current pricing trends. “ ₹2 crore for a 2BHK that doesn’t even have a proper balcony,” he wrote, capturing the sentiment of many urban homebuyers disillusioned by shrinking features and rising prices.

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Earlier, balconies were routinely attached to bedrooms or kitchens and used for storage or utility purposes. Today, many new projects, particularly in the middle-income segment, offer just one balcony, often linked to the master bedroom. In Grade B projects, balconies are either small or excluded altogether, say real estate brokers in Bengaluru.

Ninad Pardeshi, Chief Thinker at ELM Designs, noted that in dense urban environments, balconies have become social spaces, particularly among younger buyers. “Vertical gardens, climbers, and potted plants are turning balconies into private green retreats. It offers a blend of nature and urban living, and a quiet escape within the home,” he said.

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Cost is a major factor. In Bengaluru, having a balcony can add 10–15 per cent to the overall apartment price, they said. In the city’s outskirts, a Grade A project with two balconies can cost around ₹3 crore, while apartments with a single balcony typically start at ₹2 crore and above. In city centres, balconies are often missing altogether, as smaller land parcels and tighter regulations limit design flexibility, brokers point out.

Kiran Kumar, vice president at Hanu Reddy Realty, said balconies are clearly moving into the premium bracket. “Balconies are no longer standard inclusions; they are becoming aspirational features,” he said.

“Developers are prioritising efficiency and saleable area, and balconies are among the first elements to be reduced, especially with major changes in FSI happening across cities. Going forward, especially in Bengaluru, balconies will largely be a luxury offering, available mainly in high-end projects where buyers are willing to pay a premium for lifestyle features,” he said.

From the early 2000s, Mumbai’s residential market saw an influx of new players who introduced features such as flower beds and lily pools to differentiate projects, though these proved short-lived. In 2012, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation brought balconies under the floor space index (FSI), which had previously excluded them, despite developers charging buyers extra. Once counted within FSI, balconies began to eat into the permissible buildable area.

Post-COVID, however, homebuyers have become acutely aware of the importance of having some form of open space within their homes, driving demand for balconies even in 2BHK apartments. That said, this does not imply that balconies will become ubiquitous across Mumbai. Their relevance often depends on context; balconies may make sense in homes with views of the Arabian Sea or, in parts of the western suburbs, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. But where another building stands just six metres away, a balcony may offer little more than limited utility, say architects.

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Sanjyt Singh, a noted interior designer, says that while balconies continue to be valued for their aesthetic appeal, their relevance in dense urban environments may need to be re-examined. Poor air quality, he notes, is likely to discourage residents from spending time outdoors, reducing the balcony’s practical use despite its visual charm. In contrast, private bungalows will continue to open out into landscaped gardens, offering a more controlled and healthier connection with the outdoors.

In NCR cities such as Noida, Greater Noida, and Gurugram, balconies measuring around 5–6 feet are typically included in the free floor space index (FSI). This means developers can provide balconies without eating into their saleable area, making them a standard feature even in mid-segment homes. Mumbai, on the other hand, operates under far tighter land constraints. Since 2012, balconies have been counted within the FSI, which directly impacts how much sellable space a developer can build.

“Balconies today are no longer just architectural add-ons; they are an essential part of healthy urban living. Post-pandemic, homebuyers increasingly value open, breathable spaces that enhance well-being, as well as natural light and ventilation. From that perspective, Haryana’s building regulations strike a very progressive balance between urban density and liveability,” explains Pradeep Aggarwal, founder and chairman, Signature Global.

Under Haryana government norms, developers can build balconies up to 6 feet in high-rise residential projects without it affecting the FAR. In Noida and Greater Noida, balconies up to 5 feet are allowed, giving buyers usable outdoor space without reducing the core living area.

Balcony pricing is aligned with the approved unit plan and overall apartment pricing, ensuring clarity for homebuyers, he says.

In the affordable housing segment, balcony size is capped at 5 feet, with a regulated charge of ₹1,200 per sq. ft., ensuring predictability and affordability while still offering functional open spaces. This structured approach protects buyer interests and maintains cost discipline, he says.

“It is also important to note that in some states, balconies are included within FAR calculations, which can reduce carpet efficiency or increase overall costs for buyers. Haryana’s policy of keeping compliant balcony space outside FAR is therefore distinctly buyer-friendly and supports better-designed homes,” he explains.

With inputs from Souptik Datta in Bengaluru and Mehul R Thakkar in Mumbai