Land units: sq yd, sq ft, bigha, acre
Unit soup is not an accident of tradition; it is a sales instrument. A rate that sounds cheap per bigha and a rate that sounds premium per sq ft can be the same land. Two minutes of arithmetic is the whole defence.
The conversions you will actually use
| From | To sq yards | To sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1 sq yard | 1 | 9 |
| 1 acre | 4,840 | 43,560 |
| 1 hectare | 11,960 | 107,639 |
| 1 Gujarat bigha (common local usage) | ~2,500 (varies; define in contract) | ~22,500 (varies) |
Acre, bigha, yard, foot: one picture
Worked example: the same land, three ways
A seller quotes raw land at Rs 60 lakh per bigha. Taking the common ~2,500 sq yd bigha, that is Rs 2,400 per sq yard, or about Rs 267 per sq ft. A different seller quotes a developed plot at Rs 8,000 per sq yard: not comparable to the first number until you remember one is raw agricultural acreage and the other a serviced N.A. plot; the unit conversion exposes the price gap, and the status difference explains it. Both steps, conversion and status, belong in every comparison.
Three unit games to watch
The shrinking bigha. Agreement silent on bigha size; possession measured generously in the seller's favour. Fix: area in sq metres or sq yards in the deed, with a rate-per-unit clause and measurement at handover.
Super area creep. Plot sold on gross area including road-margin or common-space share, while you assumed net usable. Fix: ask "net plot area inside my boundary, in sq yards" and let the layout confirm it.
The per-month illusion. Instalment maths quoted per sq ft per month to sound tiny. Fix: total all-in cost, one number, our standing rule.