Ground floors in Nerul are damp underfoot when the river is high and the rain is steady, and that settles the carpet question quickly: loose rugs, not fitted carpet, on any floor at garden level. A rug that can be rolled, carried to the deck and dried in the sun will last; one gripped to a damp slab will not. Avoid rubber-backed rugs, which hold moisture against the tiles. Polypropylene and other synthetics dry fastest. In a second home, roll the rugs and stand them on end before locking up for the monsoon. Fitted carpet is reasonable upstairs and in rooms kept air-conditioned. Big villa living rooms need a rug large enough to anchor the seating.
- Garden-level rooms near the river: flat-woven synthetic rugs with no rubber backing, lifted and aired through the wet months.
- Glazed villa living rooms: one large rug beneath the sofas, in a colour that forgives wet footprints from the deck.
- Old houses near the church: a dhurrie on underlay over the original tiles, never fitted carpet, which would hide and dampen them.
Nerul is a village on the Nerul river, between Reis Magos and Candolim, close to the Coco beach inlet. It is quiet and green, with old houses near the church and many new villas and gated homes along the river and on the slopes.
New building in Nerul is mostly villas, some on the waterfront, bought as main or second homes. They have large glazed living rooms, decks and pools.
The river and mangroves make Nerul humid, with mosquitoes at dusk. It is sheltered from the open sea, so salt is moderate.
Riverside and backwater homes
Ground floors near water are damp underfoot in the monsoon. Use rugs that can be lifted and dried, not fitted carpet, and avoid rubber-backed rugs that trap moisture against the floor.
Villas and gated homes
Large rooms need large rugs: the front legs of all the seating should rest on one. Stair runners and bedroom rugs are measured on site, because villa rooms are rarely standard sizes.
