A display home visit can be seen as a form of large scale boutique browsing: It can be a valuable activity for first-time home buyers since browsing online and through magazines does not quite give you a sense of heftiness and space you’re guaranteed to get from physical examples. However, even when you walk through those perfectly designed homes, you have to keep in mind things are not always the way they seem, and clever design can conceal certain flaws. If you want to stay on top of the situation, here’s how to make your display home visit truly successful.
The Question of Style
As you are walking through a display home, chances are you will be dazzled by the impeccable interior design – the way furniture meshes with the wallpaper and how the kitchen setup stands against the dining area. This, however, is only a façade – professional interior designers had a specific task to conceal certain design flaws, so the house appears more appealing.
Keep in mind you are not purchasing a house along with the furniture and you’ll have to do the interior decoration yourself (or at least, separately). This means certain nooks and crannies are probably not as spacious as they appear or cozy as it might seem. Remember, you should concentrate on the size and heftiness of the house itself, as its style is often just a mask.
Details Can Make the Difference
Some home-builders prioritise first impression over functionality, so they might create a setup that looks nice, but disrupts the normal flow of a home – and this is where you should really be vigilant, since the devil is in the details.
For example, the doors might scrape against light switches or, even worse, other doors. Check if the communal area can accommodate your furniture and guests – if it’s too small, designers are probably cheating with smaller furniture.
Remember, think like someone who’d live and function in this house and treat the details accordingly – open the cupboards, check if they are too close to the oven, check if there is enough room for a fridge. If the display home has a second floor, ask a family member to stay downstairs as you walk around the upstairs rooms to check if the sound-proofing is good.
Reputation Matters
Thankfully, we live in a pretty transparent world when it comes to marketing and browsing – online forums, information and recommendation is easy to track down and you should probably hit the internet in search of reliable home builders will help you choose the best framework according to your financial plan. Check out these project homes built in Sydney to see what I’m talking about.
Word of mouth is also an important element that is sidestepped too often. Whether the home building firm that has display homes is reliable or unreliable will surely draw a lot of rumors and first-hand testimonies, some online, others from your acquaintances. You know how the saying goes – if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… Such wisdoms do not come about for nothing.
Knowing Exactly What Your Offer Includes
Buying a manufactured home is a financially sensible option for many, but you should also be mindful about the menu that often comes along with it. Base home packages usually do not include the prices of premium upgrades. In fact, more often than not, they conveniently exclude the entire menu of upgrades which can end up boosting the appearance of the display home.
Remember, if something looks too good on display, there’s a great chance it is not part of the base home package – so do not hesitate to ask concrete questions about elements like high-end kitchen tiles, bench tops, etc. – the employees are obligated to answer.
Even though you have to pay close attention when you are inspecting the quality of the product, especially when said product is a house, browsing through display homes will give you irreplacable insight into what sort of design choices are best for your new house. The fact you are not merely looking at a bluepring of the floorplan is a great advantage – the touch, the feel and texture make a world of difference which can drastically change your opinion.