Buying a house is huge decision and one that involves a lot
of speculation especially if its an under construction project and all you can
see is the model house shown by the builder. If you talk to people who have actually
bought houses after seeing the model flat or apartment or villa, you will
understand that they were at least slightly disappointed after getting
possession of their house. The purpose of this article is to take the model
house with a pinch of salt and make a more informed decision that so that you don’t
have to worry about disappointment when you get the house.
Check 1: Look at the Lighting
Builders and Promoters are smart people. They know that the
model house is their best way to attract prospective customers. So, they will
flood the house with abundant lighting so that it looks bright and attractive.
Truth being told, in a real life scenario, firstly we probably wont have that
many lights in the house. Secondly, the natural lighting of the room by means
of windows plays a significant role than artificial lamps.
So, look for the positioning of the windows, the direction
of the house and the sun and think realistically before you get impressed by
show flats.
Check 2: Look at the
Interior Doors
The doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms are often the place
where costs and corners are cut. Doors should swing smoothly, feel substantial,
and should not sound particularly hollow when you knock on them. For smaller
units in particular, it is important to have good quality doors to maintain
privacy and reduce noise from entering the bedrooms. If the doors turn out to
be inadequate when you finally move in, they could cost quite a bit to replace.
Check 3: Look at the
House Flow and Odd Corners
Have you noticed that all show flats or houses come fully
furnished while 90% or more houses are sold in an unfurnished manner? This is
because, once a house is furnished, its that much harder to identify odd
corners in the house or design flaws and the intention is to distract the
prospective buyer from the same using the beauty of the décor.
However, think about the flow of the space, and how you and
your family will use it. For instance, think about your cooking habits in the
kitchen, and if the current layout would work for you. Changing the layout of
the kitchen can be expensive. Open layouts, where the dining area, kitchen and
living room are combined in a single space, are very common right now. However,
some people might prefer separate spaces, to prevent cooking grease and smells
from affecting the whole apartment.
In general, people like regular layouts, because they flow
better and help with the placement of furniture. There are many design tricks
that can help to minimize the odd dead corner, such as hiding it with a
partition, or covering it up with plants and vases. Buyers should always check
the official floor plans to see if there are any odd corners.
Check 4:
Look for Power Sockets
The amount of devices and appliances we have
will only increase in the future. For areas like the kitchen, bedside, and
walls where televisions can be mounted, buyers should always check for an
adequate number of power sockets. While more power sockets can always be
installed after completion, it is an additional cost, and the renovation would
delay your move into the unit.
Check 5:
Look at the Construction Materials
Each surface in a show flat will be polished to
perfection. However, the builder will add a caveat in the brochure that the materials
in the show flat may not be available in the house and you might have to pay a
premium price. Tiles and Paints are two common areas where builders use premium
materials to attract the buyer and then once you make up your mind to buy the
house, you will get the surprise of additional cost. Similarly, a common,
low-cost material used for kitchen counters is solid surface. While durable and
easy to clean, it can be affected by high heat, and needs to be protected from
hot pots and pans by trivets or place mats. On the other hand, marble is
heat-resistant and beautiful, but is expensive and requires more maintenance.
Check 6: Look at Bathroom Fittings
Most show flat bathrooms are designed to look
like luxurious spas. However, check to see what is actually provided. Often,
wall cabinets are not provided, or might come in a plainer form than what is
displayed. Fittings like the shower, toilet, bathroom tap and sink should be of
good quality, too. However, there is a chance the spa like feel may only be
possible if you are willing to shell out additional money. Look for windows in
the bathrooms as well; they are necessary to prevent our humid weather from
causing mold. For bathrooms without windows, a ceiling ventilation fan should
be provided, but that requires more maintenance.
Check 7:
Look at the Space
These days, its becoming increasingly popular
to squeeze an additional bedroom within the same square footage just to make it
appealing to the minds that think an extra bedroom will help. A Spacious 2
bedroom apartment in about 1000 sq ft would realistically be more comfortable
to live in than a cramped up 3 bedroom apartment in the same 1000 sq ft size.
Builders and their sales agents will claim that the bedroom will easily fit a
queen sized bed but what they will not mention is that once you put the bed,
you may not have enough room to move around the bedroom.
Builders
may use the common trick of removing or shrinking the closet, so the bedroom
looks bigger however the real one may not be the same. Make sure to double
check against the plan to avoid disappointment in the future.
Check 8: Look at the Details
Keep an eye out for the small details that show
a developer’s commitment to quality. Showflats are meant to display all a
developer has to offer. If you see signs of poor fit and finish, such as
peeling or poorly glued laminate on the carpentry, or cabinet doors that don’t
close properly, it might be cause for concern. Even small things, like whether
the bed sheets are smoothed and ironed, or the cleanliness of the showflat,
demonstrate a developer’s pride in the project.
Hope you found this article useful in your quest to buy the
dream home. Do remember to share this in social media and with your friends who
may find this useful.
I am planning to buy a new flat. Thanks for this article. Now i will surely look at all these things before planning to buy it.
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