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Finding the right home requires a combination of practicality, aesthetics, design, and also the more elusive and hard to define the feeling of ‘home’. It can be an exciting but also stressful time that wears you down but is well worth all the hassle when you finally enter the special new house that will become your future home where you will create memories. It’s important not to rush into things, so be sure to look for the following when visiting display homes.
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Visiting display homes – what to look for…
Take Your Family
It won’t just be your home, it’s also your family’s home, and for this reason you should take them along to display home visits. It’s a big decision for everyone and if you have children, the more you can get them on board with moving house and building excitement around it, the easier the whole transition will be.
Know What You Want
Take the time to really nail down exactly what it is you’re looking for. Know your budget and be upfront about it. Chat to your financial planner and know exactly how much money you have to work with. Otherwise, you can land yourself into trouble down the track. Also be clear about the time-frame you are working with and land-size you are looking for.
Do Your Research
Make sure you investigate builders and get as much information on the display homes that you’ll be visiting before going and viewing them. Don’t walk in blind and expect to be told everything you need to know, because all you’ll get is a sales pitch and you might end up getting yourself into something that isn’t going to be all you’d hoped for.
Ask Questions
Start the conversation with the sales rep or builder before you take your family along to visit the display home and ask as many questions as you can to gather all the information available and ensure that you know what is on offer, and also use that information to judge the quality of service. If the sales consultant or builder offers terrible customer service at the beginning, you don’t want to get involved with them further.
Know What You’re Buying
Take a list of questions with you to the open home and make sure you know what will be included in the price of the home and what is not. You don’t want to be caught out later with hidden fees or only a percentage of what you thought you were going to get.
Focus on the Layout
It helps to print out a floor plan to take with you to the display home to help you navigate your way around the house and ensure that everything is as it should be. While you’re making sure that everything is where it should be, consider the layout of the home and focus on the things that are not readily interchangeable. How many bedrooms does the house have, and how big are they? What are the living areas like?
If you like to entertain you want to make sure that you will be able to do that – that the kitchen flows into the lounge and dining rooms, that there is outdoor entertaining space and that all those spaces suit your needs and will be part of making this your perfect house. Make sure that the home has everything that you and your family are going to need now and years down the track so that you don’t outgrow the home.
Buying a plot of land to build your own home is one of the most exciting experiences you will be a part of, but it’s important to not let your excitement get the better of you and rush your decision-making. Take your time, do your research, talk to everyone involved, and find your way home.
Photo Credit: Sven Mieke
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