For many people, building a new home begins with a search online. You’ll start looking at home designs, testimonials – maybe even read a blog article like this one. Once you find a design you like or a builder you trust, the next step is to see a ready-built home. In other words, a display home.
Obviously, builders can’t build display homes for every design they offer, but they will show you a variety of homes so you can see the workmanship and how they use the space available. This will give you an idea of what your home could look like.
Builders like Blueprint Homes have display homes all over Perth, from the northern suburbs, to the foothills of Perth and as far south as Lakelands Estate, close to Mandurah. Another reason to visit a display home is to see the fittings and finishings. It’s a great idea to come and see, touch and feel the products that you’ll potentially be selecting for your new home. You’ll also pick up some handy tips on how to furnish your home.
Setting aside a day to visit a display village is a worthwhile experience, so to help you get the most out of it let’s look at what you can expect when visiting display homes in Perth.
Pre-plan your display home visit
Even if you’re setting aside a whole day, don’t try to pack in too many homes to visit. In one display village, you may have up to 20 homes from 20 different builders. After a while, you’ll forget which one was which. Have a clear idea of the builders you most want to see and spend more time in those display homes.
Each display home will have a sales consultant. These consultants are not there to put the hard sell on you (not Blueprint consultants anyway). They are there to advise and answer your queries, so come armed with as many questions and ideas as you can and don’t be afraid to speak up. If you’re unsure of what to ask, here are some questions to get you started.
- Can I make changes to the home layout?
- What’s included in the purchase price?
- What are optional extras?
- How are you different from other Perth builders?
- Is this how my home will look or is this a premium version?
- Do you have other display homes near me?
Before you venture out to a display home, you should also have a clear idea of your budget. This will help the consultant advise you on the style and size of home you can afford. Often, there are multiple versions of the same home to suit a range of budgets.
Which home builder should you visit first?
Depending on the time of day or what day you choose to visit, display villages can be a hive of activity. If you have a must-see home or builder you want to visit, go there first. There was obviously something that drew you to that builder or design while you were looking online, so take your time to thoroughly inspect the home and talk to the consultant.
As we touched on above, the display home you visit will most likely be a premium version of that home design. That means the ceilings may be a little higher, the rooms may be a little larger and the kitchen will be a little more luxurious. This doesn’t mean you can’t build your home exactly like the display home – just be aware that the premium version will come at a premium price.
What’s the next step after you’ve visited a display home?
Hopefully, you didn’t try to see too many display homes in too little time and have a clear idea of the home you like. You’ll no doubt have a bunch of glossy brochures showing the home design and a list of inclusions. Now you need to narrow down the field.
The good news is, you don’t need to compromise as much as you might think. Blueprint Homes is one of the few project builders that offers custom design changes at no extra cost. So, let’s say that you like 80% of the Blueprint Homes’ design but you’d prefer the kid’s bedrooms at the back of the house, or the alfresco area moved… not a problem. Blueprint won’t charge you for the service to make changes to your plans before you start building. You are free to make as many changes as you would like, to make the home design perfect for you. The Blueprint Homes’ team may even recommend changes to suit the size and shape of your block. It’s all about building a home that matches you and your lifestyle.
If you want to visit one of Blueprint Homes’ display homes, click here to get information on locations and opening times. Alternatively, if you want to chat with a consultant, contact us now.
