Ask the Home Experts
Can you give me some advice on how to prepare for visiting a show home and what I should be asking once there?
— Gary W.
Buying a new home is an exciting and rewarding experience, and often the journey begins with a visit to a show home.
In order to make the most of your show-home experience, and for it to be enjoyable, here are some tips you should consider:
BUDGET: Talk to a professional mortgage broker who can help you determine your budget. Some builders have special arrangements with different lending institutions to save you money.
WANT/NEED LIST: Make a list of wants and needs that you would like in your new home .
LOCATION: Determine what quadrant of the city do you want to live in and the amenities that are important to you in the community now and in the future. Once you’ve narrowed down your search location, you can then find out who builds in these communities.
“IF THE INFORMATION YOU ARE GETTING DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, ASK MORE QUESTIONS.” — Stephanie Myers, sales manager, Innovations by Jayman
SURF: Visiting the builders’ websites will give you an introduction into the price ranges the builders offer in that area and may help save you time when you go visit the communities’ show homes.
When you are ready to visit show homes, here are some things to consider:
ASK QUESTIONS: You may want to book an appointment with the sales’ team during the week so they can spend more time with you. Ask the team to take you on a tour of the show home and note what is included and what has been upgraded. If the information you are getting doesn’t make sense, ask more questions. Find out the steps involved and what amount of deposit is required — all builders are different.
MODELS: Determine which model and size would suit your needs now and in the future
PRICE: Find out what you get in the price for your money. Don’t be fooled by promos, low base prices and sales tricks. The sales’ staff’s job is to educate you about the builder, what they include in the price and finding the model that best suits your requirements. Get pricing of what your home would cost with the options that you want.
BUILDER: Find out what awards have they won, their customer service rating — JD Powers and what the builder’s’ process is from start to finish.
BUILDER SERVICES: These may include free legal fees on closing; realty firm to sell existing home; affiliation with a mortgage company to save money on your mortgage; design centre so you can make all your choices at one building; interior and exterior design consultants; scheduled meetings with superintendant during the building process; and moving services on the day of possession.