When visiting a display home, it’s easy to fall in love with the inspiring interiors, the manicured gardens and all that enviable storage. However, if you wish to turn the dream of a new home into a reality, you’ll need to pay attention to the practicalities too. Here are our top tips to consider when visiting a display home.

1. Know your budget
Proper budgeting is important since it helps you establish early on what you can and can't afford. Invariably, when building a new home you will need to obtain a construction loan which will allow progress payments to be made to your builder. It’s a little different to how a regular home loan works, so it’s worth chatting to your financial adviser to see how much you can borrow. On top of this figure, don’t forget to factor in stamp duty costs for any intended land purchase. Analysing your financial situation and establishing your borrowing capacity will allow you to confidently identify whether prospective homes are within reach.

2. Focus on layout
While it’s easy to get caught with your kitchen bench and bathroom tiles, focus on the elements that can’t be so easily changed in particular, the home’s layout. Ask yourself, is the current layout a good fit for my family and lifestyle? Are there enough bedrooms and bathrooms, and are their locations convenient? If you love to entertain, do the living spaces flow freely with each other? Think about your needs both now and into the future. It’s also important to ask what comes with the standard home, as not everything on display will necessarily be included.         

3. Talk to the professionals
Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the display home consultant. If you let them know what your needs are, they may be able to find you a similar or more suitable home to consider. Consultants are also likely to be well-informed regarding promotions, which mean they can potentially arrange a good deal for you, especially if you are interested in bundling in the furniture and finishes.

4. Come well-equipped
If you already own land, make sure you bring your land drawings with you. This will make it easier to discuss your requirements and identify which homes fit with the developer and the council. If you haven’t yet acquired land, you might want to ask about house and land packages. 

5. Do your research
Before you start visiting display homes, make sure you conduct some research into your prospective builders. Not all builders offer the same value so be sure to look into the builder’s history, how long they have been operating and customer reviews or ratings of their service. It's also important to consider their time-frames, including the approvals process as well as possible commencement and completion dates for the project. To help you get started on the right track, here are some questions to ask your prospective house builder.

Planning to visit a display home soon? Before you head out, make sure to check out the display homes in our page to learn which home options are best for you!