A major part of choosing your future home or next big investment is viewing a show flat, but like most things in life, it is not as straight forward as you might think. This guide tells you everything you need to know and do to ensure you get the very most out of your visit, and most of it can be done without leaving your home.
Before your Visit
By doing some preparation and a little research, you can drastically reduce the risk of wasting your time by visiting a show flat that is not suitable for you or your needs.
• Check that the developer has both a sale licence, and building plan approval. Without those they cannot legally sell the property.
• Check that the project is approved for the use you require, for example some developments are approved only for residential, commercial, or mixed uses. Be aware of developments being marketed as SOHO (small office home office), as legally, they are more than likely to be approved only for residential use. If you are planning on using it as an office, restrictions do apply, and you should refer to the home office scheme.
• Find out how many and what type of parking lots are available at the development. Something that may not seem that important at the buying stage, could very well turn into a huge cause of frustration when you are actually living there.
• Check that the show flat you are visiting is a good and accurate representation of not only a unit in the development but of the type you are looking to purchase.
During your Visit
• Before handing over a booking fee for the visit, ensure (developers are legally required to comply to this) that they provide you with the following information:
- Location, site and unit floor plans
- A full breakdown of areas within the unit such as balconies, void areas, planters and AC ledge
- Building specifications such as floor and workstation materials
- Any restrictions on the property imposed by the relevant authorities
- Any amendments to the sale and purchase agreement
- Details of previous projects carried out by the developer and any related businesses
• As mentioned in the previous section, if the show flat is not of the type that you are interested in ultimately buying, ensure you are made aware of what differences exist between the two. Also, be aware that occasionally show flats have certain walls removed to enable the easier movement of people, or to highlight certain aspects of the unit.
• If you plan on bringing in your existing furniture, check and measure that they will fit into the unit, being aware of the need for doors to open and close.
• If the show flat contains features such as a loft, or furniture decks, enquire as to whether the actual unit will come with these, or if you will be required to pay an extra fee to have them installed.
Ready to get started? Below are some of the new launch condos in the market, make an appointment to visit the showflats today.
Upcoming new launches
