BUYING A HOME? DON'T LET SAMPLES FOOL YOU!

A sample usually is a representation of an idea, a plan or an object. Thus, the sample house is a fair idea of what the property will look like after construction.

In comparison to the raw and unfinished brick - cement building, the colorful curtains, out of the world furniture, imported tiles and bathroom fittings, wall pieces, wardrobes and even the bed sheets of the ready ‘sample’ home look absolutely perfect!

There have been cases where impulsive buyers base their decisions on the beauty of sample flats, falling into the trap and emerging wiser.

One such impulsive buyer has sent us their experience to share with everyone.

Mini Shah (Name changed) and her family took a tour of a newly constructed bungalow near Makarba on S.G.Highway. The bungalows were intended to be holiday homes for the family in summer, and rented out for the remaining 11 months.

Good plan. Or was it?

The bungalow was beautiful, the grass neatly pruned, spacious rooms and artistic tapestry… and Mini booked a house immediately.

The excitement died down when Mini finally took possession of the house a year later.

The bungalow was nowhere near what they had seen and fallen for!

The flooring was no longer the white marble they had seen but substandard tiles. The wall finishing was messy and the rooms much smaller than expected.

And if this was not all, the bathrooms were leaking and bathroom walls were full of moisture!

No matter how disappointed they are, the Shahs can hardly do anything about it now. The sample house has long been demolished and there is no documentation or evidence of its looks.

And, even if there was, it would not have helped because developers can slip in a clause in the agreement saying that they reserve the right to alter the specifications of the property.

The Shahs are among the scores of people who are taken for a ride by sample houses and builders.

Although sample houses are an excellent marketing tool for attracting potential buyers, the problem is that, there is nothing you can do if the real house turns out to be very different from the sample offering.

Builders have many tricks up their sleeves that give false impressions to the buyer.

For example, there are no doors between rooms in a sample, which makes the flat appear more spacious than it really is.

Even the toilets and bathrooms are door less. Some of the walls are merely glass partitions.

Builders say this is done to allow buyers a better view, but the fact is that it makes the house look more commodious.

The ceiling itself is much higher than that of the real flat.

The interior designers hired by the builders to do up the sample flats are experts at creating optical illusions.

They know how to use lighting and place furniture in such a way that the house appears bigger. Even the furniture is an accomplice in this charade. [Source: internet]

Who can be blamed?  Vulnerable buyers or business minded developers? No one actually! 

We just need to be vigilant and keep our eyes wide open! Invest only when you really know the builder or through someone. And of course, stay updated with the latest property news to be on the safer side.