Buying a Display Home - Any Concerns?

pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 14:37

So I've noticed after having to pay out the ex I dont have the funds to buy jack shit really without getting into crazy debt in my 50s..

But I've found an ex-display home, fully furnished at the top end of budget, which by the time open house comes will probably be 100k out of my range.

Any issues or concerns with buying an ex-display home?
I've read they usually have a bit better quality fittings/gear than the one they throw together if you were getting one built.

Thoughts from those with more experience than me.
Thanks

Home & Garden

Comments

  • StickMan on 04/05/2021 - 14:39
    +3

    You're buying a second hand home.

    It just hasn't had people living in it. Some things may be broken from lack of use. Some things such as carpets may be RIP from increased heavy foot traffic. The position of the house and the land title may not be the best.

    • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 14:46

      Thanks Mr…

      Can you expand on the possible title issue?

      Position of house on the bloke do you mean?

      • IVI on 04/05/2021 - 16:24
        -7

        One more option to look for, eg,
        while you live in cheap share-
        accommodation [w/ gear in a
        friend's spare room or secure
        shed]:

        Bank-owned, Mortgage Fail (by
        some other name:…?)

        Bank wants to move it ASAP, &
        they only need to get ~the unpaid
        portion of Mortgage + agent costs.

        We once saved ~$20K on ex-Trust
        property, after owner couldn't pay-
        off mortgage.

        If your $100K wasa to include a
        loan, on your shoulders, try this
        option to cut your loan costs out.

        With COVID' expect more mortgage-
        sales, sadly…

        • brendanm on 04/05/2021 - 17:05

          Someone else's pain
          A cheap house for pharkunell
          Thank you mortgagee

        • Almost Banned on 04/05/2021 - 19:52
          -1

          Yeah - this is completely wrong - at least in this country.
          The bank cannot sacrifice the interests of the registered title owner and sell the property at an undervalue.
          They also cannot sell for just enough to cover their outstanding debt plus fees.
          However, they do not have to go to unreasonable lengths to attract the best possible price.
          They have to act reasonably to obtain fair market rate for the property.

      • SBOB on 04/05/2021 - 16:27
        +2

        Position of house on the bloke do you mean?

        if its on a bloke, probably an ex mob house rather than display home…

        • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 16:32

          the confusion continues… LOL

      • StickMan on 04/05/2021 - 20:33

        Position of house on the block, yes. Probably really far forward. Likely not to have the best sized yard. Likely in the front of an estate, in a high traffic area/road.

        The block may have easements or something.

  • 10muscat on 04/05/2021 - 14:43
    +2

    They may not have put wardrobes.. to show how big the rooms are
    The quality of a few things maybe 'look' based than 'material'

    • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 14:46
      +1

      Good info :)
      I havent had to go through this in 30yrs, its all 'new' again .. zillion things going thru my head.

    • Stopback on 04/05/2021 - 14:56
      +3

      actually the quality of the things will be better, they want to show potetinal customers how nice it would look etc/

      • Ridiculous Panda on 04/05/2021 - 21:50

        That is what he said. It could be a faucet that looks cool but not really practical to use or won’t last long for example.

  • SF3 on 04/05/2021 - 14:57
    +2

    You should get a building inspection report done, like any other property purchase.

    • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 15:19
      +1

      Yep, no issues with that at all.. Certainly not taking the word of agent :)

      How bullet proof are building inspections these days? if you find issues afterwards do you have any come back on the inspector?

      • Whensday on 04/05/2021 - 17:11
        +1

        You could, but in my experience the building inspector will just say, "This is my interpretation of what I saw when I did the inspection." You'll get further if you then go to the relevant more specialised professional.

    • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2021 - 15:30

      Why aren't building inspections done by the owner before selling?

      • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 15:38
        +2

        Seller and Buyer can have one done, but if Im payin $ for a home, I want my own report

      • NotAnExpert4 on 05/05/2021 - 18:30
        +2

        Could be biased I suppose? Commissioning your own independent inspection provides peace of mind.

        • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2021 - 22:09

          Yeah but RWC are often done by the seller and just accepted. I mean granted, a very different scenario. I just thought someone could be held responsible if they did a dodgy job or something.

  • greencomet on 04/05/2021 - 15:06
    +7

    My parents purchased an ex-display home years ago, they've had no issues with it. Just get a building inspection done and have a good look over everything. You'll find many display homes are usually very well positioned (in the estate) and pretty decked out with better fittings and optional extras, as builders will usually want show off what they have to offer on their display builds. If it looks good, checks out fine and you like it, just go for it.

  • spackbace on 04/05/2021 - 15:25
    +4

    Probably better features like higher ceilings etc

    Might need more power points, network points etc though

  • jv on 04/05/2021 - 15:32
    +9

    Buying a Display Home - Any Concerns?

    Strangers walking through your house when you step out of the shower naked???

    • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 15:36
      +1

      Some people pay for that.. :)

      • spackbace on 04/05/2021 - 15:43

        You'd have to pay the strangers to see you naked ;)

        • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 15:54

          I dont like seeing me naked… :(

          • No on 04/05/2021 - 17:01
            +2

            @pharkurnell: You won't have that problem if a stranger stands between you and the mirror.

  • Cho0028 on 04/05/2021 - 15:53
    +7

    Most ex-display homes are generally well looked after as they're also used as a marketing tool. You'll find that most display homes get kitted out with more exclusions, which you would usually have to pay for if you were building. More care is generally put into display homes and usually (but can't say for all builders) the better Site Managers get allocated to managing these builds. Sales associates in display homes usually have it as part of the job description to help with the maintenance and cleanliness of a display home to ensure that it always appears presentable.

    As other users have stated, make sure to do a building inspection and I would make sure to double check areas that would have high foot traffic or have high wear and tear from perusing customers to make sure that nothing is broken or damaged.

  • Euphemistic on 04/05/2021 - 16:42
    +2

    It’ll probably be finished better than a normal project home, ie they want it to look it’s best for advertising purposes.

    There may be omissions like enough power points or tv points.

    They may have employed tricks like smaller furniture or omitting storage areas to increase the feel of the room size. The garage might be smaller than usual.

    Just remember it has been built to look good in a 10min walk through or as an office and might be missing things that make it a really loveable home.

  • artxty on 04/05/2021 - 17:41
    +5

    I have a friend who bought a display home, he said there was no insulation installed on the ceiling, so out of pocket for him to have them installed.

    • pharkurnell on 04/05/2021 - 17:45
      +1

      Nice info :)

    • Grunntt on 05/05/2021 - 08:50
      +2

      Years back I worked for a small builder (yes, a short guy who did mostly first floor additions and renovations) and saw quite a few ex-display homes up close.
      It was so common to find anything that wasn't visible to the public (eg wiring in the roof space, insulation/sarking) being done to an incredibly low standard - not necessaily wrong, but usually done to the minimum required.
      A couple of times the electrician would just remove the rat's nest of wiring in the roof and rerun it all as it was much quicker than trying to bring it to an acceptable spec.
      Insulation that was only installed within reach of the manhole and missing sections of sarking where it would have been in any way difficult to install were also pretty common.

      Also, keep in mind these properties have usually been built to a standard, the same as most others, but usually only to the minimum that was required.

      Definitely have your own building inspection performed and I would make sure they concentrate on the 'unseen' areas very closely.

  • Ughhh on 04/05/2021 - 18:18
    +3

    My aunt bought a display home. Some years later the house had a leak issue. A pro came to check, turns out the the roofing was missing some parts. The pro recommended to stay away from display homes, as they're often built for free or at a loss for builders, to please the big names, thus they may skimp out on some things and take short cuts, while making sure those issues are masked by pretty fancy fixtures.

  • miwahni on 04/05/2021 - 22:00
    +3

    One thing to look out for is if the garage has been turned into an office for the display home - if so, does the contract state that the builder must reinstate the garage prior to sale? It could be a cost to you if it's not yet done and isn't specified in the contract.

  • Loopholio on 05/05/2021 - 09:27
    +2

    Make sure the property has not been owned at any time by the Bluth family. ♫ que music ♫

  • JIMB0 on 05/05/2021 - 09:36
    +1

    They are usually on busy roads as they put them at the front of the estate. Also if double storey and timber framed the floors may be squeaky from all the foot traffic.

  • TTMSHU on 05/05/2021 - 12:43
    +3

    Previously worked at a big residential land developer

    Can confirm we put massive pressure on the house builders to have their display homes ready in a very short time.

    They built them all in a rush. A 6 month build done in 3.

    Was the quality affected? Hard to tell but probably.

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