Finding the perfect home that balances luxury and practicality can be a challenge. Many buyers struggle to visualise how a house will look and function based on floor plans alone. Seeing a fully furnished space helps in making confident decisions.
Have you ever thought if those beautifully presented display homes can actually be yours? Most people don’t know that builders often sell their display homes after serving their marketing purpose. This period is usually after the majority of the homes in a development have been sold or when the display period is over. Most homebuyers ignore this opportunity which can be beneficial for them.
Emotional reactions are triggered when walking through a display home. The moment when it dawns on you that your family can gather in the kitchen and have family dinners in the beautiful kitchen or how you can relax in a living room that’s perfectly designed. It’s not just a roof and four walls; it’s about where memories will be made.
This is where display homes offer a significant advantage. These homes are designed to showcase craftsmanship, design, and functionality, providing potential buyers with a real-life experience. Exploring these homes allows individuals to evaluate construction quality, assess design elements, and determine suitability for their lifestyle.
When’s the last time you bought or built a home with the feeling of a standard home? Think of the endless decisions, the feeling that comes with satisfying a budget, the compromises that need to be made, and that feeling of is there something that can be done better? Now think of stepping into a display home. Every detail put there by professionals that know how to design. The paint? Already on the walls, everything is perfect. Fixtures? Already installed. The landscaping? It’s mature and alive. It’s not a house, this is a full vision of what home can look like.
Multiple buyers narrate how their first walkthrough of their future display homes is nothing short of an eye-opener. One display home owner shares, “We had been looking at normal houses for months, but nothing felt right. the moment we walked into this display, we knew this was different. It was Everything from the layout to the little design touches just worked. Even if we were given an unlimited budget, we would not have been able to create something this marvelous.”
Although the transformation from display to personal home may seem effortless, for buyers, the process is truly one of a kind. Unlike starting from the barebones and awaiting months of construction as the landscaping gradually evolves, display home buyers find themselves stepping right into a beautifully completed space. It feels as if they are fast forwarding time and skipping straight to the beautiful magazine-worthy moments of a home reveal, avoiding all the rough phases of a new build.
Well, let’s know more:
Contents
- 1 No-Frills Premium Upgrades That Won’t Break The Bank
- 2 Professionally Designed Interiors
- 3 Established Landscaping
- 4 Price Note
- 5 Envisioning Space and Layout
- 6 Professionally Designed Interiors
- 7 Modern Living Spaces
- 8 Quicker Move-In Timelines
- 9 Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Living
- 10 Transparent Pricing and Seamless Processes
- 11 Some Other Benefits of Buying a Display Home
No-Frills Premium Upgrades That Won’t Break The Bank
Display homes are lavishly equipped with high-quality fixtures, finishes, and appliances that are unbelievably more expensive than a standard build. High-end stone countertops and designer lighting are now staples because they come included in the purchase price.
In contrast, a standard build would require you to make tough decisions on which upgrades you could afford. You might end up downgrading a beautiful quartz countertop for laminate along with fancy flooring to basic carpet. You also have to be mindful of your budget because every single upgrade might cost you a fortune.
“After comparing building a display home with the same features as our display home for my purchase last year, I estimated I would spend well over $50,000.” Michael explains. “The quality was there, but at no extra cost.”
Display homes, unlike new builds, are fully furnished and equipped with plumbing, electricity, and HVAC systems. Chances are, any initial issues with the systems will have been identified and fixed prior to your move-in date. This increases your chances of having a trouble-free experience.Think about it this way.
Suppose you have a brand new build, which means you are the first person to ‘test’ all the systems. That comes with discovering a multitude of problems, such as the fact that the hot water does not quite reach the upstairs bathroom or certain electrical outlets do not work properly. With a display home, these issues have typically been fixed during its showcase period.
In display homes, everything is working from the very first day. With peace of mind and calm execution, these homes are worth every penny spent, as a display home buyer states.
Professionally Designed Interiors
These homes are designed by professional interior designers who showcase how to optimally place furniture with masterful style. In addition to displaying incredibly equipped living areas, these homes also demonstrate how to create multifunctional spaces with maximised flow and unfathomable beauty.
This may not apply to you if you have a flair for interior design. However, if you lack creativity in design, this is incredibly useful. Instead of wondering about which furniture should go into empty rooms or what colors get put together, you have a whole new template to follow or adjust.
“Deciding on designs has been difficult for me,” Robert states as he describes his experience with his newly bought display home in a new subdivision. “The professionals had already done so much arranging that I didn’t feel the need to fix much. Having that starting point was absolutely indispensable, even though I changed some elements to suit my taste.”
Some buyers may want the complete design flexibility where achieving their desired vision would mean starting from a blank canvas but others may not. It is clear however that having strong design preferences that starkly oppose the display home aesthetics would mean spending additional funds to redecorate or reconfigure some spaces.
Established Landscaping
Most display home come with mature gardens that have been planted, as opposed to initial stages diagrams which showcase unsightly dirt patches framed by empty spaces where plants will eventually grow. Unlike these standard new builds, showcasing display homes to potential buyers means having fully set up housing fronts and gardens, which could take an upwards of $10,000 or more, along with considerable time for scaffolding tiered sculptures usually found labeled as ‘showcase’ landscaping.
All these display houses are complemented with stunning gardens which render immediate curb appeal and give the impression of a ‘move-in ready’ home.
“The display home we purchased last summer came with the exquisite landscaping, which we would have spent 3-5 years cultivating. That allowed us to have some outdoor entertaining space from the get-go,” said Jennifer.
“Some people may not appreciate mature landscaping as much if they want to implement their own themes and work on the yard bit by bit.”
Price Note
“Building companies do want to sell these homes quickly, so they might set a price that is lower compared to the market trend, and how long the house has been on display. But at other times, fully equipped display homes set high prices due to their location, added features, and other renovations.”
A wide difference in comparison alive display home expense and their nearby counterparts stood at roughly 5% for us. “Like many other display homeowners, David shares his thoughts. For others, most of the display units we analyzed had already priced in landscaping and other design features. Doing it ourselves would have set us back at least 15% due to the intricacies involved. For builders, hot real estate markets tend to bring a lot of buyers looking to purchase on showroom discounts probably making the offer less attractive. In lower demand regions the offer can be exceptionally good for builders trying to get rid of inventory on quick sale promotions.”
Strategic placement of display homes enables easy access to premium view lots within the development area. This premium positioning along key view corridors helps display homes make a solid marketing impact towards potential customers.
“Our model home is built on a corner lot, which gives it more space compared to the other houses in the area,” says Michelle. “We were able to take advantage of the builder’s strategic decision to construct a mock home at the front of the development.”
However, this prime positioning comes with its own set of challenges. Most display homes are located at the front of the subdivision, which might lead to increased congestion, or lack of privacy, depending on where the house is situated. As with any purchase, think about what location fits your lifestyle before committing to a new home.
Peace of mind comes with display homes, as most of these homes still maintain their builder’s warranty, which guarantees protection even after being used as a display. This ensures buyers receive the same coverage as a brand new construction.
“We were worried about the damage that foot traffic during open houses could cause,” notes Thomas, a display home buyer in 2023. “However, the builder offered all sorts of documents detailing maintenance, along with a full warranty just like the new builds offered.”
This is important to remember because display homes receive and are much better maintained during their showcase period, which is more than what a new build would get. Builders have strong reasons to keep these windows of opportunity in pristine condition while clients are looking to buy.
Envisioning Space and Layout
Comprehending a sketch of a house can be tricky. Display homes allow buyers to walk through a fully furnished house and feel the actual flow and functionality of the layout. It lets buyers check the room sizes, ceiling heights and amount of natural light available.
“We had been looking at house plans for a couple of months and thought we knew what we wanted,” describes Jennifer, a mother of three who purchased a display home in Melbourne. “But the minute we walked through the display, we were so shocked to realize that the layout we’d been considering would have been all wrong for our family. The furniture arrangement in the house, the way the kitchen flowed to the dining area, and how light filled the spaces throughout the day was unlike anything we’d imagined.”
This step gives a clearer understanding of how the design integrates with individual preferences and lifestyle factors. Whether assessing the openness of the living space or the location of the bedrooms, the first hand experience gives clarity that blueprints are not able to offer.
Professionally Designed Interiors
Display homes are crafted by experts in interior design who ensure that optimal placement and flow of furniture is maintained. These homes show how to maximize space and beautify and create functional living areas.
If interior design isn’t really your thing, don’t worry. You don’t have to spend hours trying to figure out how to furnish a room because you have templates from professionals that you can themselves adapt.
“I have always found it very difficult to make design choices,” said Robert who recently bought a display home in a new subdivision. “It gave me so much confidence seeing how professionals had arranged everything. Although I did change some elements to suit my taste, it helped that I had a starting point.”
Undoubtedly, some buyers lean towards blank canvases intending to unleash their imagination fully. However, if your preferences are vastly different from the style exhibited in the display home, you might incur some expenses to alter or redesign some of the spaces.
Modern Living Spaces
Modern display homes focus on aesthetics without neglecting functionality. Their open layouts, use of energy-efficient materials, and striking transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces make them perfect for contemporary lifestyles.
“In our previous home, which we bought in the 90s, the segmented layout drove me crazy when trying to entertain guests,” says Emma, who purchased a display home with her partner last year. “In our display home, the kitchen opens to the dining room and it has a glass patio door to the patio on the other side. I can now engage with family while prepping food during family get-togethers. The change is enormous,” she added.
Automated lighting, security, and climate control are just a few of the technologies that allow for greater convenience. These innovations help manage spaces with no effort at all. In addition, practical storage solutions along with multifunctional rooms help fulfill the need for a tidy and organized home that many buyers are looking for.
Quicker Move-In Timelines
Unlike the months of waiting to for a custom build, display homes come with the perk of expedited settlements and moves for buyres with time constraints.
“After selling our previous house, we ended up facing potential temporary housing costs due to not anticipating how quickly it would sell,” Rachel shares. “Finding a display home that we could move into within 30 days saved us thousands in rental costs and the expense of moving twice.”
Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Living
Sustainability has become a priority for many homeowners, and these homes often showcase the latest advancements in energy efficiency. Many feature solar panels, double-glazed windows, and high-performance insulation to reduce energy consumption and enhance comfort.
Water-efficient fixtures, sustainable building materials, and smart climate control systems contribute to a more environmentally friendly home. By incorporating these features, buyers can enjoy long-term cost savings while reducing their carbon footprint. Visiting these homes allows prospective homeowners to assess these sustainable options in a real-world setting.
Transparent Pricing and Seamless Processes
Building or purchasing a home is a significant decision, which is why transparency is essential. With an open pricing policy, buyers can be assured that there are no hidden costs involved. A structured process and clear timeline make every step, from design to move-in, seamless and stress-free.
Paired with independent quality inspections, this approach guarantees that new homes meet the highest standards, giving buyers confidence in their investment. This ensures lasting durability, superior craftsmanship, and long-term value for homeowners.
A well-designed home is more than just a structure—it is a space that reflects individual preferences, lifestyle, and aspirations. Visiting display homes provides insight into the quality of construction, material selection, and innovative features available in modern housing. Whether seeking contemporary efficiency or luxurious comfort, these homes provide a tangible representation of what is possible. Visiting these homes helps buyers make informed, confident decisions about their dream home.
Some Other Benefits of Buying a Display Home
Buying a display home offers numerous benefits that make it an attractive choice for buyers:
- Outstanding Value: Buyers can enjoy a professionally designed home without the added expense of renovations or upgrades.
- High-End Features: These properties often come with top-tier finishes and extras beyond standard inclusions.
- Strong Investment Potential: Situated in sought-after communities, they offer excellent resale value.
Exploring these homes for sale gives buyers access to exclusive special offers tailored to their needs.
