Visiting a show home

When you’re buying a new build home, viewing the show home is one of the most important parts of the process (unless you are buying off-plan, of course).

Here’s our guide to making the most of your visit – the points to consider and questions to ask.

About the property

This is your chance to examine a home for yourself, often in the company of a sales executive from the housebuilder. You can look at all the rooms, find out more about the specification and check out things like storage. You may not like the decoration they’ve chosen, but remember that you’re there to check the build and interior quality and how it would suit your requirements and your furniture.

• ​Do the fixtures and fittings look good quality?
• Do they match the specification you expected?
• Is what you are seeing included in the price you’re paying or an “extra”?
• How long is the guarantee on fixtures and fittings, if any? In a new home, more than two years is better than standard
• Will it be easy to get planning permission if you want to extend your home?
• Will more new homes be built on the development after you move in? If the answer is yes, bear in mind this could potentially drive down the value of your home because of oversupply. You can find out about potential building work in your area here.
• Is parking provided on the development and included in the price? If not, can you buy a parking space, and how much will it cost? Is there extra parking for visitors?
• Does your potential home have spare room you can rent out to cover your mortgage costs? You can rent out a room for £4,250 tax-free under the government’s Rent a Room scheme, or let your parking space when you’re not using it.

About the area

There’s more to buying a home than just the property itself – you’re also buying into an area where you may be living for many years. So it’s important to consider as many different aspects about that area as possible, not just for your circumstances now but also for the future, for example if you were to start a family.

• ​Are there good shops and amenities?
• Are there pleasant open spaces and parks?
• Is there somewhere for your children to play safely?
• Is your home near bars and restaurants? This could be great, but it could get noisy at weekends.
• Are the transport links good? If your prospective home is near a major road, tramline or railway station, is it noisy?
• Are there crime or accident blackspots close by?

What incentives are available?

Depending on your circumstances, you may need help to afford the property you want. This might come from government-backed schemes such as Help to Buy or from initiatives offered by individual companies, for example a shared equity scheme. They may even pay you stamp duty for you, or offer to part exchange your old home.

What other deals are available?

Check what’s included in the asking price. Find out exactly what you’re being charged for so you can negotiate well when it comes to putting in an offer.

You are free to put in an offer below the asking price or to negotiate “extras” that aren’t included as standard. Areas where you might be able to persuade the housebuilder to improve their offering are:

• Carpets and floor coverings
• Light fittings and curtains/blinds
• Fitted wardrobes
• Extra kitchen appliances
• Landscaping to the garden

The National House Building Council (NHBC) have also created some useful advice about what you should bear in mind when visiting a show house.