Imagine expecting a rerun of your showflat experience as you excitedly open the door to your new launch apartment, only to be met with empty walls, no furnishings, and a heavy feeling of letdown.
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The living room has never seemed so cramped and stuffy to you. It was intended to be much taller at the ceiling. The restroom is bleak, dark, and deserted. Furthermore, none of your bedrooms resemble the elegantly decorated spaces you distinctly recall seeing in the showflat. You purchased the device for that reason.
You receive exactly what you see. Is it, though?
It’s simple to get carried away by a showflat’s lovely potential and picture yourself living there. Ultimately, the main objective of a showflat is to persuade potential purchasers to make a down payment.
A showflat can entice all of your senses, from the cool feel of marble countertops to the luxurious softness of carpets that make your feet feel like they’re sinking into, to the exquisite art hanging on the walls that is accentuated by well-placed lighting and incandescent light rays that bounce off glinting crystalware and cutlery on long dining tables with gorgeous centrepieces. Touch, sight, and even that unidentifiable smell that appears to fill every space are all there.
However, the reality is that not all of that will be included in the unit you end up buying. Though remodeling will undoubtedly allow you to duplicate anything.
How can you avoid being fooled by the showflat’s ostentatious furnishings? How can you tell what you’ll really get in your new launch condo against what’s just Interior Design (ID) treatment?
Here are six guidelines for identifying common design ploys in recently launched condo showflats:
1. Examine the floor layout.
The floor layout is essential for all of your wise decision-making. Instead than letting the lovely accoutrements of a showflat trick you, you may use it to confirm the floor space, wall placements, ceiling heights, structural columns, unusual angles, or difficult doors.
Examine the floorplan, determine whether the arrangement suits your needs, and closely contrast it with the layout of the showflat. Ask your agent all the burning questions you have regarding the useable space in your real unit, the direction the unit faces (you might want to avoid the west sun), and how to select the best stack in a new launch project for the greatest orientation, ventilation, and view. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
2. Examine the showflat from all sides and keep an eye out for any floor tapes.
Developers may take down certain walls for aesthetic reasons, because they have to make a smaller showflat more livable, or to provide the impression of more space. This became such a contentious issue that the government ordered in 2015 that the location, breadth, and thickness of any interior non-structural walls in a showflat that had not yet been physically installed be chalked out on the floor.
Even yet, it is still challenging to see a wall where none exists, and prospective purchasers are nevertheless duped by the “illusion of space.” To overcome this deception, think that region is closed off by looking at the place from an angle that obscures the open entryway. Does it look as big as it did before? Is it as attractive as it was? Does it fit in with the intended interior design?
You can see what you are genuinely getting more clearly in this way. If you are really in love with the layout of the showflat, you may also choose to have the non-structural wall of your actual unit removed. If you choose to use the showflat’s layout, this would necessitate hacking effort. Get a free estimate from Ohmyhome Renovations to get an idea of how much it would end up costing.
3. Pay attention to the marks on the wall.
Look out for marks on the walls in addition to the tape on the flooring. In addition to having powerful air conditioning and creative lighting, showflats frequently have ceilings that are far higher than those of your actual apartment, which contributes to their overall feeling of brightness and space.
Keep an eye out for any deviations that should be clearly noted with tape on the wall displaying the real height of the ceiling.
4. Pay attention to the ID treatment
Everything in a showflat is designed to conceal the unit’s imperfections and highlight its attractiveness. Although it could be a pleasant sight, pay close attention to labels that indicate “ID treatment,” “interior design purposes,” or “showflat treatment” so you can be sure of what will and won’t be in your unit.
5. Be familiar with your subject
Touching up anything in the showflat is a nice idea. We realize it doesn’t make sense considering that the epidemic is only now ending. But if you have a bottle of sanitizer with you, we strongly advise you to feel every texture you come across.
Never be scared to pose all of the challenging queries: What material is this composed of? Which brand are the appliances, and do they come with warranties? Is it quartz, granite, or marble? Every material has a unique porosity and requires distinct upkeep. Are the drawers easy to open and close? Do they shut loudly and violently or do they close gently?
Examine the finishes closely, particularly if the showflat has been there for a while. With all of the wear and tear, how are they holding up? Examining all the fixtures and fittings you are aware will be included can assist you know what to anticipate when you move into your new house.
6. Don’t let the arrangement and furnishings tricks you.
Interior designers are adept at maximizing the perceived space in a room and hiding difficult areas with furniture. subtle lighting placement, tasteful built-in furnishings, and the deft use of neutral colors to cover unsightly pipes, ducting, and oddly projecting rafters. In order to increase walking space and emphasize the unit’s beauty and spaciousness, you may also add L-shaped bench seating to your dining area to flush it against the wall. Glass panels can also be used in place of opaque barriers.
Speaking of which, a showflat’s tiny living room will have sparse furnishings and clever “no seating” signs above the sofa to prevent you from lounging there and perhaps realizing how little the couch actually is. It’s a good idea to have a measuring tape with you so you can take measures as needed and determine how big or tiny you can equip your new house.
And keep an eye out for mirrors, the most popular yet underestimated trick used by interior designers!
Mirrors optically replicate space, giving the impression that a small area is much larger than it actually is. Positively, if you haven’t already, you should definitely copy this excellent interior design advice for your new house. Make a note of how the pros arrange the mirrors so you may suggest to your own interior designer that they should do the same.
