The sample flat trap

Home buyers apportion every paisa of their personal savings and income for making a single, lifetime investment and hence have the need to save as much as they can. It is this penny-pinching that developers and real estate agents exploit by offering buttery schemes, freebies and other features to lure customers. At face value, a majority of these options seem attractive. However, when the gloss wears off, these schemes are seen to be riddled with nasty traps.

With the level of uncertainty reaching new heights in the market today, it has become important to evaluate the next real estate investment thoroughly to be on the safe side. Even a single mistake or a falling into a trap can convert a perfectly positioned real estate investment into a nightmare.

Biggest ruse

Of all the ruses that realtors and developers use, ‘sample flats’ are the biggest and the diciest trap.

When buyers visit project sites, the representatives present at the site show them a sample flat.

The moment the buyer enters this sample flat, something magical happens. They are made so beautiful and spellbinding that the buyers are just delighted to have found the perfect home for the rest of their lives.

But wait! This is the trap set by the developers, which seems to be working as intended by them.

But why are you trapped?

Basic human tendencies, emotions and dreams are generally responsible for this.

Every homeowner wants to own the best flat with the most spacious outlay and a premium feel. Keeping this in mind, the builders create a sample flat for activating the emotional cells of buyers’ minds and preventing their rational thoughts from prevailing.

They make things hard on the emotional front by throwing the bait of a sample flat, which buyers often bite into.

Looking Spacious

Considering that there are, on an average, 4-8 people in a family and a great deal of personal belongings, home buyers prefer bigger flats that can accommodate everything easily without making it appear cluttered.

This is the basic need that developers make use of to trick buyers by making the flat look spacious.

Toilet, bathroom and bedroom doors are missing and instead of walls, there are glass partitions that give the illusion of more living space.

The walls may be made of gypsum board instead of real cement for providing more space within the flat.

The ceiling is built much higher compared to regular flats for increasing the volume and creating a spacious feel.

Interior designers, who are trained in creating visual illusions, help with the lighting of the sample flat.

The furniture and furnishings used are small and are placed appropriately to add more space to the flat.

Premium Feel

Every homeowner wishes to own a house that is better than the rest. It is this aspiration of living in premium homes that the builders exploit to add a premium feel to the sample flats and make it look much more expensive than it actually is.

Branded furniture and furnishings of world-class quality are used for pleasing the buyers instantly.

Flooring material is of the best quality, giving the flat a classy look.

The walls have swanky paintings and the balcony gives a picturesque view of the city, which might not be the same with the actual flat.

When the builders give buyers the first tour of the sample flat, they need to stop themselves from becoming biased with the spacious and premium feel of the flat. Spare a moment and give it a thought.

This is when the buyers need to consider every little aspect and ask as many questions as possible about the flat.

It should be considered a “now or never” chance. After this, the homebuyers will either shift to a new builder or simply take the bait thrown by the builder and be troubled for the rest of their lives.

At the end of the day, the builders are just doing their business. There is nothing illegal in making sample flats appear more spacious and swank than normal homes or the end product. Therefore, rather than blaming the builders for using such tactics and fooling buyers into making a decision, it is better to be prepared and take everything into consideration when making the rounds of sample flats.

(The author is CEO, BankBazaar.com.)