Imagine this: you excitedly open the door to your new apartment, expecting to feel like you’re in the showflat again, but you’re greeted by bare walls, furniture-less rooms, and an overwhelming sense of disappointment.
You don’t remember the living room looking this small and stuffy. The ceiling should be much higher. The bathroom looks so plain, dim, and empty. All the bedrooms seem completely unrelated to the elegantly furnished rooms in the showflat. None of this matches the vision you had when you decided to buy this unit.
What you see is what you get. Is that really the case?
It’s easy for buyers to be swept away by the beautiful possibilities a showflat presents, imagining a life lived within its walls. After all, the primary purpose of a showflat is to entice buyers to put down a deposit.
From cool marble countertops and carpets so plush your feet sink into them, to exquisite art pieces on the walls highlighted by cleverly placed lighting and incandescent glows, and the long dining table reflecting gleaming crystalware, cutlery, and a magnificent centerpiece—a showflat can tantalize all of a buyer’s senses. From touch to sight, and even smell, as an indescribable fragrance seems to waft through all the rooms.
But the truth is, not all of these will be provided in the actual unit the buyer purchases, although one can certainly replicate all these finishes through renovation.
How can you avoid being deceived by the ostentatious items in a showflat? How do you distinguish between mere Interior Design (ID) and the actual appearance of your new home?
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Here are 6 tips to help buyers identify common design traps in new condo showflats:
1. Study the Floor Plan
The floor plan is key to making all prudent decisions. Buyers can refer to it to verify the floor area, wall positions, ceiling height, structural columns, strange corners, or awkward doorways, rather than being swayed by the beautiful trap of the showflat.
Study the floor plan to determine if the shown layout is suitable for your situation and compare it carefully with the showflat’s layout. Don’t hesitate to ask your agent any pressing questions, such as the available space in the actual unit, the direction the unit faces (if you want to avoid the afternoon sun), and choose the best stack in a new launch project to get the best views, ventilation, and orientation.
2. Observe the Showflat from All Angles and Note the Floor Tapes
For aesthetic purposes, developers may remove certain walls to facilitate movement within a smaller showflat or to create an illusion of space. This became such a contentious issue that the government enacted a ban in 2015, requiring that any internal non-structural walls not actually built in the showflat must have their location, width, and thickness clearly marked on the floor.
However, it’s still difficult to visualize a wall that isn’t physically there, and the “illusion of space” can still deceive interested buyers. To break this illusion, try viewing the space from an angle where you can’t see the open doorway, allowing you to imagine that area being enclosed. Then ask yourself, does the space still look as large? Is it still as appealing? Does it complement your ideal interior design?
This way, buyers can get a clearer idea of what they will actually receive. If you truly like the way the showflat is laid out, you can also opt to remove the non-structural walls in the actual unit.
3. Look for Markings on the Walls
In addition to the tape on the floor, pay attention to markings on the walls. Showflats often feel brighter and more airy not only because of clever lighting and strong air conditioning but also because they sometimes have much higher ceilings than the units being sold.
All discrepancies should be clearly marked on the wall with tape to indicate the actual ceiling height, so be mindful of these differences.
Additionally, there are usually information cards on the walls that explain the building materials and other details that buyers might be concerned about.
4. Pay Attention to Interior Design (ID) Treatments
Everything in a showflat is designed to highlight the unit’s beauty and hide its flaws. This may be a welcome sight, but look for labels marked “ID treatment,” “interior design purposes,” or “showflat treatment” so you understand what will and will not be included in the unit you purchase.
Here is a summary of what buyers can expect to receive in the actual unit:
| Floor | The living room, dining room, hallway, and entrance may have tiles, while bedrooms are usually tiled or have wood flooring. Bathrooms and kitchens are also typically tiled. The tiles are often marble or a similar replica. |
| Walls | The walls will be white, blank, and undecorated, which is the biggest difference compared to the luxurious wallpaper and beautiful feature walls in the showflat. You’ll need a good interior designer to transform the blank unit. |
| Bathrooms | Includes the main vanity mirror, cabinet, sink, faucet, showerhead, shower stall, and glass door. May or may not include flooring. |
| Kitchen | Mostly what you see is what you get. Usually includes cabinets, stove, oven, countertops, and even a refrigerator, freezer, washer, and dryer. But to be safe, check with your property agent about what is provided, as different unit types may offer different packages. |
| Bedrooms | Built-in wardrobes and air conditioning. Always check the inside of the wardrobe to understand its internal composition, shelves, and drawers, and whether it suits your lifestyle needs. |
| Furniture | Not included |
5. Understand the Materials
Touching everything in the showflat is a good idea, which may not sound wise given we’ve just emerged from a pandemic. Therefore, we recommend bringing a bottle of sanitizer so you can feel the texture of all the materials you’re interested in.
Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. For example, what is this made of? What brand are the appliances, and do they come with a warranty? Is that marble, granite, or quartz? After all, each material has different porosity and maintenance needs. You can also ask, do the drawers pull out smoothly? Are they soft-closing or do they slam shut?
Carefully inspect the finishes, especially if the showflat has been around for a while. How well do they hold up to wear and tear? A close examination of all the included fittings and fixtures will help buyers know what to expect when they step into their new home for the first time.
6. Don’t Be Deceived by Furniture and Layout Design
Interior designers are adept at using furniture to conceal awkward corners and maximize a room’s visual space. They skillfully use neutral tones, well-placed lighting, and stylish built-in furniture to hide unsightly plumbing, pipes, or odd protruding beams. They might also add L-shaped bench seating to align the dining area with the wall for more walking space, and choose glass panels instead of opaque partitions to enhance the unit’s aesthetics and create more space.
On that note, a small living room in a showflat will be furnished with compact furniture, often with a subtle “Do Not Sit” sign on the sofa, so visitors can’t rest on it and it’s hard to realize how small the sofa actually is. It’s wise to bring a measuring tape to take measurements when necessary, so buyers know what size furniture they can choose when furnishing their new home.
And be sure to look out for the most common yet underestimated trick used by interior designers—mirrors!
Mirrors visually duplicate space, making small rooms appear much larger than they actually are. On the bright side, this is a great interior design trick that buyers can pocket and replicate in their new homes (if it hasn’t already been implemented there). Pay close attention to how professionals handle mirror placement so you can suggest your own interior designer follow suit.
Need a professional to view a condo showflat with you?
Don’t be fooled by any design tricks in the showflat. Let a professional real estate agent from Anjia SG accompany you and assist you in purchasing your new apartment.
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