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It will be too late to say you're sorry after the house is built.

Buying a house from a builder's plan without seeing the actual house is risky. Most people cannot envision a room just from dimensions on a page. Look for a room in your current house, or tape out the room dimensions, to see if you have a better idea of what size the rooms will be.

Off the Plan may be Off the Mark

There are lots of people who cannot envision a dress from a pattern envelop, a food dish from a recipe or how to construct IKEA furniture from the diagrams. You know who you are. If this is you then do additional work on realizing rooms before signing a purchase from a plan.

Photo Credit: Floor plan of my apartment @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyfaller/1241601577/

Valerie Zinger

valeriezinger@gmail.com

613-859-7759

Posted by Valerie Zinger on 09/05/2010 08:52 AM

Comments (35)

Buying From a Builder in the Home Buying Channel

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35 Comments on It will be too late to say you're sorry after the house is built.

SEP

2010

GREAT ADVICE!! I think that's why so many shy away from new construction unless there is a model home! I'm struggling with marketing a home like that now - Any suggestions for the realor?? I will pass on your buyer ideas for sure!

GREAT ADVICE - I echo Marcia above - I have a buyer now who's thinking about working with a builder and I'm going to send her home with a tape measure!

Marcia - thanks for you comment. Sometimes Builders (or their real estate agents) hire interior designers to do a floor plan with furniture marked on the plan - so the Buyers can see what size bed will fit, if there is room for a desk, is there room for kitchen table, etc. I know the eating area is one fo the biggest surprises - looks so big on the plan but provides no room for a table AND chairs. Take a look at my next tip on the Design Centre. Hope you enjoy and good luck with the sale.

Thanks Peggy - the measuring tape and the floor plan are the best ways to start.

Additionally you need to keep an eye on quality issues !!!

Michael - You are so right. What you are promised and what you get can sometimes be different.

Valerie...your post rings true.....I have built homes and sold homes using plans and drawings. When I first got started, I would stare at them. THINK: Deer in the headlights. It doesn't matter how many times you go over the plans either. You got to see something...anything, so that discussion can ensue.....I remember when the dimensions 20X20 (or there abouts) used to come up when I was describing a room size, I would tell people to imagine a double garage. It helped move us along......somewhat. Thank you for this discussion post

Richie - so true. Some people see a master bedroom dimension at 14X16 and think wow. When they go home and see what they currently have (16X20) the story changes as does the desire to purchase. I like the 20X20 dimension because most people have or have seen a double garage. Thanks for your comment.

Valerie,

Great advice on advising a home buyer to go home and measure one of their rooms for perspective if there isn't a model home to see.

I remember when I built one of my homes and thought the poured foundation looked incredibly small. I was glad that I had seen the model before starting the process or I would've been worried all those months before I was able to see it sheet-rocked.

I sold a home earlier this year that had not been built yet. My buyers spent a lot of time in the model home (at least they had that) trying to imagine how their house would look. Ultimately, it was just too much "not knowing" for them and they canceled the contract.

We're still looking but it will be a house that's already built . . .

Valerie, rooms always seem to look larger in the plans. Thanks for the reminder.

Valerie - you are so right about being able to see it in advance. It does reduce the worry or help you to change your mind or decision.

Margaret - your story happens all the time. The same is true when people think it is easier to sell an empty house. They should do a rethink. We all have a difficult time (unless you are a trained designer) imaging the use of space.

Michael - you are so welcome.

With all the computer-aided visual tools out there, I don't think I'd be buying something that they builder can't show me in 3-D. With the computer model being part of my contract too. Of course, I'd be keeping an electronic copy (video capture my screen walk-thru) to enforce the contract, if necessary.

Curt - Wow. Not every builder is so computer savvy. However, if they knew the importance of the 3-D model they might learn how to use the software to market their homes. The small builders are often the most technology challenged and the large builders seem to pinch every penny. Thank you for your comments.

Most plans used in Oklahoma City are from two major nsuppliers. Those large builders who do their own plans build them over and over to control ocst. Ask your builder to show you one already completed so you can do a walk through. Also forgive yourself ahead of time becasue you will say later I wish I would have done this. Perfection is not an option.

Joe - We, Ottawa, have a few subdivisions built entirely by single builders. There are always model homes of same or similar models. Still, people wonder about "their" home. You are right about forgiving yourself in advance. In the world of "could have, should have and would have" there is room to forgive yourself and not to always second guess. Thanks for your comment.

No matter what we live in a world of imperfection and people will need to helped to remember that.

Valerie - I can't agree more. I always find a home that we can tour that was built from the same floor plan, even if its in a different community. We have even paid a service fee to a homeowner to let us walk their home...

Our custom built home turned out perfect. We spent a lot of time with a tape measure and trying to envision the views from different angles in the room. There were changes as we went because of that. One weekend we brought folding chairs to sit where we planned for the couch. Monday we had the builder make a change, we didn't want to sit there and stare into the bathroom when the door was open.

My husband and I are building a custom home and are both curious if it will look like we are imagining. It will be fun to find out how close we are!

Valerie, not only can't you get an idea of dimensions, you also can't tell what type of quality you will get. It's best to see something that the builder has already built. That's why so many builders have spec houses. I would hesitate to build something without seeing what the end result is going to be.

Valerie, years ago when I was designing homes for clients----we would always make cut-outs of all of their significant furnishings to see how they would fill out the space they were to be in. Of course buying new furniture is always an option but queen size beds are all the same so it will give you a good sense of scale using these cut-outs. There are things more important than whether you can get all your stuff into a house----it is nice to be able to walk around this stuff :)

Walter - So true.

Brent and Deb- That is a nice idea - to offer someone money to tour their home. It does make it more business - like and less like just a curiosity tour.

Rob - what a good idea with the chairs. It was probably when the studs were up so that you could envision the room and the doorway to the washroom. Great idea. Thanks.

Wendy - Good luck. This is going to be so much fun. Enjoy (and I am a tiny bit jealous).

Tammie - The spec sheets are SO important. I was saving that for another blog but you beat me to it. Good for you. Thanks for the comment.

Charles - Good to hear from you. Like the kitchen or dining room table with chairs that cannot be pulled out because of lack of room. Good idea on the cut-outs. Thank you.

Really good advice. I know what you mean. Some clients get thrown off because of color and decor just by showing them a house. So, having them measure their own room and layout is an extraordinary idea. These are the type of clients that should be shown other homes with similar dimensions and no furniture. These days furniture stores have free software that help to plan a room. That could also help the homeowner/investor to help place couches, bedroom sets, dining room, etc the way they want at least two dimensionally. Some of those programs create a 3 dimensional feel to them too!

Karen - I know IKEA helps you plan a kitchen and Leon's http://www.leons.ca/shared/roomplanner/roomplanner.aspx has the system that you are talking about. Shop around the store websites and you will find all kinds of these systems. Thank you for adding this to the list of ideas and tips/hints.

Great advice. Buyers having their homes built really need to be aware of how a certain size will really feel. Measuring everything is key to see how it will all fit.

Rodney - I also wonder about people who want a certain size house - for example 2300 SF but have not taken into account the usefulness of the space. There is a lot to think about when buying a house from a plan. Thank you for your comment.

Valerie, that is why most people want to build only a home that they have seen and I can't blame them for that. New home sales are a passion of mine, but I stay with the buyer every step of the way. And I recommend an independent inspection, slab, pre-drywall and punch list. Keeps everybody on their toes.

Sharon - Excellent point. An independent inspection is highly recommended (as are the others). One independent inspector told me that he found over 50 issues with a new build and some were structural. The Buyer walked away from the deal. Thank you for your comment.

Great Blog, Valerie.

Special thanks to Curt for being the first to mention Computer Generated Three Dimensional Images.

Numerous Programs can show not only the house, they can put your furniture into the rooms. Some programs will change paint colors on the walls, change the wood tone of the kitchen cabinets, and change the colors of counter-tops.

SEP

2010

Thanks Fred. Have you any recommended software? It might be worth it to have handy for Buyers.

SEP

2010

LOL I've been known to tape off rooms to determine size. Congratulations on your featured post. We have just bought from plans for the third time. Funny how the rooms always look so much bigger on paper.

Jenny - this is my first featured post. Wow. I really think that taping out a room helps to 'see' it. Rooms in furniture stores don't have doorways and windows so they are not the best bet but it is a start as well. Thank you for you comment.

SEP

2010

New Home sales always make me nervous for buyers, because I know how picky they've been if we've already been through resales, now they are committing to a site-unseen building where there are oodles of decore decisions to make as well. Not only can the home end up not working the way the envisioned it from a space point of view, but often, if they are adventurous in particular, they can end up with a disasterous decorating scheme as individual elements they liked so much in an office end up not working nearly as well together!

Back to the same old issue for a lot of buyers... no house is perfect, so stop looking for perfection!

Stephen- You are right about the site - the floor plan and the Builder's Design Centre choices. Whew. Yet, some people come up with spectacular results so we must be encouraging and yet cautious. Fun times.

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Valerie Zinger

Ottawa, ON

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House Proud Ottawa-Ontario-Canada

Address: Ottawa, ON, K1Y 1X1

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