What to check at a showflat (and what showflats don't tell you)

A showflat is a sales tool - use it like a buyer

A showflat is designed and built to impress. That does not make it dishonest, but it does mean it presents a unit in the most flattering possible way. Walking in with a checklist - and knowing what a showflat leaves out - turns a polished experience into useful research.

What a showflat may not match

Before the checklist, know the gaps between the showflat and the unit you would actually receive:

• Furniture is often sized down. Showflat furniture can be smaller than standard to make rooms feel larger. Recall the dimensions of your own furniture.
• Loose furniture and decor are not included. Only fixed fittings - and only those specified - come with the unit.
• Some walls may be absent or marked. Showflats sometimes leave out non-structural walls, or mark them, to improve flow. Check the actual floor plan for what your unit's walls really are.
• The view and light are not the showflat's. A showflat is a constructed room, not your stack on your floor. Orientation, the real view and natural light depend on the specific unit.
• Finishes shown may be an upgrade. Confirm which finishes and appliances are standard for your unit and which are showflat upgrades.

At the showflat - the checklist

Take the floor plan and a measuring tape, and check:

• Dimensions against your life. Measure key rooms; check your bed, sofa, dining table and wardrobe would fit with space to move.
• The shape of each room. Look for long corridors, angled walls and corners that are paid for but hard to furnish.
• Doors and clearances. See whether doors clash with each other or with cabinetry, and whether walkways are comfortable.
• Windows and ventilation. Note which rooms have windows, whether the unit gets cross-ventilation, and which spaces - a "study" or "flexi" area - have none.
• Ceiling height and how the space feels. Standard, generous or low changes how a room lives.
• Fixed elements. Kitchen, bathrooms, household shelter and the air-conditioner ledge are fixed; everything else costs money to change.
• Storage. Realistically assess whether there is enough.

Questions worth asking

• Which finishes, fittings and appliances are standard for my specific unit?
• What exactly is included on handover, and what is showflat staging?
• Which internal walls in my unit differ from this showflat?
• What is the specified ceiling height for my stack?
• What does the actual unit face, and on which floors are the units I am considering?

Cross-check against the plans

A showflat answers "how does the space feel?" The site plan answers "where does my unit sit, and what does it face?" The floor plan answers "what are the real dimensions and walls?" Use all three together. A unit that feels great in the showflat can still face a neighbouring block at close range or sit above the car-park ramp - the site plan, not the showflat, tells you that.

The takeaway

Enjoy the showflat, but treat it as one data source among several. Measure, ask precise questions, and confirm everything against the floor plan and site plan for your actual unit and stack. The buyers who are disappointed at handover are usually the ones who bought the showflat experience rather than the unit. A licensed salesperson can walk you through the plans and tell you, for your specific stack, what differs from the showflat.