SHOULD I BUY A SHOW HOME?

DEVELOPERS will always sell the show home once they’ve finished using it for marketing purposes. The idea of buying a show home divides opinion, but for the right price (and with the right extras thrown in), it could be a smart move. Here are the pros and cons:

THE ADVANTAGES

You can fully inspect the finished home before buying it.

The development will be close to completion, so you won’t have to live on a building site for too long.

Show homes usually have upgraded fixtures and fittings that aren’t on the standard homes.

You could benefit from the best plot and a landscaped garden.

You might be able to get the furniture thrown in.

...AND THE DISADVANTAGES

YOU could be overpaying for premium fixtures and fittings, and you can’t personalise these.

A show home is likely to have experienced plenty of wear and tear by the time it’s sold, so will need a thorough snagging survey.

■ Items in show homes sometimes get taken away and used in other homes on the development – so what you see on your viewing may not be what you get when you move in.

■ You won’t be able to benefit from on-site aftercare.

■ Appliances will be used rather than new, and their warranties might have expired.

■ THE show home is often located next to the marketing suite car park, which developers will sometimes build a house on at the end of the project, so you could face disruption after moving in.

■ For more property advice visit which.co.uk/money