If you’ve been in the market looking for a builder for your new home, no doubt you’ve come across a variety of promotions, sales, discounts, and even freebies courtesy of the builders themselves.
It can be pretty exciting to see, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want a free holiday along with a new home? But the truth is, when it comes to builder promotions, the adage applies: if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Thankfully, there are a few ways to weed out the not-so-great promotions from the good ones and help to make your building experience a memorable one.
The Different Kinds of Builder Promotions and Offers
There are plenty of different kinds of promotions or offers that home builders will throw at you when you begin researching who to go with. Although each builder’s proposition will vary, the different kinds of promotions can be grouped into these four categories:
- Freebies: builders will offer cars, fancy TVs, or even holidays as a “gift”
- Reduced site costs: the builder will offer a discount on expenses such as surveys, soil tests, or landscaping.
- Upgrades: builders will offer upgrades like luxury kitchen appliances, additional rooms, a better bathroom fitting
- Cash-rebates: A very common promotion, cashback offers or discounts can be applied to additional fees such as stamp duty, or the price of your home.
Not all promotions are bad, but some are better than others. For example, we don’t offer ‘money off’ promotions because, as a business, we don’t believe in them. We will always work with a client to deliver a home in their budget, but this isn’t done by money off promotions, as this is almost always just hidden savings. We stand by having amazing inclusions, building a dream home you love and have true and honest pricing. We don’t have any hidden costs, and we don’t play the promotion game.
How Do I Know If a Promotion Is Worth It?
While it can be super tempting to jump at the chance to save a few dollars on a purchase, there’s always going to be fine print.
Some builders might be advertising incredibly low base prices, which looks great on paper but when you study the fine print you discover this doesn’t include basic features or leaves you paying for expensive essentials.
A popular promotion is the offer of free inclusions, but these “free inclusions” come with raised overheads. Sadly, this means you’ll find yourself paying less at the beginning, but out of pocket down the track.
That being said, some promotions can save you thousands on build costs, and help you get the home of your dreams. Just remember that whenever you see a too-good-to-be-true promotion, remind yourself that it probably is. If something seems way too cheap, you’re probably going to get what you paid for.
4 Simple Questions to Ask Yourself About A Builder’s Promotion
Does the Offer Apply to Me?
The easiest way to find out if a promotion is right for you is to see if you qualify for it. Often, these promotions and offers like certain locations or price-points will have strict requirements listed in the fine print. Checking to see if the promotion applies to you is a quick way to figure out if that builder is right for you.
Does the Builder Have Good Reviews?
Most people comb through Amazon reviews and UberEats ratings, but why do they skim over builders and their reputations? Finding out if your home builder has a good reputation will save you headaches in the long run. Check online, visit their display homes, and even contact their suppliers and contractors to see if the builder is who they say they are.
Are You Paying for the “Freebies” Elsewhere?
If you’re being offered a luxury kitchen upgrade as a gift, how much is that actually worth? Does it include the installation and delivery? Compare prices by asking for a fixed price estimate. By getting a “no-frills” price of the appliances, you’ll be able to discern pretty quickly whether or not that “free luxury sink” is just being added to the costs of your new cabinets.
Do They Want the Job, or Do They Want a Cash-Grab?
A good builder will go above and beyond to get everything planned out before the nail is hammered in. Check to see if this builder is more concerned with getting you in the door and getting the job finished rather than doing it well. The promotion should be a bonus for you and the house should be the focus, so make sure the builder is not looking for a quick cash-grab.
When to Say “Yes” to a Builder Promotion
Choosing a builder for your home is no easy task, and you need to always remember to do your research.
Here at Icon Homes, a value we stand by is “our standard is their upgrade”. We don’t use a low base price and then expect our clients to have to upgrade everything like a lot of project builders. We are all about giving you a tender with a price for a home you will love.
Our two most popular inclusion packages, Synergy and Onyx, are prime examples of this. We include all the good stuff, with upfront costs, and no dodgy promotions. After all, Icon Homes is all about building for tomorrow and making your house the home of your dreams.
Interested in finding out more about our up front pricing and value for money inclusions? Contact us today and speak with one of our talented team members to discuss how we could build your dream home within budget.
