Mar 6, 2019
One of the hardest things, as a salesperson, is to watch a customer completely blow their budget on their first appointment. Unfortunately, it is very easy to do. If this happens to you, fear not, it’s not uncommon and as long as you are clear about your intentions, your sales person should be able to help you figure out how to work around budget restraints and get you into a beautiful home!
Generally the first pricing list is truly a “wish list” because it is only natural to want everything that you see in a model home. They are typically beautiful, so why wouldn’t anyone want it all?
To prep yourself for the best outcome of a first meeting, do some homework BEFORE you return to the sales model.
Start by writing down your must haves.. be careful not to let your wants bleed into this list. Must haves should be items that will impact how your family will get along and daily household function. These should also be things that you cannot change in the future, so structure is important to consider.
After you have identified your needs, write a separate “wants” list. Your wants are important too, but if your goal is to meet a budget, sometimes it will take weighing items in the wants category. Rank those items from most important to least important and know which you may be willing to give up if you have to. It’s also important to consult with your salesperson to understand what types of finishes can be done later versus what’s important to do with your build. Your salesperson can help guide you so that you can give yourself the best situation possible when planning for your finished product.
For instance, you may love the beamed ceiling below, but it just doesn’t fit in the budget right now. Your sales person may suggest an 8” tier in the ceiling so that you can still install the beamed ceiling at a later time!
Stick to your lists and remember that anything that wasn’t important before the meeting is just “fluff”. Remember your goals before you came to the model in the first place and keep yourself on track with the lists you put together in advance. Don’t get distracted by extras!
Also keep in mind that the model home is your catalog. You don’t have to buy everything that you see to get a beautiful home. Our “catalog” shows upgrades and options for buyers to get ideas and to understand some of what they can do in their own home, not what they must do. When was the last time you looked through a catalog and bought 90% of what you saw? Probably never.
Approach your home shopping experience the same way and lean on your sales person to help you understand what needs to be done now and what can wait until later – especially if you’re shopping on a budget.
Don’t forget to have fun!