Showflats are all the rage these days with developers trying to outdo one another to nab buyers.
ADELINE WONG reports.
Buying a home is not just about calculating the price per square feet. Developers have accepted that it’s also about selling a dream or a life-style. In almost every new project launch, showflats are luxuriously done up in choice materials and furnishings. In the words of Isabelle Miaja, Director of Miaja Design Group (formerly IMA Interiors), “What buyers lose in square foot, they gain in luxury of the materials that they are getting.”
The increasing exposure of buyers to world-class interiors has contributed to the importance of showflats as marketing tools. These days, more people are spending more on their new homes. It’s not uncommon for them to invest five-figure sums on interior design. “Buyers are definitely more discerning and fussy now,” says Charles Ng, Director of CKS Property Consultants. “During the boom time, they would just buy anything. In the past, developers did not construct showflats and there were people who even bought off-the-plan.”
Interiors by Miaja Design Group for Faber Crest Residences, Singapore
But fierce competition – especially when multiple projects are launched within the same vicinity and period – has changed that. Showflats also have a practical dimension. They camouflage the less than desirable traits of a project: awkward layouts, small rooms and dark corners. They also give buyers some ideas on handling such problems. “Some of the projects don’t have the appeal of an Ardmore Park and you need more effort to sell them. Showflats are thus necessary to sell their properties,” says Miaja.
Finicky Consumers
A key element in building an attractive showflat is knowing who the target buyers are. “Not one meeting between the developer and the design team goes on without the buyer coming into the picture,” Miaja says. Buyers’ requirements and expectations are analysed carefully. Buyers of Sunhaven condominiums, for example, are usually between 30 and 40 years old. They would generally prefer a more energetic ambience than buyers of Faber Crest, who are between 40 and 50 years old, Miaja adds.
The problem of anticipating consumer’s taste is compounded by their individual preferences and design trends. The Singapore market is very unpredictable because it is very dynamic, notes Miaja. “This keeps the developer and designers on their toes all the time but it’s a positive challenge.”
Show-Business is Big Business
Interiors by Miaja Design Group for Holland Green Residences, Singapore
Designers may be tight-lipped about it, but creating showflats can be lucrative. Firms like Miaja Design Group (formerly IMA Interiors), and Metiér Design & Consultants concentrate on designing show-flats for developers. According to Hendra Sutedjo, an interior designer and partner at Metiér Design Consultants, the firm handles an annual average of six to seven showflats in a slow period. In a good year the number can go up to between 10 and 15.
Budgets for condominium showflats vary from one project to another but, on average, they range from $80,000 to $120,000, says Sutedjo. Even the simplest showflat can cost $40,000, says Miaja, whose costliest project was a $250,000 showflat for the Holland Green development. This amount does not include show-pieces for each project.
Occasionally, buyers may ask to have their units done exactly like the showflat, but such requests remain small. “A buyer of a Melrose Park condominium once wanted the exact showflat look that I created,” recalls Miaja, “but it’s not common. Most buyers still want their unit to reflect their own tastes and personality. There is a very strong sense of individuality among buyers in Singapore.”
Says Sutedjo, “Yes, we can re-create (the showflats) but most will want to have
their own input in the design. Some have pieces of furniture that have to blend with the whole design scheme so they cannot copy everything.”
Nevertheless, Ng admits getting enquiries from a lot of buyers about the designer of the showflat. “We refer them to the right person. Their questions reflect the importance of showflats.”
Interiors by Miaja Design Group for Melrose Park Residences, Singapore
Permanent Showpieces
It’s quite a different story, it seems, for purchasers of exclusive bungalows. The sky’s almost the limit when it comes to decorating such showpieces. Unlike condominiums show-flats, which are eventually demolished, show-pieces for big houses are permanent. Buyers of such sprawling developments form a select group who prefer to move into an already lavishly and tastefully decorated house. The price of the furnishings and design is often built into the total price of the development.
First impressions last and showflats, says Ng, are often one of the decisive factors in influencing buying decisions. The moment buyers step in, and feel good about it (the unit), the chances of buying it increases. He adds, “They may not buy a unit on the spot, but they may come back in the next few days. If they walk in and don’t like what they see, they’ll just give the place a cursory glance and walk away.”
