Model Home? Maybe
According to Brian Brunhofer, president of Deerfield, Ill.-based Meritus Homes, the decision of whether to build a decorated model should be made on a case-by-case basis. Of its two active communities, Meritus Homes chose not to build a decorated model at the Reserve of St. Charles, a single-family home community in St. Charles, but does have one at Greenbrook, an exclusive Meritus neighborhood within the master-planned Highland Woods community in Elgin.
“One point we consider is whether buyers can easily see our product at another Meritus community,” said Brunhofer. “We also evaluate if directly competing communities and builders offer decorated models. If you’re in a suburb or master-planned development where there are a lot of active builders, buyers might cross your community off their list if you’re the only builder without a decorated model.”
Finally, Brunhofer notes that buyer expectation for a model can depend on their price point and experience as a homeowner.
“High-end custom buyers still want to see your work, however we tend to set an appointment to show them a home we built for a past client so those prospects can see the customizations we do at a customer’s request. Plus, they have an opportunity to interact with our previous buyers, so they have a comfort level with our ‘builder’ relationship,” he says. “Alternatively, move-up buyers often like seeing elements they might aspire to after they move into a home, so there’s value in having a highly decorated model showcasing many optional features.”
WHAT DO THINK? Are model homes a necessity or a thing of the past? Weigh in below in the comments section.
