Deciding on a Budget for Your Show Home: Top Tips

When you have been tasked with designing and decorating a new show home, you know very well that it’s no easy feat. In fact, it can be challenging to decide which furniture to use and which layout to go for, not to mention the budget! The budget can be especially tricky because it has to look as if no expense was spared – but at the same time, it has to appear as if anyone can afford it. You have to strike a balance between the two, which can take a lot of skill and expertise. But it is doable if you can set priorities early on and know exactly what to highlight. So how can you decide on a budget for your show home? Here are some top tips. 

      •   Think of what you want

Before you can begin to sort out the design of the show home, you have to have an idea of what you want – more importantly, what your target audience wants. Whom are you looking to attract to your show home? Is it busy urban professionals looking for a studio or one-bedroom flat, or is it young families looking for their first 2- or 3-bedroom home? Think also of how capable the buyers are of actually buying what’s in the house – you don’t want to furnish it too luxuriously that your buyers can’t afford to live there! So when you list everything down – from the furniture to the drapes and rugs – be realistic, and always keep your target demographic in mind. 

    •    Have an estimate  

Even though you might not know how much it will cost to outfit your show home, it would be great if you could have at least a rough estimate – or an idea of how much you are willing to shell out. It can be challenging to decide on a budget, but come up with a price for your investment and stick to it. Know how much the company is willing to spend – at this point, it will be well worth your while to work with an expert in showhome interior design like Blocc.co.uk – working with an expert will enable you to have a better idea of what budget to allocate to get what you want. 

    •   Will you rent or purchase?

One big decision you have to make – which will also affect your budget drastically – is whether you’re going to rent or purchase. For example, many companies give options on whether you can buy or rent the furniture for your show home, and needless to say, your budget can decrease even further if you decide to rent. But keep this in mind as well – renting may save you some money, but the options are often limited, and if you need the show home furniture for more than a few months, they may not allow it, or it’s unavailable. So, in general, you’re better off purchasing the furniture – not only because you are given more options but also because it can give you more value for what you pay in the long term. 

Lastly, you need to know the timescale of your project because some lead times can be long, and you need to factor this in.