When looking at homes, you will undoubtedly run across a few that simply take your breath away. The model home in a new development is one, but you should be cautious.

Whether you have been in real estate for a while or are just jumping in, it can be difficult to wrap your mind around something. A home you live in is a part of your life with associated memories and so on. A home for sale, on the other hand, is a product to be sold or bought. Many home buyers have real trouble grasping this fact, particularly when it comes to model homes.

A model home is the perfect marketing tool. Everything about it screams marketing and rightly so. It is the developer’s ultimate 3-D brochure serving the role of the bait on the hook and you are the fish. Simply put, the model home is immaculate. The landscaping looks like something from God’s personal garden. The interior of the model home is simply beautiful with top quality furniture and an elegant layout. Frankly, it is difficult to avoid asking where to sign after doing your first walkthrough. This is the very point of the model home. It is not designed to be lived in comfortably. It is not designed for kids or even real people. It is put together with one purpose in mind – to get you to buy one of the homes in the development.

When looking at model homes, the cliché of buyer beware is applicable and extremely important. Yes, the home is incredible, but it is NOT the home you are buying. You are not buying that landscape. You are not buying that interior design or top notch furniture. You are buying a home with a similar layout, but it will end up looking nothing like the model home. Why? Well, you don’t have the same furniture. You are also a real human and will make messes and so on. You might even be buying an actual home that has no landscaping.

When looking at model homes, you must divorce yourself from the presented image. Yes, it all looks very nice, but how will your furniture look in the home? Will the rooms and layout fit your need? Will you have to add your own landscaping? Most importantly, will you be comfortable in it? These are the true questions you should be asking.

If possible, you should also ask to see the actual home you will be buying and do a walkthrough. Without the fineries of the model home, you will be able to get a better view of what you are being asked to buy.