The process of selecting options for a new home can be a bit overwhelming to some buyers. Attempting to judge whether colors will look the same on your walls as they do in a paint book, or trying match appliances to cabinet finishes, can create anxiety during the already stressful home-buying process. Some large-scale builders have taken a new approach to guiding buyers through the process of selecting options. They have created design centers that let buyers compare a broader variety of materials, fixtures, appliances and finishes in one place. Builders are responding to the new, educated buyers that are out there today, said Joe McGinley, director of sales and marketing for Westminster Communities, a division of Florham Park-based Kushner Cos.
People buying homes today are more informed about interior finishes and choices available.
For builders to try to continue to offer their selection in a cramped construction trailer has become cumbersome. Westminster staffs its design center, which is called Your New Home, with two interior designers to assist buyers, who can tour it by appointment. The designers also are knowledgeable in construction materials. By bringing it to a staffed facility, it makes the process more pleasant for the buyer and enables the builder to offer more of a selection, McGinley said. In the theater, buyers can view a continuously running video that shows the building process, the selection process, the materials we use and virtual tours of our homes, McGinley said.