Test driving reaches the Australian property market

Would you be more comfortable buying an apartment if you had the chance to live in it for a few days first? International property brand Lendlease is offering customers just that.

Lendlease has a history of delivering innovative solutions to the property market, and this latest offer, currently on trial for apartments in the Toorak Park development in Armadale, is one we’ve all been waiting for.

What Lendlease are offering is five nights in the apartment at no cost – all you’ll need to hand over is a $5,000 deposit. Buying a home is likely one of the biggest financial commitments you’ll ever make, so it’s only natural that you want to be one hundred percent sure before you take the leap and sign the cheque.

So what can you gain from this experience? You can certainly get a feel for the living space and see if the layout is in rhythm with your usual lifestyle. If you enjoy dinners that drag on til midnight, you want to be sure the dining space is comfortable and nicely lit. If lazy weekends in front of the tv are standard for you, you’ll be needing a lounge that can fit an exceptionally enticing sofa. If you work from home, you need to be certain there’s a space that is ergonomically designed and productivity enhancing.

The kitchen is another important part of the home you want to be sure about – especially if you’re an avid chef or baker. Discovering whether or not there’s enough bench and storage space for your culinary activities, and whether or not the white goods are of a high enough quality, will play a huge role in your decision to buy or not.

Testing out your morning and evening routine in the bathroom will be far more useful for sizing up the space than simply turning the tap on and off – which is the extent of your functionality test in a normal apartment viewing. Finding out if the wardrobe can accommodate your fashion collection is also important.

After five nights, you will probably have sized up all of the above. But that short stay can't tell you everything you need to know. It will little about the endurance and quality of the property and its inclusions. For that, you’re better off familiarising yourself with the team who collaborated to create the development – well-reputed architects, property developers and interior designers with a large and impressive property portfolio are a great indicator of the quality of the apartment.

Another indicator of the kind of lifestyle the apartment will deliver now and in the future is the list of interior features. Be sure to look out for high-end brand names when it comes to the kitchen and bathroom, and quality materials in the floors, benchtops and tiles.

A five-day trial is an excellent opportunity to see if the shoe fits, but knowing what it’s made of will tell you if it will stand the test of time.

Discover more articles about apartment living and the Australia property market here.

Kitchen image source: 21 Riversdale Road