If you’ve bought ‘off-plan’ you’ll be able to see inside your new home even before building work is complete, during one of our hard hat tours.
In this article we explain more about the stages of building a house, what happens on one of our hard hat tours and hear from customers Luke and Daniel (@westsussex_lifestyle on Instagram) about their experience, as well as from one of our expert builders taking them around their new home.
What is a hard hat tour?
These VIP ‘behind the scenes’ tours give you a first look at the inner workings of your home and provide a great chance to ask your site manager any burning questions.
Your visit will take place once the roof is on, the property is water-tight and all of the internal framework of a fully functioning house has been installed, including the stairs, internal stud walls, electric cables and back boxes, and all plumbing pipework.
This is known in the trade as the ‘first fix stage’ (read more about the stages of building a house here – a must read if you’ve ever asked the question how long does it take to build a house?). Your hard hat tour takes place once the first fix is complete but before your walls are plastered (known as the second fix).
What will I see during my hard hat tour?
You will see inside your new home for the very first time while it is still under construction. You can get a feel for the layout and the size of individual rooms as the internal wall framework is all constructed. You will also see “inside the walls” as all the first fix electrics and pipework is in place but still visible. Our customers Luke and Daniel were wowed on their visit. They said: “We loved being able to step foot in our house for the first time. It was really nice to walk around and see everything. If we’d bought our home further down the line then we wouldn’t have been able to see this.
“It was a momentous occasion and a real milestone of our journey. It solidified that we have made the right decision, coming here and being with Redrow, because not only is our house stunning … the quality is impeccable.”
Why is a hard hat tour helpful?
There are some things you could only ever see by viewing your house at this stage – such as the location of all your internal pipes. It means, for example, if you ever drill into the wall to fix a piece of furniture or hang artwork, then you will know where to avoid! (We also place metal rings around pipework so you can locate them with a metal detector once the walls are closed). You can see where all your electric cables are located and the position of your sockets, USB points and media plates to ensure they are all placed correctly.
The hard hat tour also helps you to visualise the final property, you can see each room layout and where the internal walls will be built, to give a feel for your home that you wouldn’t always get from viewing plans. Luke and Daniel were able to ask about aspects of the work they didn’t know about before, such as the features of their new build kitchen, explaining: “We are going for an induction hob so it was cool to see the gas being built into the kitchen in case we change our mind in the future - clever thinking.”
Frequently asked questions
For our site managers conducting the tours, lots of questions come up regularly during a customer’s first visit and there’s no such thing as a silly question. James Herdman, our Southern Counties area construction manager said: “It gives the customers a really good insight into everything that happens during the construction of their new home. They can get an idea of the quality of the construction work they wouldn’t normally see if they were buying a second-hand home, where everything would already be covered up and anything could be lurking behind the walls!"
“The most common questions we are asked are around storage space and loft storage and where all of their extras are going - things like extra plug sockets, media plates, USB points and electric car charging points.”
It also gives the customers a chance to confirm all of the personalised options and choices they have made via My Redrow. For Luke and Daniel, this process was one of the reasons they loved buying "off plan": “We have had the ability to make the house exactly to our specification. Seeing it for the first time bought the pictures and dream into reality.”
Why we love showing our customers their new home
It’s an honour to be able to show our customers their home while it’s still being built, knowing the quality of our craftsmanship is on full display.
Luke and Daniel said: “It was amazing, better than what we ever thought it could be. It’s a part of our journey that we’ll remember. The team were so friendly and knowledgeable which made the experience so enjoyable. We can’t wait to see the progress over the coming months and look forward to getting the keys.”
James adds: “Our teams really enjoy providing the tours as they give you a real sense of pride to show off the homes to our customers and see the excitement on their faces the first time they see inside. It’s nice to be part of that first visit and for the customers to see how their house is taking shape at an early stage, as we can explain the care and pride we take in constructing their homes. It’s showing them something they wouldn’t normally see and may not have seen before.”
If you’ve purchased off-plan you’ll be contacted by your site team to arrange a hard hat tour, either in person or virtually.
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