Buying on paper | Choosing tiles

Emily, a client of mine who lives in America, bought an apartment on paper a few months ago. After signing the contract, she hired me to modify the floor plan proposed by the company, choose the finishes, and follow it throughout the construction process.

Yesterday I went to the showroom to choose the tiles. Before choosing, as I do with every project, Emily sent me photographs of styles she likes, of houses she found on the internet that inspired her. I have "translated" these wishes into sketches and proposals to facilitate the shop's choice.

Usually, in paper projects, the company offers a range of tiles you can choose from without paying extra. Usually, the proposed range is never too varied and is rarely of excellent quality. For this reason, the customer can upgrade and choose other coverings by paying extra for them. Arriving at the store, I found that the tiles offered are not only not to Emily's taste, they are relatively small in size, but that the company drastically limits the possibilities for upgrades to very few other models of similar size. Back in the office, I didn't dare to tell Emily the sad news.

The possibilities are two. Or settle for what the company offers even if it is not her taste and adapt;

or redo the bathrooms' walls after the delivery of the apartment. This second option is expensive, and from an environmental point of view, certainly not ideal.

Unfortunately, Emily only came to me after signing the contract.

If she had done this before, I would have read the apartment specification sheet and checked both this aspect and many others. Perhaps she would have decided not to buy, or, knowing the conditions better, she could have gotten a better price, but in any case, she would have made a conscious purchase without having any nasty surprises. 👉If you are about to buy an apartment on paper, don't make the same mistake as Emily; contact me before purchasing the apartment.