What to check in an off-the-plan 3D render before you pay a deposit

3D Render for property

Buying off the plan means committing to a home you can't walk through yet. For most buyers, the renders do the heavy lifting: the sunlit balcony, the stone benchtop, the leafy street out the front. They're useful, and a good render tells you a lot about how a design is meant to feel. But a render is a picture of intent, not a promise. Before you sign anything or hand over a deposit, it pays to know which parts of the image you can rely on and which parts you need to check somewhere else.

What in a render is usually "indicative only"

Most marketing renders carry a line such as "artist's impression" or "images are indicative only". That wording tells you the developer isn't treating every detail in the picture as part of what you're buying. Here are the areas where the image and the finished home most often part ways.

Furniture and styling.

The sofa, rugs, bar stools, artwork and pot plants are almost never included. More importantly, furniture can make a room look bigger than it is. Designers sometimes use slim, scaled-down pieces, or leave out the dining table altogether. Picture your own furniture in the space, not theirs.

Landscaping maturity.

Trees in a render are often shown at full height with a thick canopy. On handover day you may get young plants, bare garden beds or a strip of turf. Ask what will actually be planted, at what size, and who looks after common-area gardens afterwards.

Views.

A render's view is usually a composite: a photo taken from a drone or a nearby building, placed behind the 3D model. It might have been captured from a higher floor than yours, or at an angle your window doesn't face. Views can also change once neighbouring sites are built out.

Light and time of day.

Golden-hour skies, warm interior lighting and soft shadows look lovely, but they don't tell you how much sun a room gets in July. The direction the windows face matters far more than the mood of the image.

Neighbouring buildings.

Some renders simplify or leave out the buildings around a site, or show surrounding land as open space. A vacant block next door today could be a development application tomorrow.

Finishes shown vs. inclusions.

This is the big one. Renders are often prepared before the finishes are locked in, or styled with an upgraded colour scheme. The timber floor, pendant lights, tiled splashback or integrated appliances in the picture may be optional extras, or may not be offered at all.

Styled interiors show furniture, decor and a framed view that may not come with the home. Check the finishes schedule for what's included.

How to cross-check the render against the paperwork

The documents attached to your contract are what actually describe the home you're buying. Test the render against each of these.

The floor plan.

Find the exact plan for your apartment or lot, not a typical floor or a similar house type. Check that the layout matches the render: where the kitchen sits, which way the doors swing, whether the balcony runs the full width or only part of it. Look for things the render might hide, such as a bulkhead over the kitchen, a column in the living room or a laundry tucked into a cupboard.

Dimensions.

Write down the room sizes from the plan and mark them out at home with masking tape, or measure a room you know well. Check whether the total area quoted includes the balcony, car space or storage cage, as these can make the figure look larger than the internal living space.

Orientation.

Find the north point on the plan. In Australia, north-facing living areas generally get the most winter sun, while west-facing rooms can get very hot on summer afternoons. Compare this with the shadows in the render. If the image shows sunlight pouring in from a side that faces south, treat the lighting as artistic.

The inclusions or finishes schedule.

Go through it line by line with the render beside you. Note the brand and model of appliances, the type of flooring in each room, benchtop material, tapware, window coverings, heating and cooling, and whether there are ceiling fans or downlights. Anything you can see in the render but can't find in the schedule should be treated as not included until someone confirms it in writing.

A street-level render is a good chance to check facade materials, entry positions and planting against the plans.

Questions to ask the agent or developer

Write your questions down and ask for the answers in writing, ideally by email:

· Which render shows my apartment or lot, and from which floor or position was the view captured?

· Which finishes in these images are standard, and which are upgrades? What do the upgrades cost?

· Is the colour scheme in the render one of the schemes I can choose?

· What landscaping will be in place at handover, and what will it look like in the first few years?

· What's planned or approved on the neighbouring sites?

· How much can the final design, finishes or floor area change from the plans, and how will I be told?

· What are the estimated strata levies or owners' corporation fees, and what do they cover?

· Who is the builder, and do they have other completed projects I can visit?

· When is construction expected to start and finish, and what is the sunset date?

· Where will my deposit be held, and is a deposit bond or bank guarantee accepted?

A vague answer doesn't mean something is wrong, but it does tell you what to raise with your solicitor or conveyancer.

Contract points worth understanding

Off-the-plan contracts are longer and more complex than a standard sale, and the rules are set at state level, so what applies in New South Wales won't necessarily apply in Victoria, Queensland or elsewhere.

In NSW, the vendor must give you a disclosure statement with an off-the-plan contract. It sets out key information such as the draft plan, a schedule of finishes and, for strata lots, details like proposed by-laws. If the developer later changes something important that affects you, they are generally required to tell you, and in some situations you may have the right to end the contract or claim compensation. NSW also gives buyers a 10-business-day cooling-off period for off-the-plan residential contracts. If you pull out during that period, you normally forfeit a small part of the purchase price (0.25 per cent), so check the exact terms with your legal adviser.

Other things to look for in any state include:

· Sunset clauses, which allow either party to end the contract if the project isn't finished by a set date. Check the date and what happens to your deposit.

· Variation clauses, which say how much the developer can change the design, finishes or area without your agreement.

· Substitution clauses, which let the developer swap a listed product for a similar one.

· Finance timing, because your loan will be assessed closer to settlement, when the property is valued as built, not as rendered.

Have a solicitor or conveyancer who regularly handles off-the-plan purchases review the contract before you sign or pay the deposit, and before your cooling-off period starts ticking if possible.

Established trees and full garden beds look great in a render. Ask what will actually be planted at handover

The short version

Enjoy the renders. They're a genuine help in understanding a design you can't see yet. Just read them alongside the floor plan, the finishes schedule and the contract, and assume anything you can't find in writing isn't part of the deal. A careful hour with the paperwork now is a lot easier than a disappointing walk-through at handover.

This article is general information only and is not legal or financial advice. Off-the-plan rules differ between states and territories, so get advice from a qualified professional about your own situation.

Shrey Agarwal is the Founder of Build3DRender (https://build3drender.com.au), an architectural visualisation studio.

He works with Australian builders, architects and developers on renders and 3D floor plans for homes and apartments.

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