What is a Gray Structure?
A grey structure house is a type of building that has only the concrete or steel framework completed but lacks the final finishes such as drywall, flooring, and painting. The “grey” refers to the raw and unfinished appearance of the concrete or steel framework. The grey structure of a house includes the columns, beams, and floor slabs that form the skeleton of the building, and is typically built before the installation of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems and the application of final finishes. A grey structure house is often used as a starting point for customizing and finishing a home to the specific preferences of the owner.
Gray structure, in terms of construction, includes walls, roof, and plastering. None of the services like electricity, sewage water, woodwork, and painting are included in gray structure works. Even marble flooring, Aluminum and steel works, and works on the facade are not even categorized in gray structure.
What is a Furnished Home?
The furnished home is completely ready for living. The furnished home usually comes equipped with furniture, basic kitchen appliances, tableware, bathroom necessities such as a shower curtain, a washer/dryer set, and possibly a few other amenities.
The question here is, which type of structure you may buy? Both types have their own merits and demerits. Let’s discuss them separately, the choice will be yours.
Why buy a gray structure?
- Cost Factor:
There is no doubt that the façade matters a lot. By the same token, if you split the cost of a furnished home and analyze it, most of the cost will be consumed by finishing works rather than building the gray structure. There are a host of accessories available in the market varying in price by a huge margin. Hence, it is up to you how much you want to spend on your home. The more you accessorize more appealing the house will be but the more will be the cost. Let’s justify it technically. It has been estimated that just a paint can easily increase home value by 2-5%. Moreover, modernizing the kitchen, addition/modernization of windows, and other basic updates like these can increase home value. Therefore, as a buyer, you will be in a loss (you will pay more money for the same home). So, buy a gray structure, work on it, and you can easily save your money. Buying a home is a big investment, therefore you must consider the cost factor very carefully.
- Preferences matter:
With increasing ‘modernization’ around the world, lifestyles have also changed. Everyone has their own choices, likes, dislikes, schedules, preferences, etc. Similar is the case when it comes to furnishing a home. Everyone will furnish a home differently. For instance, one person may like bigger bedrooms for more space a different person may like smaller cozier bedrooms. One person may prefer single-hung windows, whereas another person might be a fan of fixed windows. Getting a gray structure and finishing the unit yourself will be perfect for people to make changes at the right time and get a customized finish as per their requirements.
- You can design, as you like:
Buying a home in itself is a big decision, regardless of what stage of construction you buy it at either a gray structure or a furnished house. This decision will impact every sphere of your life till you are in that house. Exterior design, interior design, paint color, window styles, wiring types, etc. are things that you always prefer to design in your own way – this liberty one can only get if they purchase a gray structure.
- Level of Satisfaction:
Designing your home your own way can lead to a level of satisfaction that you can’t achieve by getting a furnished home that someone else designed. The big advantage to buy a gray structure is that you are much more likely to get exactly what you want. For many, this factor alone is enough to choose. A home is usually the single largest investment that a person makes, so design in a way to get maximum satisfaction.
- Meet the Exact need:
One of the major benefits of designing a home yourself is that you can get, precisely what you need. For instance, in a furnished home, you may get three sofas somewhere, but you need only one as per your preference for that specific place. Maybe you like wood doors, but the existing home has doors with aluminum material. Simply speaking, there will be many parts that you would not like. Well, design a home yourself and there will be no problems. So, go for it.
Why buy a furnished home?
- Need it in an emergency:
If you need to stay in a specific city for some important purpose and for a shorter period of time, then getting a furnished home is a more suitable option. For instance, you temporarily need a home for occupation, for your kid’s education or perhaps you’re thinking of buying a vacation home. Then there is no need to buy a gray structure and install expensive furniture in it. You can easily save both time and money, instead of buying brand-new furniture.
- First-time home buyer:
Are you a first-time homebuyer? Are you nervous about adding the cost of furniture to your big move? If the answer is YES, then there is nothing right about buying a gray structure. Just find an appropriate furnished home, and live in it with comfort.
- Busy professional:
There is no secret, you need more money to buy a furnished home. Logically speaking, TIME IS ALSO MONEY. If you are a professional, and your job schedule is not allowing you to spare time, then buying a home that comes fully furnished may be just what you need.
- Need to relocate quickly:
If your office, workplace, or children’s educational institutions (college to university) have been shifted to another locality, and you don’t have enough time to buy a gray structure and furnish it. Then what you can do? The answer is; Furnished home can make moving easier and faster. This is perfect for those who need to relocate quickly.
- Fed up with packing:
If you don’t like packing, the furnished home will be the best option for you. It can save you the headache of packing up and moving all your belongings to a new location. Just pack up some suitcases with your clothes and personal belongings, and move.
In the end, the decision in most cases will be based on affordability. However, if all other factors are in favor then you can maybe consider the pros and cons given above to make your decision.
