A Bare Finish is a property turnover condition where a developer delivers a new house or condo unit in its most basic, structural state, with no finishing touches applied. This means you receive a plain concrete shell, leaving you, the homeowner, with a blank canvas to design and finish according to your own taste, timeline, and budget.
How a Bare Finish Works
When you accept a bare finish unit, you are essentially receiving the foundational structure of your home. The term “bare” in Philippine real estate and construction means the unit is delivered without the final layers that make it conventionally livable.
Typically, a bare finish turnover in the Philippines includes:
- Structure: The fundamental walls, roof, and foundation are complete.
- Flooring: A plain, rough cement finish.
- Walls: A single coat of primer paint (usually white) over bare concrete or plaster. There are often no partitions for bedrooms, especially on the second floor of a house.
- Ceiling: Often no ceiling is installed, leaving the roof trusses or the concrete slab above exposed.
- Kitchen: Usually no countertop or cabinets. There will be a provision for a sink with a faucet stub-out.
- Bathroom: The toilet and a faucet are typically installed, but the walls and floor are often bare concrete without tiles.
- Windows and Main Door: These are installed to secure the property.
You, the owner, are responsible for installing floor tiles, building bedroom walls, applying the final paint, installing the kitchen, finishing the bathroom, and installing lighting fixtures.
Why Choose a Bare Finish?
While it requires more work, a bare finish unit is a very popular option in the Philippines for several key reasons.
Lower Initial Cost
This is the main advantage. By stripping away the cost of finishes, developers can offer bare units at a significantly lower purchase price. This makes homeownership more accessible, especially for first-time buyers using Pag-IBIG financing, as the required downpayment and monthly amortization are much lower.
Complete Customization Freedom
A bare unit is a blank slate. You have total control over the final look and feel of your home. You can choose the exact tiles you want, design the layout of your bedrooms, create a custom kitchen, and select your own paint colors. This is perfect for buyers who have a specific vision for their home and don’t want the standard developer finishes.
Staged Renovations
Homeowners can finish the house in stages as their budget allows. They might start by tiling the ground floor and building one bedroom, and then finish the rest of the house years later when they have saved up more money.
However, the main disadvantages are the need for a substantial cash budget for renovations and the delay in moving into your new home.
What is ‘Bare’ in Philippine Construction and Real Estate?
Across the Philippine real estate landscape, the terms “bare finish,” “bare in construction,” and “bare type” all refer to the same concept. “Bare” consistently means the property is delivered without the final aesthetic and functional finishes.
It signifies a specific type of product, particularly common in the affordable and economic housing segments. When a property is described as “bare type” in the Philippines, it is universally understood to mean that the developer has completed the essential structure, and the responsibility of making it a fully finished, livable home falls to the buyer. This approach allows developers to build and sell homes at a lower price point, aligning with the budget of many Filipino families.
A Local Perspective in the Philippines
In places like Bulacan, where there is a high demand for affordable housing, the bare finish model is extremely common. Many large-scale subdivision projects targeted at low- to middle-income families and eligible for Pag-IBIG housing loans offer bare finish rowhouses or townhouses as their primary product.
This strategy has been very successful because it addresses the primary barrier to homeownership for many Filipinos: the high initial cost. A family might be able to afford the ₱8,000 monthly amortization for a bare unit, with a plan to save up for the renovation over the next year or two. This makes the dream of owning a home attainable, even if it requires a bit more work after the turnover.
Practical Tip from an Expert
Before you commit to buying a bare finish unit because of its attractive low price, do your homework. Get a detailed cost estimate from at least two different contractors for the finishing works (tiling, partitions, painting, kitchen, etc.). This will give you a realistic idea of the total cash you will need to make the house livable. Often, buyers are surprised that the renovation costs can amount to 30-50% of the unit’s original price. Knowing this figure beforehand ensures you are financially prepared.
Real-World Example
The Santos family buys a bare finish townhouse in a project in Pandi, Bulacan, for ₱1.5 million. At turnover, they receive a unit with cement floors, unpainted walls upstairs, and no bedroom partitions. They spend the next three months and an additional ₱400,000 to have the floors tiled, the walls painted, two bedrooms built, and a proper kitchen counter installed. While their total cost is now ₱1.9 million, they were able to customize the room sizes and choose their own tile designs, and the initial lower price made it possible for their Pag-IBIG loan to be approved.
Related Terms
- Complete Finish: The opposite of a bare finish, where the unit is delivered move-in ready.
- Turnover: The process of accepting the unit from the developer, in its bare state.
- Punch List: A list of defects on the existing structure (e.g., a crack in the cement wall) that you note during turnover.
- Specifications (Specs): The document detailing what little is included in a bare finish package.
- Renovation: The process of finishing a bare unit to make it livable.
Internal Links:
- Turnover: Link to the article defining the property turnover process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is bare finish in construction?
In construction, a bare finish means the structure is completed, but without the final surface layers. This includes plain cement floors, unpainted walls, and the absence of fixtures like kitchen cabinets or bedroom partitions.
What does bare mean in real estate?
In real estate, “bare” describes a property that is for sale in its most basic, unfinished state. It is a blank canvas offered at a lower price, with the buyer being responsible for the interior finishing works.
What is bare in construction?
“Bare” in construction is synonymous with “bare finish.” It refers to the state of a building where only the structural components (walls, roof, basic plumbing/electrical rough-ins) are complete.
What is bare type in the Philippines?
“Bare type” is a common term in the Philippine real estate market for a house or condo unit sold with a bare finish. It is a specific product category, especially in affordable housing, where the unit is turned over unfinished to the buyer.
