Show flats: getting microcement onto the marketing floor
For developers, the show flat is a sales tool — the finish has to photograph well, feel expensive underfoot, and be replicable across the remaining units without variation. Microcement delivers all th…
For developers, the show flat is a sales tool — the finish has to photograph well, feel expensive underfoot, and be replicable across the remaining units without variation. Microcement delivers all three. The programme discipline for show-flat work is stricter than for domestic: we're integrated into the marketing launch date, sample-board approval sits with a design panel not a single client, and colour and sealer specification has to be locked so identical units can be rolled out over the following 12–24 months without visible batch-to-batch variance.
- Fixed marketing launch date — the finish is on the critical path.
- Design-panel approval means multiple stakeholders on the sample-board sign-off.
- Batch consistency across a phased multi-unit rollout — the pigment, mix ratios and sealer coats have to be locked.
- Photography-grade finish (no visible trowel marks, no batch shading, no micro-cracks) at the launch.
- Coordinating with the developer's styling contractor and interior designer around final dressing.
- 1Step 1
Attend the design-panel meeting; produce three sample-board options for approval before quote.
- 2Step 2
Lock the specification (batch number, sealer, coat count) and archive it against the unit rollout schedule.
- 3Step 3
Pour the show-flat first, at a leisurely programme; use it as the reference sample for the rollout units.
- 4Step 4
Rollout units: same team, same sealer, same technique — matched-batch pours across the phasing plan.
- 5Step 5
Handover book: batch numbers, sealer spec, aftercare instructions for the sales agent and future owner.
Whatever the design panel approves — but we counsel toward mid-value neutrals (Pale Stone, Concrete, Oat) that photograph well, wear well, and won't date the marketing photography.
Show flat: 2–3 weeks. Rollout units: 1–2 weeks per unit, delivered in matched batches.
Signature project: a 12-unit boutique riverside development in Battersea — microcement across the show flat and all 12 buyer units in Pale Stone, matched-batch pours across a 14-month phased handover.
This page is for developers, contract managers, marketing directors and the interior designers producing show-flat specifications for London and South East residential launches.
Can you guarantee the rollout units match the show flat?+
Yes — with a locked specification and matched-batch pigment, matched-batch mix, and the same sealer regime. We archive the show-flat pour details and reference them on every rollout unit.
How do we handle a buyer who wants a variant on the show-flat spec?+
We're happy to produce a bespoke sample panel for that unit and quote the variance separately. On most developments 5–15% of buyers ask for a variation and we build that into the programme buffer.
Do you supply the aftercare booklet for the buyer?+
Yes — a printed and digital handover pack goes to the sales agent with each unit. It covers cleaning, resealing, spillage response, and warranty terms.
Free site survey. Programmes for developer show flat projects typically start 4–6 weeks after quote approval.