Leveraging Various Forms Of Technology For Virtual House Hunting
The initial stages of house hunting involve two main steps. First, you have to scour the market for available houses for sale. Secondly, you need to select one or more properties for further analysis. The following various forms of technology can help you with both steps.
Photos
A good listing should have a property description and photos at the minimum. Analyze the listing photos for a better understanding of the property. The analysis can also help you spot red flags. For example, you should be wary of a listing that shows dozens of exterior photos and a single interior photo. Such a property probably needs interior renovations.
Videos
Discerning sellers usually upload videos of their property. Again, a video that captures all of the property's angles is better than one that focuses on a few parts. However, a short video is not necessarily a red flag. Raw footage files are notoriously big, so some sellers edit their videos. Ask the seller for more footage if you wish to see other parts of the house not in the video.
3D and VR Tours
Three-dimensional (3D) and virtual reality (VR) videos incorporate the depth and realism that conventional video footage lacks. You don't have to invest in 3D and VR gear for your house hunt. However, many people have the relevant hardware for entertainment or work purposes.
If you already have the technology, use it for an immersive tour that looks almost like a physical house viewing. 3D and VR tours allow you to zoom in on different parts of the house or view the house from different angles.
Virtual Tours
You don't have to confine yourself to prerecorded images and videos in your virtual house hunt. Most of the technology above also facilitates virtual tours, allowing someone to show you a house in real-time. That means you can have a real estate agent or the home seller show you the house, in real-time, virtually.
For example, your agent can use an internet-connected video camera to relay real-time footage of a house. That way, you can ask the agent to focus on different points of interest, zoom in on some areas, view the house at a specific time of the day, or pause at specific parts of the house. What is more, many people already have the technology (such as smartphones) for virtual tours.
Hopefully, your house purchase will succeed irrespective of the method you use to search for and view properties for sale. Remember to use a realtor to guide you on every step of the process. For more information, contact a realtor near you.
