Virtual Home Tours: Benefits and Tips

More people are embracing virtual home tours. This technology allows prospective home buyers to conduct video-enabled tours of properties for sale. If you do a virtual home tour property, you should enjoy all its benefits. Keep reading to learn more about all the benefits and tips of a virtual home tour.

The Benefits

Virtual home tours have multiple benefits to different parties. Below are some benefits to homebuyers.

Convenience

Convenience is the premier benefit of virtual home viewing. You will appreciate the convenience if you are busy, have an unusual schedule, or want to buy a home in another city or state. Specifically, virtual home viewing is convenient because:

• You can view listed properties irrespective of weather. You don't have to cancel a viewing just because of a deep snowfall.
• You can view a property irrespective of time. For example, a midnight physical viewing would be difficult but not with a virtual viewing.
• You can view listed properties from any location.
• If the property is occupied, you don't have to displace the residents to view their house.

Everyone, including the agents and homeowners, will benefit from the convenience.

Viewing Speed

Virtual viewing also works fast. You can view a property as soon as it's listed as you have an appropriate gadget and internet connection. That might give you an edge over those who are planning physical viewings. The viewing speed may be a big deal in the case of a sellers' market where properties are flying off the shelves.

Low Cost

Virtual viewing is inexpensive on multiple fronts. For example, you don't have to interrupt your normal schedule or incur transportation costs to the viewing. Many people already have the technology they need for virtual home viewings.

Possibility of Multiple Viewings

Another advantage of the technology is that you can view a house as many times as you like. Even if you have viewed a listing multiple times, you don't have to incur any cost to show the same property to your friends, partner, or other family members.

Health Safety

In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, anything that helps you to avoid physical interactions is welcome. Virtual viewings help you minimize physical interactions with the public (for example, in buses or cabs), agents, and property owners. You also don't have to worry about contaminated surfaces, such as kitchen counters, since you won't touch them physically.

The Tips

Virtual viewing is great, but only if you get it right. Below are a few tips to help you.

Ensure It Captures Every Room

The virtual tour should include every square inch of the property. You should be able to view the indoors, outdoors, ceiling, and every room in the house. A good tour won't rush over some rooms. That is the only way to confirm the property's condition.

Zoom in on Places of Interest

Some virtual tours give you the option of zooming in for close up views. For example, if you see something that looks like a crack on a wall, you can zoom in for confirmation. Use the feature as much as you like since it doesn't incur any extra cost.  

Use it as a Supplement

Virtual viewing is great, but it shouldn't automatically replace physical viewing. Some things are best with physical viewing. Examples include:

• The property's smell
• The quality of natural light in the property
• The neighborhood's sounds

Ideally, you should use the virtual viewings to eliminate some properties and narrow down your search. You can then plan a careful physical viewing of the remaining properties.

Don't forget to use a local realtor to help you with the purchase, even if you have conducted a virtual viewing. The realtor can preview the house before you plan a physical visit. Contact Realty One Group Heritage to help you buy properties in Lumberton, NC, and the surrounding areas.