View a house from your own sofa.

The way in which we navigate our lives has fundamentally changed, first via the internet, and then smart phones. This is now also true for how a large percentage of people conduct their shopping - for pretty much everything now. If you want to find a new home, a new car, or some kind of service; the days of turning to the classified section of the local newspaper seem like ancient history. The chances are you will switch on your mobile or laptop and start using an app or website to help in your search. But are we missing a simple way to use them to find our next home?

For most people, places like Rightmove and Zoopla have long replaced browsing estate agents' windows on the high street when looking for a new house, and now we can add social media to that as well.  However, I think house hunting has a little catching up to do.

Like a lot of things online - especially with the rapid adoption of AI - how reliable are the images and descriptions you're seeing for the properties you browse? After hours spent scrolling, you find one that looks perfect, so you take the time to arrange a viewing, make a gap in your diary, perhaps travel a significant way and...disappointment is almost immediate as you see that the pictures were misleading or fake - the carpet is old, the paint is peeling, the rooms don't look as big, the garden is a jungle.

There was a huge excitement with 'virtual tours' when they first appeared on the internet. Viewing buildings, museums, or places of interest via videos that you could control - going forward or turning at your own pace. Now, with improved cameras and internet connection on mobile phones, we have the option of live video calls where you get to be fully in charge of what and where to see.

My Remote Viewings allow you to book a tour of a house where I'll connect with you over a video call at the house and show you around. Not only do you get to 'see' the house without having to travel, you can also ask any questions and get the usual tour that you would get in person. It saves time, travel costs, and can be easier for couples to view rather than both of you having to arrange to meet up and travel - you can each join from different locations. The convenience for you also means that arranging a follow up remote viewing is also easier to arrange if you missed something - quite often these remote viewings can help confirm an in person visit.

You cannot beat the experience of an actual 'real' viewing where you experience a home fully - no photo or video can communicate the 'feel' of a house or give you the sensation of moving through a home and appreciating the flow or any of the the other senses that can appeal to us. What it does do is allow viewers to have a more personal tour of a home and to see the reality a little more clearly.

This can also be a great way to widen your search and take a chance on a property you might not normally view - you could be surprised.

If you're thinking of moving home and would like a confidential chat about your options for buying or selling, get in touch.