The virtual tour voyage: Diving digitally into your future home

Looking for the home of your dreams, but bummed you can’t pay a visit? Whether they’re window shopping or finding a place outside of their current area, most homebuyers searching for a new place begin their journey online. Thanks to technology, homebuyers don’t have to worry about not being able to tour a home in person, with the help of a virtual tour.  Virtual tours offer a unique way for buyers to get a sense of “home” that feels real outside of photography – although a sharp photograph is a great place to start. These tours give the buyer more power to check out each room for as long as they want with no added pressure from being accompanied by a Realtor or open house visitors. However, reality may not always be fully portrayed in photographs or video tours. Buyers should do their due diligence and can avoid visiting a dud if they take extra time and look beyond the cosmetics.  

Keep your eyes peeled.

Although digital tours are convenient and can provide a great first impression upon first glance, don’t be afraid to be as thorough as you would if you were physically touring the space. Sometimes, parts of the house are left out of the video or virtual tour to try and give buyers the best first impression. To make sure parts of the house aren’t left out of the tour, you can request a FaceTime call with your agent and have them walk through the home, share footage of the features and uncover any blindspots you weren’t able to see in the virtual tour. If you’re unsure about space configuration, the seller should provide you with a floor plan to help you determine how big a room is and its ceiling height.  

Research red flags. 

When searching for a home online, you need to be extra precautious of red flags you may catch in photos or video. For example, closed blinds or curtains could be hiding a bad view, a photo of only the bathroom sink could mean the bathroom is small and if there are more pictures of the exterior, you can almost guarantee that the interior needs some TLC.  It’s important to be aware of the red flags in disclosures, too. Watch out for words like "fixer-upper,” which could either be a great deal or a disaster money pit, or “cozy,” which usually translates to painfully small.   

Your time is the right time.

Unlike physical open houses, a virtual video tour is conveniently available for viewing any time of day and can help you narrow down the hunt for your perfect home. Virtual tours offer a way for buyers to dive into a home without having to actually get in the car and go, which is particularly helpful when you’re practicing safe social distancing. Not only can you tour at any time of day, you can also tour as many homes as you’d like. Oftentimes, buyers can get a good idea of what they’re looking for in a home by taking several virtual tours and narrowing down their options. After finding “the one,” you can choose to tour the space in person. -- Don’t let the uncertainty of times make you feel insecure about planning for the future. If you’re looking for homes in Sarasota, feel free to contact me today at 941-225-1500 or AmyChapman@michaelsaunders.com for a consultation. I’ll be happy to share gorgeous properties from around the city that you can check out – virtually, of course.