Is Technology Taking Over Buying A New Home?

Some technological innovations are particularly suited to certain businesses.  Buying a car has become very much an online practice and online gambling has become prevalent, but the focus of this article will be how the net has revolutionised buying a house.

Many people endlessly view houses via apps on their phones, so much so that it can be a fairly idle pastime.  Very few estate agency website viewers will be genuinely looking for a house.  Instead of poking around a show home, or organising a formal viewing we can take a virtual tour of other people’s houses.  Most estate agents have apps, and instead of ringing an agent, we’ll naturally now head straight for the net.

Buying A New Home: Real Estate Agent Or Internet?

Sites like Zoopla can tell you how much a house is worth and how much houses in the street has been sold for in the past, making the market mechanism far more efficient.  We can even find sites which will tell us what the area we are moving to is like if we’re unfamiliar.

Perhaps the most exciting new innovation is the use of Google Glass.  Google Glass is the digital set of specs you may have seen on the news or heard about in the media.  They allow an estate agent to take you on a tour of a house.  Simply ask questions, talk to the representative and guide them around the property as you wish.

This gives you a much more tangible feel for the house than shuffling through still images or even by watching pre-recorded videos.  You’ll get a feel for a home’s flow, its architecture and even its atmosphere much more than via generic room photos.

This could be particularly helpful for that second viewing that few people like to ask for or may find a chore – especially if the house is a long way away.  If you’re moving long distances you can waste a lot of time travelling to view houses which you could easily have judged as being a dud via Google Glass.

House buying has been transformed by the net, all the way down to final stages of conveyancing.  Rather than use a conveyancer suggested by the estate agent, find a service that might offer a cheaper price on the net.  Sites like Saga.co.uk offer comprehensive conveyancing services whereby you can even sometimes have your fees reimbursed if a deal falls through.