Touring a home remotely?

When you can’t see a house in person

Sometimes, prospective home buyers are interested in a house, but cannot tour it in person because of travel/distance or some other issue, like illness. For example, during COVID, it became somewhat common for prospective home buyers to have to tour properties remotely–the agent would go and facetime the client to show the house.

I’ve been selling real estate for 19 years and have concentrated heavily on helping people relocate to the greater Philadelphia area. As a result, the majority of my buyers have not been local. Between the cost of a last minute plane flight/lodging/car rental and the challenge of dropping everything (work, familial responsibilities), it is often impractical for an out of town buyer to be able to come in to see a house. This scenario is especially true in our market which, for the last several years, has suffered from low inventory–houses often go under contract just a few days after they are listed. So there is often no time for a buyer to make the trip before the house is gone.

How to reduce your risk when touring virtually

Buying without ever actually being in the house in person is an unsettling prospect. No doubt about it. I would certainly not recommend buying a home that way. However, there is often no choice. So, a buyer who accepts that reality needs to his or her best to reduce the likelihood of missing anything important. While certain kinds of research should be done regardless of whether a tour is virtual or in person (reviewing the Seller’s Disclosure, finding out about the community/neighborhood, understanding commuting distance, learning about local amenities, etc.), this post focuses on how, through a virtual showing, a buyer can minimize overlooking something vital. Here are some suggestions I have for touring a house. If you are not able to be there physically, you might want to keep this list handy and make sure your agent gets to each item.

1. Make sure your agent shows you the street view, not just the house. You want to see what the neighborhood is like. (Google street view can also be a great tool for this purpose.)
2. Ensure you see all of the exterior. Look at the siding or stone/brick, any wood (which is prone to rot) including window frames. Also look at the property–evaluate the landscaping, note whether the lot is level or whether there seem to be any swales that might flood, if it’s fenced, if you can hear highway noise, etc.  I also recommend asking your agent to walk to the farthest edge of the property lines and show you the views of the house from there.
3. Don’t forget you’ll want to see the basement/attic, as well as garage and any other outbuildings, like storage sheds. Does the basement seem damp? Are the ceilings high enough that you could finish that space? Is the garage big enough for your vehicles in (sometimes there is a pesky pole right in the middle and you can’t realistically open your car door!)?
4. Systems–the a/c, heater, water heater, windows and roof have to work properly and can be costly to repair. So while you may not be as knowledgeable as an inspector, and even though you’ll read the disclosure, it is still a good idea to see those items. Don’t forget the driveway and any pathways or patios/decks. Their condition is important.
5. Don’t forget to look at closets and other storage so you understand how much space there is.
6. Note the condition of floors, walls, updatedness of kitchens and baths, etc. so you can budget for improvements and/or decide if you can tolerate living in it “as-is”.
7. Pay attention to the room sizes and figure out if your furniture would fit. This detail is especially important in bedrooms where you may have radiators, windows, closet doors and other room characteristics to work around.
8. Note whether there is adequate lighting (both daylight and ceiling light). Obviously, time of day matters, but some houses just don’t get much natural light. Some homes may require a lot of lamps or the addition of recessed fixtures if they don’t have much overhead lighting.

Mechanics of a vitual showing

The above list is by no means complete; rather a jumping off place. And, again, I would encourage any buyer to check all of those things whether it’s an in person or a virtual showing.  About the virtual showing itself:

Please ask your agent to go slowly and hold the camera at eye level. Also make sure the agent pans frequently so you can see the other rooms and understand the layout/orientation. Ask your agent to get the wifi info from the listing agent, if possible. That will help with the connection, which can frequently fail otherwise (especially in the basement). The most valuable advice I have pertaining to the mechanics of a virtual showing is this:

Instead of FaceTiming with your agent, send the agent a Zoom link. That way, you can record the tour. Having a video you can review to remind yourself of the details is incredibly useful. Also, hearing the conversation will help, too. For example, when you hear your agent say, “it’s a little tight between the kitchen island and the refrigerator”, it will ensure you don’t forget to consider that detail.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973