Technology is a wonderful thing and it’s truly transforming the way we do pretty much everything. In 2021, we can do pretty much everything from our mobile phones; shopping, banking, ordering food and shopping, staying in touch with family, and even investing can all be done from the palm of our hands or our laptops. But what about big, life-changing tasks like buying a house?
Getting financed
Getting a mortgage used to be a huge headache. It would involve going to different brokers, banks, and providers, taking part in interviews, and handing over reams of documents. You would then have to evaluate each offer one by one before deciding. Thankfully now things are a lot easier.
You can simply visit an online mortgage comparison site like Trussle, input all the data on your deposit, income, and outgoings, and see what the leading providers have to offer. It’s a great way to save time and users can evaluate offers side-by-side which makes the process much easier. Once an offer has been decided upon, the application can also often be filed online. Factors like interest and costs are displayed in a digestible way.
Finding the right home
The role of the real estate agent has changed a lot over the last few years. Now the majority of prospective home buyers start their search online. They will utilize powerful property search engines to find properties they like in their area. Typically, these will link to a certain agent who the individual can contact to arrange a viewing.
Users can input their budget, area of interest, number of rooms, and other specific preferences before hitting search. This method of looking for a home saves lots of time as all suitable results from agents are displayed in one, central place. It also means a time-consuming part of the process can be conducted from the individual’s home.
Viewing a property
So there’s always going to be people who prefer to go and see a home before they buy. In most cases, it’s recommended so you can get a true feel for it and be aware of any issues the photos aren’t showing. But what about those who can’t, or don’t want to? There is another way. Virtual reality has stepped in to provide potential home buyers with a truly immersive experience.
They can walk around the home, interact with it, have a go at decorating it, and even experiment with putting in their own furniture to see if it looks good. All of this is done virtually, via headset and can be repeated infinitely and at any time. This is great for those who want to buy in a different country or are otherwise unable to travel.
When it gets to the closing stage, technically a lot of this can be done online but still many prefer to do it in person. Emerging technologies such as blockchain are finding new solutions for the legal and administrative side of house purchasing. Additionally, other technologies like biometrics are also being eyed as a digital solution to signatures. A house sale or bank transfer could be signed off, literally with the blink of an eye!
