How Technology is Helping House-Hunters Move with the Times

Housebuilders are leading the way by developing CGI 3D walkthroughs of homes and housing developments that aren't even built yet.

16:37 27 August 2021

Hunting for your perfect home can be as frustrating as it is exciting. In years past it meant relying on estate agents’ brochures and physically visiting properties to discover if they really did live up to their descriptions. Nowadays, however, technology is taking over the tedious house-hunting process and making life much easier for vendors and buyers alike.

 

Housebuilders are leading the way by developing CGI 3D walkthroughs of homes and housing developments that aren't even built yet. Now you can view show homes on your screen and take a 360-degree virtual tour inside and out to get a genuine feel for the space and surroundings in a way that poring over floorplans simply can’t convey.

 

View a property wherever you are

More and more estate agents are realising the sales potential of virtual viewing technology too. Most of us already begin our house-hunts online, searching for properties in the location, with the amenities and at the price point we’re looking for. Now, instead of viewing simply static photos, we can take a virtual look around as many properties as take our fancy. Some estate agents even offer a ‘live tour’ where an office-based salesperson will talk you through the property’s unique selling points whilst you’re viewing it on-screen wherever you happen to be.

 

It’s certainly an easy and convenient way to draw up a shortlist of the houses you’ll visit in person and cut out wasted journeys. This is a real bonus if you’re moving some distance away or even abroad. If your house hunt entails applying for a mortgage, you can do that online too. A mortgage broker service like Trussle couldn’t be more convenient, as their experts will scour every mortgage deal out there and work with lenders on your behalf, leaving you time to focus on your property search. What’s more, Trussle’s service is completely free, and you could have a recommended mortgage deal within hours.

 

Future-proofed homes, today

Another way that technology is influencing the property market is the emergence of eco-friendly and smart home technology. As the UK government pursues its climate drive with the aim of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, more and more house hunters are looking for homes with sustainable technology. More than half of buyers would be willing to pay more for such property according to a survey of 2,000 adults in the UK.

 

From smart meters to solar panels, high-performance windows to rainwater harvesting solutions and heat pumps to eco-friendly insulation, green tech is high on the list of priorities for many UK house buyers. 60% say that saving money on heating the home is a major motivation whilst 30% acknowledge that buying a property with sustainable features saves them from having to install eco-friendly tech themselves later on.

 

It’s safe to say that technology is now at the heart of the house-hunting process itself and is a major influence on house buyers’ decision-making when purchasing a home. From the convenience of finding a property and securing a mortgage online to the rising trend of eco-friendly living, existing and emerging technology will be the driving force of the UK housing market’s future.