The thought of buying a home sight unseen might have seemed like a total gamble just a couple of years ago. Now, better technology is a game changer that has made searching for a new home safer and easier during the pandemic. With virtual tours, you can get a complete view of the interior and exterior of a house while also chatting with your real estate agent throughout the entire process. While you absolutely can make an informed home purchase without setting foot inside, you do want to be careful to avoid making these common mistakes.

Feeling Too Awkward to Ask Questions

Any home tour can feel a little invasive, even when you are doing it virtually. After all, you are technically walking through someone else’s living environment. While you should always refrain from making negative remarks in front of the home sellers, there is nothing wrong with asking you real estate agent about things such as how much street noise they can hear in the house and if they notice issues such as doors that are hard to close or open.

Not Picking the Right Agent

Your real estate agent will serve as your virtual eyes and ears since they may often be the ones showing you the home through a video call. Take the time to thoroughly vet a prospective real estate agent when you are looking at homes for sale in Baton Rouge. You can read testimonials, ask them about their credentials and arrange for a meeting so that you can make sure your personalities fit. The right agent won’t pressure you to buy a home without making sure that you understand every detail that you have on your list of questions.

Only Using One Form of Technology

Between Google Street View, FaceTime and 3D tours on online property listings, you have a wealth of tools available to truly check out the home. Each form of technology has its own advantages. With FaceTime, you can get a real time walk through of the house, but Google Street View might be better for looking at the surrounding properties. Combining these can give you a more complete perspective on what living in a particular home and neighborhood is really like.

Ignoring the Importance of the Floor Plan

Even finding your way around during an in-person tour can get confusing. Asking for a floor plan helps you to think about how your furniture and lifestyle needs fit a particular house. With the floor plan, you can measure your furniture and make sure that it fits your desired layout before you commit to buying.

Skipping an Appraisal and Inspection

Most lenders require this step to be taken, but you’ll want to do it even if you are buying a house with cash. Being unable to visit the home means that you’ll want to get an expert’s opinion. Arranging for an inspection lets you know about things such as a need for foundation or roof repairs that you might not see on a video screen.

Virtual home buying is an option that you might want to choose if you still have concerns about social distancing, or you might just find it more convenient to look for a home this way rather than flying long distances. In either case, you can see more homes in a shorter period of time, which opens up your options for finding the right house. Now that you know how to conduct an informative tour, it’s time to start writing down those questions that you’ll want to ask your agent.