Texas Online Home Search – If you or someone that you know have been considering the idea of purchasing a home, chances are that now would be about the time that your search would be beginning; however, with the COVID-19 pandemic now gripping the world that we live in, many people are attempting to do everything that they can in order to help prevent the spread of the virus. As a result, you now are likely wondering about how you can safely look for homes without risking any chance of contracting the virus yourself.
Thankfully, there is one way in which this can be achieved, and it comes in the form of a virtual house hunt, meaning that you don’t even have to leave your current home in order to search for a new one that you may want to purchase.
How do you house hunt effectively?
Here are three ways in which you can conduct a virtual house hunt in the event that you may already be in the position to buy.
View As Many Photos/Videos As Possible
Squeeze the most out of them that you can. Many real estate agents are taking the step of adding video tours to their listing photos due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the event that you are interested in a specific property that has a video on the listing page, consider asking the agent if they have additional footage of the property. Oftentimes, portions of the home will be left out in order to help with keeping the video as short as possible. Additionally, you can also schedule a video call with the agent, who can then walk you through the home and show you more of the features as well. You can also ask them to show you more of what you really want to see, including any blind spots that the original video may not have shown.
Open House Rules During Covid
Take Precautions Physically Touring
In the event that you are able to actually visit a home, always take precautions no matter what. Take the time to consult with your real estate agent in order to make sure that visiting the home will be permitted in your city or state, even though the seller may have already given prior permission. This is because of the fact that many states across the country have currently implemented stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that only essential businesses are allowed to remain in operation. While real estate agencies are classified as an essential business under federal guidelines, individual states are the ones who have the final word on this matter. If you have the go-ahead to visit the property, you will need to keep the following in mind: make sure no one in the home is sick, ask the seller to close all closet doors and kitchen cabinets, don’t touch anything, remain six feet away from your real estate agent at all times, wear protective booties and throw them away when the tour concludes, and thoroughly wash your hands after you leave the home.
Drive By the Home
Alternatively, keep in mind that you may not be able to visit a home that you are interested in purchasing due to current state mandates because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, there may also be some sellers who aren’t comfortable showing their homes during this time as well; however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you still won’t be able to purchase it, as you can still do so sight unseen. Furthermore, if you live near a home that’s for sale and you are interested in purchasing it, you could still drive up to it and walk around the exterior of it to look around; however, in order to do this, you will first need to obtain permission from both the seller and the listing agent.
Texas Online Home Search – Thank you for visiting The Place of Houses blog, a Corpus Christi real estate company. If you are virtually house hunting contact one of our agents to find your dream home today!
