| Questions to Ask When Touring a House on Video-Chat

Video chat home tours have seen a surge in popularity.  Even before COVID we have seen substantial increase in Video tours.  This trend is set to continue.

Video tours have come a long way recently.  They are not science fiction – They can be a great home vetting tool.

Questions to ask before a video-chat home tour

• Is there a floor-plan that you can use as a reference during the tour? A floor-plan will help orientate yourself and get a good sense of the layout and size of each room.
• Can the tour be recorded as a video? This would be great for you to be able to review so you can be sure you didn’t misunderstand anything the first time (Also just in case there were network connection issues).
• Communicate what you want to see.  Be clear on which areas and angles you would like the agent to spend extra time on.  If you don’t communicate this, the agent may miss areas that are important to you.  

Questions to ask during a video-chat home tour

• What condition are surfaces in? Using video you can not always see scratches or blemishes. 
• What direction does the home face? Is it north for winter sun or south for hot summer afternoon sun.  How does this affect the natural lighting inside the home?   
• What are the noise levels like?  If the home is close to a noisy environment, this noise may not be apparent on a video tour.  You need to ask about both inside and outside noise levels.
• Make sure the agent opens all blinds so you can see the view from every window to make sure a curtain is not hiding something unsightly.
• How old are the kitchen appliances and are they in full working order? You don’t want to move in to find out that an appliance is old and not working.
• Get the agent to provide a detailed tour of the exterior showing exterior walls, windows, lawn, pool, garden etc.
• How close are the neighbours houses and how does that affect the outlook and noise levels.   Do the windows look straight into next door?   
• Ask to look at dark areas to see why they are dark and check for moisture and mould 
• If it is an apartment/unit get the agent to tour the common areas like hallways, carpark entry and amenities 
• Ask if there is any floor creaking or the like that may indicate structural issues, although these would appear in your professional building inspection.
• Ask the agent about any odours, whether it be internal, or external. Example sewerage, dampness or a close industrial site.  Do you notice any odours inside or outside the home that are unusual? 
• If you can’t do it yourself, ask the agent to also give you a video tour of the neighbourhood.

Video tours are not the same as an in-person inspection.  But often there are circumstances that prevent you from inspecting the home in person.  Or it could be an interstate home that you want a video tour of, before you go to the expense of flying in to see it yourself.