Don’t Forget to Ask These Questions During A Virtual Home Tour

Open houses and home tours are quickly turning into virtual events as buyers may have tight timelines for finding a home and may need to make quick decisions, making virtual tours a more efficient option. If you need to buy a home soon yet still can’t attend in-person showings, a virtual home tour is your best option.

But unlike on-site tours where you can pinpoint every detail you can see, feel, touch, and even smell inside and outside the property, there might be some details that you’re likely to miss out or won’t come clear through a screen when you go virtual. This is why it’s crucial to ask your realtor plenty of questions about the home, even more so than you would on a home showing.

So don’t forget to ask these things in order to get the most out of your virtual showing and end the remote tour feeling like you’ve done the visual inspection yourself.

Did you notice any unusual odors?

When doing a remote house tour, it’s possible to check every nook and cranny by evaluating listing photos and paying close attention during video chats. However, knowing the smell of the place is a different matter. No one would want to buy a house that has a lingering smell. But what can you do when you can’t be at the property to be able to see, or rather, “sniff” things for yourself?

So while scent is a judgment call, it’s never been more important to ask your agent to be your “nose” when touring the home. You’ll need to trust them to assess if there’s any discouraging smells, and what odors do not belong in the house. Some of the most offensive odors in a home include garbage, pet smells, mold or mildew, and cigarette smoke. Likewise, odors that do not belong in a home include sewage smell, musty odor, and rotten egg smell, which could be signs of hidden dangers or potential problems. It’s important to validate these things early in the process so you’ll know if the home is worth visiting later on.

How old are the appliances and the home systems?

While a virtual tour offers close-up views of the appliances and the HVAC system, don’t forget to inquire about the age, maintenance, and their usage. How old are they? Have they been recently replaced? Are any of these still under warranty? What will be included in the sale? Asking these questions will help make sure that you won’t overlook the life expectancy of your potential home’s appliances and systems.

Also, remember to look beyond their trendy colors and design. Replacing old appliances can be very expensive so you want to make sure that they not only look good, but they also function well.

What’s the view like?

If that house you’re touring virtually was described in the MLS listing to have a “view”, this is a good time for a reality check. You might want to ask your realtor to open or push aside any curtains and blinds so you can see all possible views from the home. Because you never know why they were installed there in the first place—for decoration, for privacy, or the seller might simply be hiding an unsightly view that’s easy to miss in the lens of a camera.

Are there any features or surfaces that look worn or outdated?

The remote home tour is a great opportunity for you to learn everything that you can about the home. And with your realtor as your primary eye, make sure to get feedback on its every detail. It’s not always easy to tell from listing photos and videos if the cabinets are really brand new or they were just freshened up with a coat of paint and might need to be replaced in the near future. So don’t hesitate to inquire about any feature or surface that looks worn or damaged. You want to make sure that what you’re seeing matches reality… READ MORE…

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