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Video tours are a great option for long-distance buyers and buyers who are hesitant to tour a property in person due to COVID-19 concerns. But if you’re planning a video tour and want to get a comprehensive feel for the property, you need to tour more than just the interior of the house — you need to take the video tour outdoors. Here are a few key outdoor elements you should explore:

Surrounding homes

Privacy and community are important — and, as such, it’s important to know how far (or how close) the neighbors are to the property you’re considering, and how well they maintain their homes. The fact is, real estate is all about location, and property values can be affected by “the company you keep.” You don’t want to buy a stunning home, only to find out later that surrounding homes are not maintained, in a state of disrepair, or that there’s a vacant lot behind the house that may be developed in the future. Ask your Buyer’s Agent to take a 360 degree video of the surrounding homes and the street to identify potential red flags.

Landscaping and Patios

You want to get a clear idea of the time, money, and energy it will take to maintain the outdoor space, so make sure your agent gives you a full tour of the front, back, and/or side yards; that way, you can get an idea of existing trees, shrubs, and landscaping needs.

Outdoor space is important, and Arizona’s dry climate can lead to dry rot and deterioration of outdoor spaces if not properly maintained. It can be hard to see such damage on a video tour or in listing photos, so make sure your Buyer’s Agent zooms in on the patio areas so you can identify any wear and tear.

Each side of the house

The front of the house may look like it’s in great shape, but what about the sides and the back? Make sure you get images or video of the exterior of the home from every angle so you can identify any potential damage or necessary repairs.

Video tours can give you just as much detail and information about a property checking as seeing it in person. But that’s only true if when working with a Buyer’s Agent who specializes in working with out-of-state clients. Give me a call, (520) 333-0446.

While COVID-related restrictions have loosened in many areas, many buyers are still wary about going to tour homes in person — and video tours are still hugely popular. Perhaps it’ll even be a permanent addition to how some people look at homes even once the pandemic is entirely under control.

Video tours can give you just as much detail and information about a property checking as seeing it in person. But that’s only true if when working with a Buyer’s Agent who specializes in working with out-of-state clients.

Since the kitchen is often considered the most important room in the house (from a buyer’s perspective), here’s some key points I’ll focus on in your virtual tour or video/Facetime showing:

• See the room from all angles: Seeing the kitchen from a single perspective or viewpoint (as in listing photos) often does not provide a real sense of the space. I’ll be sure to ask your agent to show you the room from a variety of angels.
• Zoom in on the appliances: Appliances are costly — and if you’re going to have to spend part of your budget replacing the appliances in the home, that could factor into your offer (or whether you make an offer at all). I’ll be sure to zoom in on the appliances to give you an idea of what kind of shape they’re in, and whether they’ll need to be replaced.
• Cabinet close-up: The kitchen cabinets may look amazing in the listing photos, but when you get a close-up look at them, you may notice that they’re not so amazing and need to be repainted or replaced. I’ll zoom in on the cabinets so you can assess their condition before making a final decision on the home.

Just because you can’t (or don’t want to) tour a home in person, doesn’t mean you can’t get a good look at the kitchen — or any other room, for that matter. You just need to be working with the right Buyer’s Agent, and not hesitate to request a closer look at the things you really want to see.