Virtual Viewing: Apps are the way forward

Bailey explained that COVID has furthered the use of apps within this space. He said: "You will eventually be able to use apps to determine exactly how much carpet you will need for a room, rather than going to Carpetright and estimating."

Virtual Viewing: Apps are the way forward

Apps are the way forward for the housing sector, especially after the pandemic, according to Stewart Bailey, managing director of Virtual Viewing.

Bailey explained that COVID has furthered the use of apps within this space. He said: "You will eventually be able to use apps to determine exactly how much carpet you will need for a room, rather than going to Carpetright and estimating.

"If we didn’t live in an app world before COVID we certainly do now, better contracts, better competition and more efficiency."

Looking to the benefit of proptech for buyers and sellers, Bailey said it is convenience. He explained that the uses focus on keeping a digital record of assets, servicing and certification.

Which as a result, he believes could lead to better and more accurate insurance quotes, as individuals would be able to provide more in-depth information.

Bailey believes that consumers can incorporate proptech to enhance their home by utilising Nest, Arlo and Alexa, as well as installing CCTV and alarm systems into the property.

He went on to explain that it is best to avoid things such as a voice activated fridge because they do not add real value to a home and are viewed more as a gimmick.

With the increasing demand for virtual tours in the property sector, Bailey said you should use reputable vendors only and think carefully about the information you are sharing online about your home.

He said: "Put yourself in the position of someone who might be looking to take advantage of what they can see. Think about what would you hide, move and blur out.

"However, remember that blurring something up in the corner of the ceiling does not mean a potential burglar will not guess it is a motion sensor or camera."

As well as this, he explained it is wise to get caveats on the images saying you have CCTV and alarms and check your rights to have all copies of your images removed from the internet once the deal is complete.

When touching on things to avoid, Bailey said do not go with the cheapest agency and explained that it is important to have references and testimonials from their work

He added: "Don’t under-estimate the amount of information you are giving away and don’t show off."