On Friday I finally moved house – which has been a big relief after looking for a new place to live for the past couple of months (it has felt like years).
In that time I’ve seen how the rental market has slowly opened up after the Covid-19 crisis.
Some landlords offered virtual viewings by walking through their properties with a camera and putting the video on YouTube, while others used software which displayed how their property looked from more of a birds-eye view.
Both were interesting tools which I think helped filter how many potential tenants were serious enough to view the place in person, which of course is best for everyone in these Covid-19 times. Indeed, I decided one of the places looked too small for me after a ‘virtual viewing’, so I didn’t attend a physical viewing, saving everyone’s time and reducing contact with people.
However my experiences have highlighted how, personally, virtual viewings don’t cut it when you’re making the final decision on where you’re living.
When attending physical viewings wearing a mask, some places were far worse in person than they appeared in pictures, or when shown virtually.
I experienced ceilings so low you bumped your head on them, a serious water leak and a wardrobe which practically came apart when I tried to open it. These are all things you can only really experience in person.
On a more macro level I experienced how the market slowly opened up. In June it felt like both listings and demand was down, but in July both appeared to really pick up.
Again and again I would get beaten to the punch on a potential place by somebody who had viewed it half an hour earlier – and I was beginning to worry I’d have to expensively rent out an Airbnb for a month.
Anyway, for all this technology that’s flooding the market in the end I found a new place using the old school method. I saw a property listing that looked promising, called the landlord and went to view it in person as quickly as possible, before jumping at the opportunity.
Clearly this may not be a method that works everywhere in the world at the moment (Leicester springs to mind), but it worked for me.
The experience has been difficult. While it can be hard for landlords to find a good tenant it can be challenging the other way round, especially if you’re on a budget.
I don’t fancy moving again any time soon, that’s for sure.
Ryan Bembridge, Editor, PropertyWire
