Buying a house while sitting on your couch might seem a little farfetched but for Jamie Thomas, who was in a position to buy his first home at the start of lockdown, this was the perfect solution.
With little chance of booking a viewing, the aviation recruitment consultant contacted us to see if there was a solution.
Luckily for Jamie, we had lust launched our new virtual viewings platform for customers interested in buying a shared ownership or open market home.
It allowed him to ’visit’ a newly-built home he had spotted online without actually stepping foot in the property.
Accompanied by one of our Sales Consultants, Jamie was given a guided tour of the property, with a detailed view of every room.
He was also given floor plans, a brochure and photographs to help form a full picture of the property.
And it didn’t take him long to make up his mind once he was given a walk-through of a three-bedroom shared ownership home in Cranbrook, Exeter.
“I was looking to see what was around and I noticed exactly the house type I wanted in Cranbrook,” said Jamie. “It was the perfect location as well.
“But due to coronavirus I couldn’t view it in the normal way. So LiveWest suggested doing a virtual viewing to give me an idea of what the house was like.
“It gave me a real insight into the property and the confidence to purchase it.
“Without the virtual viewing, I would probably still be looking for a house now.
“Obviously I would have preferred to have viewed the house in person, but the virtual viewing gave me enough to be confident of what I was buying.
“The footage is really clear and the camera gives you an eye-line look at all of the rooms.
“It was a really quick turnaround as I enquired about the house on the Thursday and my virtual viewing was booked for the following Monday.
“I reserved the house immediately and by October, I will hopefully be in a position to move in.”
Jamie was also impressed by the sales experience he was given by LiveWest who, like many, has had to adapt to the new normal.
He added: “Their Sales Consultant, Sophie, was really helpful and answered all of my questions.
“You get a thorough breakdown of the home, from floor plans to worktop colours, carpets and colours throughout the property.
“LiveWest were so helpful throughout the whole process and the virtual viewing has made all of the difference as it helped me to find my first home.
“It is so important for an organisation to be digitally equipped like this as you never know, as coronavirus has proved, what is going to happen in the future.
“It is definitely the best second alternative to actually seeing the home in person.”
Jamie, 30, has been renting with his girlfriend for the last seven years and has been able to buy his first home thanks to shared ownership.
With property prices typically 10 times more than the average salary across the South West, shared ownership is becoming increasingly popular as a means to buy a home.
LiveWest, which manages nearly 38,000 homes across the South West, allows customers to secure a shared ownership home with as little as a five per cent deposit and they can buy between 25 and 75 per cent of the property.
Jamie added: “Shared ownership is a great product for people who don’t have a massive deposit. I would 100 per cent recommend it for people who would like to get on the property ladder.
“I have been privately renting for the last seven years but that money is going to someone else. This way means you can put your money into a house and, as your financial situation changes, you can buy up more of the property.”
For more information on LiveWest homes click here or call 0800 027 9801.