Tips To A Joyful Online Home-Buying Experience

The trend of buying a home online in India is catching up fast. In 2015, we saw consumers going online to seek information and compare projects and in some cases even seal the deal online. In 2016, experts have predicted an emergence of a new community. This new community, which now knows how to make use of Internet's prowess to fulfil their quest for relevant information, will start evolving into a breed that will extensively indulge in online transactions. And, as a result many people will start buying homes online. So, if you are planning to buy your dream home online, these are the things you should keep in mind:

• Look for verified developers: As more and more potential home buyers go online for real estate listings, a verified listing, from an authentic source, would help give an actual representation of the property and the developer. Always look for information, including critical facts, actual site pictures (in some cases computerised representations), size of apartments, and neighbourhood details among others. Interestingly, online advisor, Makaan.com, follows the practice of putting watermarks on the verified properties, which is a proof of the authenticity of the project as well as the developer.

• Use 'smart' tools: We live in a smart world aided by smartphones. Then why should your online home-search experience not be smart. Many real estate portals have developed their own set of smart tools. Sample this. Now you can get a full 3D view of the floor plan of your house. The feature offers a panorama of the interiors and gives you an isometric floor plan, too. This gives a much better idea of how the house is spread out and what it would be like once you move in. PropTiger.com's 360 degree view goes even further. It takes you for a virtual tour of the house. The same website's 4D feature gives a great idea of which rooms will get most sunlight at different times of the day. Not only that, 4D view has the capability to render under-construction projects and tower plans. With the help of this technology you will be able to see the exact floor plans of towers, look available flats, and also check the size, layout and number of rooms in a 4D rendered image. Another smart tool, Integrated Google Maps, gives the exact location and a bird's eye view of the area where the project is located. Smart mobile apps can tell you what lies around in a particular locality. All this is quite a lot, considering you are yet to make a site visit!

• Evaluate to take an informed decision: With infinite listings available across various online platforms, consumers may end up taking hasty decisions. In fact, how does one zero in on property, when several listings fit the bill at one given time. To address this issue, Makaan.com and PropTiger.com are equipped with consumable data reports comprising livability scores, y-o-y price index, modes of commuting around the community, number of houses, etc., for a said real estate listing. This consumable data helps the end consumer arrive at a more informed decision.

• Site visit is critical: The most critical step in a home-buying process is a site visit. Nothing can suffice the impact of an actual site visit that a consumer might want to undertake for his dream home. And to help consumers get rid of this worry, many portals have started fixing up site visits. After a potential home buyer has expressed his interest in a property, he/she can arrange a site visit as per his convenience. Online advisors like PropTiger.com and Makaan.com fix site visits, where in a team member accompanies the interested home buyer to the location.

• Home loan calculator: Once you have finalised the property, chances are you will be taking a home loan to pay the asking price. To ensure you know exactly the equated monthly instalment (EMI) you will pay to ensure that your monthly budget is not affected. Real estate web portals like Makaan.com and PropTiger.com provide an instant EMI calculator to help consumers calculate their loan requirements right on the go. Consumers can now calculate from the comforts of their home, using desktops or smartphones. Just fill in the relevant details including age, annual earnings, loan amount, and desired loan tenure to arrive at the monthly instalment figure.

• Shop for the best deal: The convenience of technology makes it easier for different service providers to collaborate. So is the case with online home listings, too. Many real estate websites collaborate with other businesses to offer handsome discounts, clubbed offers and attractive schemes. So, watch out for your bundled deal when you search for property online.

• Property status online: After making a purchase, it's important to track down the development status of a property. While visiting the site time and again could be cumbersome, online advisors help you track the construction progress online.

• Feedback that reaches the developer: Have you ever been in a situation where you realised that you are dealing with a fake or rogue real estate agent, but were helpless as you could not turn him in, or take any appropriate action? Well, with the help of Internet, such situations can be rightfully dealt with. On listings/developer descriptions, home buyers can easily point their concerns. They can even share their positive feedback.