One of the primary benefits of technology is that way it makes our lives easier, whether when we’re at work or play. As experienced property buyers, we can see how advancements in technology have changed the housing industry for the better too. Long gone are the days when the only way to find a home was by looking in the window of an estate agents’ office. Nowadays, there are estate agents that operate purely online, and with property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla, you can discover your dream home without having to leave your front room. The property industry has embraced the digital environment and it has certainly made life a lot easier for everyone in the property world, from homebuyers and sellers to agents, landlords and even renters looking for a new housemate – which is great news as selling a house has been deemed the most stressful life event.
Also, with the fact that the majority of people now access the internet via their mobile device rather than desktop, property-related apps are starting to come to the foreground. Here we look at the top 10 property apps available to help you find your next dream home, from discovering it, finding out more about it, to your moving day!
Trovit Homes is a handy app where users can find a huge range of properties for sale or rent that are listed across thousands of different sites, all in one, simple to use app. As well as the normal filtering options (price range, bedrooms, etc.), a neat feature with Trovit is that you can draw a circle around a map of the location you want to live in and it will show a list of properties in that defined area- perfect if you have specific villages or towns you want to live in. What is perhaps most helpful about Trovit is that it can send you personalised notifications of properties you may be interested in as soon as they become available, saving you the hassle of finding new properties. Plus, it’s available in 46 different countries if you’re looking to relocate abroad!
Cost: Free
Available on: iOS and Android devices
While this app does not specifically focus on house buying, Patch is fantastic for those looking to find rental properties in the UK. Each listing features floors plans, map views and integrated images in the listing view for a smooth and friendly user experience. What we love about Patch is that if you find a property you like, you discuss it with friends or family in a group chat and even arrange viewings with agents, all within the app itself. This is great if you’re trying to organise a house-share and are struggling to keep everyone in one place!
Cost: Free
Available on: iOS devices
With property listings powered by Zoopla, Knocker is a fun way to search for your next potential home in the UK. Named “Tinder for Houses” by The Sunday Times, the app allows you to search for properties based on your present location or a designated area and you simply swipe through properties until you’ve found one that you’re interested in. It’s great if you’re a casual browser or want to nose about the area and see what’s about. Perhaps you’ve stopped by a café in an area you adore and want to check out the local properties while you wait for your coffee – you can always save a property for later too.
Cost: Free
Available on: iOS devices
If you’ve used the previous three apps to find a property you love, it’s now time to start digging deeper into the home itself. Considering all of this can be done on your smartphone, you better check whether where you could be living has a network good coverage! This app regularly tests network call performance and mobile internet speeds – which is really handy if you’re moving to a brand new area. You can also compare coverage in different neighbourhoods in the same area – it could be the difference when choosing between two different properties!
Cost: Free
Available on: iOS and Android devices
Sadly, you can’t control the weather when you’re viewing a property, so it may be raining cats and dogs or just a grey day with no natural light. Worry not, with Sun Seeker you can see what the property is like when the sun has got his hat on. Popular with photographers and architects alike, the app provides both a flat compass and ‘augmented reality 3D view’, where you can visualise how long your property gets the sun each day, as well as its equinox, winter and summer solstice paths! You can really get a real feel for the property by checking out how natural light interacts with it, proving that there’s a lot more to a property than just a south facing garden!
Cost: £9.99
Available on: iOS and Android devices
So you’ve checked the network coverage and how much sunlight your prospective property gets, now it’s time to see what’s around the property with Around Me. This app is your local neighbourhood expert and can let you know all the amenities in your current location – from restaurants and supermarkets to banks and bars. It can help give you a better understanding of the area you’re moving to and how long simple, regular things such as filling up your car on the way to work to popping out to get some milk will take.
Cost: Free
Available on: iOS and Android devices
Suppose you’ve now found a property you want really to buy, this free property app from Mortgage Brain is a super simple way to search around the UK mortgage market and kick off the house buying process. Within the app, you can even get in touch with a qualified broker for advice and check out a huge range of mortgage rates. Moreover, its Mortgage Calculator can work out how much you can borrow, how much it will cost you and what the effects of changing interest rates will have on your mortgage. This app certainly helps to get the ball rolling on one of the most important aspects of the house buying process.
Cost: Free
Available on: iOS devices
Buying and selling property can certainly be hectic and during this process you won’t always be next to a computer. This is why the DocuSign app is so useful as you can store, access and manage important docs securely, anywhere. Therefore, if any important or time-sensitive documents arrive at inconvenient moments, you don’t need to stress! You can also send docs to other people to sign as well. It’s compatible with PDF, Word, Excel and you can even guide your signers with ‘Sign Here’ prompts. Easy like Sunday morning.
Cost: from £6.28 per item
Available on: Android devices
Another useful app on the house buying process regards the move itself! Moving Planner is a great app that works as a moving checklist planner with pre-populated items so you can create multiple lists for the big day, including custom colour coding! You can also use cloud data to share this list with your family or friends for collaborative planning and assign certain ‘lists’ to boxes for when you transport your belongings. Having your big move all in one app makes life a lot easier and it has everything you may forget, such as reminders to transfer internet providers for example!
Cost: £0.82
Available on: iOs and Android devices
Not every aspect of the house buying process should be stressful; you shouldn’t forget about having a bit of fun too. Along with Knocker, another entertaining app is Houzz. It’s a great way to get inspired for improving and decorating your (new) home. You can use the app to discover ideas for your home and save them later for inspiration. Use their Sketch feature to annotate any image and bring your ideas to life. There’s a lot of depth with this app too, you can read expert articles on interior design and use their advice section to get feedback on your projects and ideas from fellow enthusiasts. You can even hire professionals via the app to help make those dreams a reality.
Cost: Free
Available on: iOs and Android devices
We hope these property apps help you sell your house faster and easier! If you ever want some impartial advice on your house sale, feel free to get in touch with Vivo Property Buyers for a friendly chat.
Vivo Property Buyers is the trading name for Potrell London Ltd, The Ashridge Business Centre 121 High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2DJ.
