House hunters to view neighbourhoods using drones

Househunters may soon use personal drones to explore new neighbourhoods, according to property experts' claims this week. As rapid technological developments continue to substantially impact the property sector, wearable devices such as “heads-up-display” (HUD) glasses for managing virtual renovations are predicted to become a widespread trend, as are augmented reality High Street “Explorium” spaces for off-plan buying ventures, invisible interior beacons to replace sales boards, and crowdfunding for pooling home-buying funds and overcoming property bureaucracy. Increasing property prices, difficulties raising a deposit and the general costs associated with moving are cited as the factors most likely to deter prospective homebuyers. Meanwhile over 90% of UK homeowners admit to being uncertain on overseas property ownership due to the possibility of Brexit.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

People looking for a new home will soon be using personal drones to check out new neighbourhoods, claims a new report from easyProperty. Its predictions also include the advent of:

• Wearable devices such as HUD (heads up display) glasses that allow you to virtually renovate and refurbish property during viewings, as well as interact with an architect via a hologram

• Virtual and augmented reality ‘Explorium’ cafes/spaces on the High Street for off-plan buying

• Invisible beacons inside properties to replace sales boards - if they match prospective buyers’ criteria they will broadcast details to their mobile devices as they pass by and organise automated check-ins to view properties

The authors also believe crowdfunding will grow substantially so that a would-be home-buyer in 2025 will ask micro-investors to lend them the money to buy a house, getting round obstacles such as a lack of deposit or a poor credit rating.

Why not move?

People who are considering buying or moving home have been thinking about it for an average of three years. The figures from GoCompare.com show the main barriers to moving are property prices, raising a deposit, and the general costs of buying a property and moving.

One in 10 also cited the ongoing costs of running a home such as mortgage repayments, utility bills and council tax. By age group, 45-54 year olds said job/income insecurity was another big obstacle, while those aged over 55 said the main problem is a lack of the type of housing they wish to move to.

Modern homes

Although two-thirds of families are spending more time in the home than ever before, less time is being spent actually together with the average household socialising less than one hour per day, according to Homebase figures. Its report also shows that most people regard the bathroom as their one retreat for peace and quiet, and only three out of 10 homes have any fresh plants indoors.

Popular properties

The top 10 most viewed properties on Zoopla in February are worth a total of £30m. Most viewed last month was a five-bedroom detached home in Keston, near Bromley in Greater London. The most expensive was a £7.2m six-bedroom house in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire which has a swimming pool, tennis court, and two gate houses.

Pets at home

One in 20 cat owners surveyed by Terrys Fabrics said that their cat had caused more than £1,000 of damage to their home. Two-thirds said that their cats have cost them at least £200 in repairs, compared to only a third of dog owners. A more upsetting report from Pets at Home shows that a quarter of people who have suffered a house fire also lost a pet in the incident.

Who does the housework?

On average, women spend over a quarter more time on housework than their male partners. Nearly a third of women think their partner doesn't do their fair share around the home, in contrast to 7 per cent of men. In a separate survey, figures from new app MoppedUp indicate that 28 per cent of UK households have employed a cleaner in the past 12 months, up from 12 per cent in 2011. Of the 72 per cent that have not used a cleaner, two-fifths said they would consider it in the future.

Conversion rates

First-time buyers are increasingly happy to live in converted public buildings to get on to the property ladder. Around 57 per cent are prepared to buy a former school, a poll by from Your Move & Reeds Rains indicates, while just over half would live in an former barracks and a similar figure in a converted church. However, only a quarter would opt for an ex-hospital. A sturdy one in seven would have no qualms about moving into a renovated prison.

Brexit overseas

Around 90 per cent of UK overseas property owners admit they are unsure how a Brexit will affect their overseas property. However, seven out of 10 surveyed by A Place in the Sun said that leaving the EU would not prevent or postpone them from buying an overseas property