Sponsored Editorial

Kent largest independent estate agent has announced a brand new technology that will let potential buyers try out their new home ‘virtually’.

Wards is taking a huge leap into the future with Live-in VR, a headset that allows people to live inside any of their properties around the county for up to three months before they buy.

The headset is similar to the popular Metaverse video game headset and is expected to “reinvent the way people view and buy their next home”.

All customers have to do is sign a 13-page waiver at one of the specialist facilities owned by Arun Estates, the parent company of Wards, and they will have access to hundreds of properties at the click of a button.

“I was blown away by how realistic the experience was,” exclaimed one virtual tester.

“You are able to cook, clean, watch TV, have a bath, and even redecorate!”

Testers were able to sit on their sofa and do everything they could wish to do in their potential new home without even leaving the house, all through the magic of a headset.

The technology has not been launched just yet, but it has been tested during an extensive eight-month trial which was largely successful - however, there were some issues that had to be ironed out during the testing period.

“We did struggle to re-integrate some of our test subjects back into society after many of them moved straight into a new property after their three-month trial,” says Domestic Energy Assessor Neil Martin.

“The phone lines of our Central Sales Hub were filled with concerned spouses.”

“We have also drastically improved the airflow system within the spaces. We hadn’t accounted for the smell of 10 or 15 people not showering for several weeks.”

Live-in VR will soon be available to all Wards customers.