A warts-and-all video tour can be helpful, says ISABEL MORTON

LAST WEEK, on the hunt for a suitable property that would fit my ex-pat client’s brief, I came across something which, although not perfect, might possibly tick enough boxes to be worthy of consideration.

It was one of those borderline cases – not quite exactly what they were looking for, but not too far off it either. I couldn’t dismiss it completely as its shortcomings were debatable; they may be perfectly acceptable for some but not for others. And, as perfection doesn’t exist, the final decision would be a balancing act between compromise and compensation.

Had the prospective buyers been living in Ireland and able to view the property themselves, the issue would have been quickly resolved. However, it was not quite so easy.

Where it’s all very fine having photographs, details, descriptions, maps and measurements online, nothing quite compares with walking through a property oneself and getting a feel of the space, proportions, aspect and atmosphere. And yet, ex-pats can hardly be expected to drop everything and fly to Ireland, every time something potentially interesting comes on the market.

Frustrated that I couldn’t just walk and talk them through the property, I started thinking about online shopping and the convenience of being able to buy something, that could later be returned if necessary. Although property can be purchased from afar, it’s not so easy to return it or exchange it for a different size or model.

However, the concept of online shopping reminded me of the time my older son gave me a tour of his New York apartment via Skype. It was amazing to be shown around his home on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean from the comfort of my kitchen stool in Dublin.

I considered this possibility for my ex-pat clients but quickly dismissed it for a number of reasons: the availability of a good signal, the quality of the image and the difficulty arranging a mutually suitable Skype viewing time – given that it would have to accommodate the vendor, estate agent, prospective buyer and yours truly. In addition, this Skype tour would have faced the extra difficulty of different global time zones.

There was only one solution – to film a guided tour of the property and send my clients the video link so it could be viewed on their computers whenever they so wished.

However, unlike boom-time property videos used as marketing tools to promote top-end rentals and sales (to show the best and hide the rest), this virtual inspection would have to highlight the good, bad and ugly. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth a damn.

So, with the estate agent and vendors’ permission and my personal camera/sound man in tow (younger son, whose career choice came in handy) I set about filming a warts-and-all tour of the property in question.

Let me assure you at this stage that this was not someone looking for a glamorous career in television presenting. I was not swanning around in my best bib and tucker, with a gleaming smile and a well-rehearsed script in hand. There were no set-ups, rehearsals, mood lighting or editing. Nothing flashy, exciting or even particularly entertaining – just clear images and hard facts.

Indeed, this was just about as far from glamorous as it gets. The camera was hand held, acting as the potential purchaser’s eyes, examining the immediate area and the property in as much detail as possible. My duty was to act as the camera’s guide, pointing out the positives and the negatives and explaining various aspects of the property construction, renovation work, layout, potential and décor, which may not have been immediately apparent or obvious.

If, after their video tour, they are still interested in the property, then potential purchasers should call in an independent surveyor to check for any serious building defects, talk to their solicitor regarding the contract and conditions of sale and make an offer to the estate agent. Only then, when all issues are resolved, would they have to make a trip home, to give their final seal of approval to the purchase and sign the contract.

But if, as in this case, the property turns out not to be the house of their dreams, at least they have had the opportunity to make an informed decision without having to waste time and money travelling home to view in person.

Now, before estate agents consider jumping on the “video tour” bandwagon, let me point out that the only worthwhile video report, would be one where those involved, are knowledgeable and impartial and have no vested interest in the financial transaction.

This would automatically rule out vendors and estate agents.

Isabel Morton is a property consultant