Latest Government Advice 7th Jan 2021:
“Initial viewings should be done virtually wherever this is possible and physical viewings should only be conducted where buyers are seriously considering making an offer on a property.”
Key Benefit of Video Walkthroughs
With video walkthroughs on StudentTenant.com, you have complete control over who you share the videos with, and your property will also be able to reach a large segment of the market which previously you couldn’t reach. These include:
• Students who’ve moved back to their hometown during half terms / reading weeks, winter or summer holidays, or staying with parents / relatives / friends during the lockdown.
• International students who are looking to secure accommodation but haven’t travelled to the UK yet.
• Upcoming 6th form students who are searching for university accommodation, or going through clearing and searching for last minute accommodation.
• Groups of students who have different schedules who may not be able to attend a physical viewing all at the same time.
When it comes to sharing a virtual video walkthrough of your student house, the best approach is to be as minimalistic as possible to not distract the viewers from seeing the property.
1. Contacting your current tenants
Before you can record the video walkthrough, you are legally required to give your tenants 24 hours notice before entering the property.
You must also follow the latest Government guidelines for landlords and tenants including Home Moving/Visits of (12 May 2020) and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Landlords and Tenants (28 March 2020) in particular c3.4, so an empty property is best.
Before visiting your property, you must check if your tenants are still at the property and if they have any COVID symptoms (even if they’re mild). If you are visiting the property, you must ensure that you are not endangering your tenants by maintaining social distancing and hygiene rules. You are also advised to bring your own sanitiser spray, masks, and gloves.
Ensure that the property is clean and tidy before filming (including communal areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen etc) and let your tenants know that you are going to be filming inside the property. If there are any personal items which they do not want to be recorded, they will need to remove or hide them temporarily.
Below we’ve put together a template of what you could email your tenants:
Dear [Tenant],
I am contacting you to advise that I will be visiting [property name] on [date] and [time] to conduct a video of the property. This is to reduce future tenant viewings while marketing the property under the latest government COVID-19 guidance. We will need to practice appropriate social distancing and hygiene policies and ask for your cooperation in meeting these.
• I will knock on the door and step back. If you are not in, I will let myself in but will call out and identify myself before entering.
• I will put on a mask and gloves before entering the house.
• I will bring my own hand sanitizer, mask and paper towels.
• Please arrange to either be outside or assist in moving around the property at a social distance during filming.
• For safety purposes, at no time will I approach you, or you should approach me during the visit.
Please could you ensure that the property is clean and tidy and that all of the rooms are left unlocked. You do not need to be out of the property during the video recording, however, I will need to access all rooms so you may need to move around the property to avoid being recorded.
If you have any personal items which you do not want to be recorded, please may I ask that you remove them before my arrival.
Thank you for your cooperation.
All the best,
[your name]
Bonus: Try and schedule a date where it’s sunny if possible - it’ll really enhance your video if there’s plenty of natural sunlight inside your property.
2. Talking to your viewers throughout the video
When it comes to recording a video, you don’t need to narrate which rooms you are in if you don’t want to. However, narrating what the viewers see, where they are, and what is included in the room provides a greater understanding of the property and context to what you are recording.
If you are narrating, here are some of our top tips:
• Plan what you’re going to say. Put some thought into what you’re going to say before you start recording, and you’re confident in what you’re saying.
• Do not include rental prices. Try not to include specific details such as rental costs as you want the video to be timeless. If, for example, you would like to change the rental price to lower than what you have said in your recording, it may confuse the viewers.
• Share basic information. Provide some clarification on what’s included in the property (furniture/white goods etc) and the sizes of each room, as well as drawing attention to any special features.
3. Recording the video
Once you’ve decided if you’re going to narrate, next you’ll need to start recording the videos. Below we’ve outlined what you need to make sure you’re doing to record a great video walkthrough:
• Less than four minutes. Try and keep your video as clear and concise as possible
• Show all areas of the property. Bedrooms, kitchen/dining rooms, living rooms, gardens - record it all!
• Methodically record through your house. Start by recording all the rooms on the ground floor, before moving up to the next floor.
• Don’t miss anything. This is the most important one. We want to give our viewers a rounded view of the property so don’t try to hide or deceive your viewers by hiding anything. Your video must be a true representation of your property.
4. Uploading your video to StudentTenant.com
Once you’ve created your video and you’re happy with it, you can upload it by clicking here. We’ll then check it over and approve it for your viewers to watch it.
• Click on the “Upload Video” button
• Select the video you would like to upload
• Once it has uploaded, you can choose which property the video is for
Please note: You can upload multiple videos per property. So if you can’t film a video walkthrough all in one go, you can upload it in sections.