Halifax launches home finder app
09-05-2012
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The app combines property search facilities, mortgage affordability calculators, local area information and property buyers' guides.
It said that it is the UK's first complete property and mortgage finance app that uses state of the art technology to revolutionise the way house hunters find and secure their dream home.
Offering more support to buyers than any other app, the Halifax Home Finder also incorporates the functionality of social media apps.
The lenders added that the free to download app allows users to manage the complex home buying process by enabling them to book viewings, rate properties, add comments and images of the property during viewings and subsequently share their thoughts with family and friends via an emailed PDF summary.
Other features of the Halifax home finder app include advanced augmented reality that enables home buyers to view properties currently for sale in the surrounding area, wherever they are, simply by holding up their smart phone.
It has a built in mortgage and repayment estimator so that prospective buyers can work out how much they might be able to borrow and estimate their new monthly mortgage repayments.
It also has access to Land Registry data giving extra information about previous sold prices which supports the crucial buying decision and local area guides highlighting information such as distance from schools and train/tube stations and hints and tips to support buyers through the home buying process.
It decided to develop the app because the way people search for properties over the last decade has changed extensively, with more and more people looking to access information on the move. Recent Halifax online research shows that 62% of people who purchased a property in the last five years undertook their property search online, with 80% of those looking to buy in the next five years likely to search for their next property in the same way.
It also revealed that the percentage of buyers looking to use a smart phone to purchase their next property is expected to rise three fold over the next five years compared to those who used a smart phone in the last five years.
The UK's fascination with house prices and the desire to know what is happening on their doorstop also remains high, with 31% of respondents regularly searching properties for sale in their local area, with 18% admitting to having no intention of buying them.
‘We know that today's house hunters want to be able to carry out their searches on a daily basis and when they are on the move. So the Halifax Home Finder app is perfect. It means that you can search properties, book viewings, rate properties and get an indicative mortgage calculation in one place,’ said Stephen Noakes, mortgages director at the Halifax.
‘It's a fantastic development which gives house hunters all the tools they need using the latest technology available. Using augmented reality means that all a house hunter needs to do is lift their handset to see the properties for sale in the streets around them,’ he explained.
‘Our aim is to provide house hunters with information and guidance to help them make sense of the residential property market and make better-informed property decisions. With this new app, our services will be easily and readily accessible whilst on the move,’ he added.
