HNTR: the free app that wants to be the PA for your househunt

Camilla De Cesare launched home-buying assistant app, hntr, two months in the past after discovering the entire course of of buying her first dwelling overwhelming.

“I began seeking to purchase in December 2021 and finally purchased in 2022 in Baron’s Courtroom.”

As De Cesare labored full time – like many first-time patrons – she needed to organise viewings for the weekend and, on one Saturday, noticed a complete of eight properties. The method was additional difficult by three of the male brokers she was coping with having the identical first identify, and the identical for 2 of the feminine brokers.

“Making an attempt to maintain monitor of all these houses, the property brokers, reserving confirmations, inquiries to ask, pictures, calendar reminders – it was chaos.

“I had a spreadsheet, notes in my cellphone, emails in every single place, and a digicam roll filled with out-of-context pictures. I believed: absolutely there’s a greater method to handle this?”

There wasn’t, so she did what all the most effective annoyed clients do: she invented one herself, an app referred to as hntr (like hunter, as in, home).

The hntr app helps customers in 3 ways. Firstly, it pulls in hyperlinks from totally different property portals and lists their main options, equivalent to variety of bedrooms, loos and the situation, to create a Property Profile.

You’ll be able to then add your personal private must-haves, for instance, ‘Does it have a backyard?’ ‘What’s the gap from Tube?’ and see how the property measures up towards these.

You’ll be able to then monitor whether or not you’ve booked a viewing and there are push notifications set as much as remind you of the time and phone particulars.

For while you’re on the viewing, hntr means that you can report solutions to 10 pre-set questions, equivalent to ‘Is the property freehold or leasehold?’ ‘What’s the web pace?’, in addition to add your personal. These act as a immediate of what to ask the agent.

If you wish to take your personal pictures and movies, you possibly can add these to the app after which share all the information with a companion, whether or not they made the viewing or not. You may also charge the property, add private notes and mark your stage of curiosity.

Sooner or later, it’s hoped that an AI component will probably be added that may run the properties towards one another to see which performs finest towards your standards.

The second component of the app is a Finances & Value Tracker that kicks in when you’ve had a suggestion accepted.

In accordance with the Aldermore First-Time Purchaser Index, 63 per cent of first-time patrons spent greater than they’d deliberate and practically half couldn’t afford furnishings immediately.

The tracker permits customers to set their funds and enter their precise spend, then tick off gadgets as they’re paid for.

“I wasn’t ready for the prices of shopping for a house… The tracker splits out the prices at every a part of the shopping for journey, whether or not that’s the survey or the authorized charges. It’s there to assist patrons really feel in management.”

The ultimate component is the Buying Guidelines that permits purchasers to ensure they do all the things that they should and do it in the precise order.

“I didn’t know that there are two totally different surveys that happen: one by the mortgage firm and one other that you simply organise,” says De Cesare.

That is additionally how the app is monetised – there’s a trusted and vetted solicitor, surveyor, mortgage dealer and residential insurance coverage firm that pay hntr a referral charge ought to anybody be directed to them through the app.

All of the really helpful suppliers function UK-wide and, whereas the app helps you ship a pre-written electronic mail, after this, the remainder of your interactions happen off-line through the standard channels. “It’s a win-win: patrons get steerage after they want it, and hntr earns with out including to their burden.”

The app is out there on iOS and Android, to anybody within the UK, however the shopping for course of in Scotland is barely totally different so the Buying Guidelines is not going to apply.

Presently, the take-up has been completely natural and could be very London-centric, with two per cent of London first-time patrons, equating to about 1,000 customers. There’s a 40 per cent conversion charge and customers are inclined to test the app 2.5 occasions a day.

The aim is to have 10 per cent of all English first-time patrons utilizing the app by the top of the 12 months, that’s round 30,000 customers.

“I’ve had individuals on TikTok and Reddit message me saying they’re neurodivergent, they usually didn’t suppose dwelling shopping for was a risk given how overwhelming all of it appears and hntr is giving them the boldness to begin the method,” provides De Cesare.

Along with offering a great tool for first-time patrons, hntr, which is self-funded, additionally donates 10 per cent of its income to youth homeless charity Centrepoint. That is significantly significant as a result of an estimated 354,000 persons are experiencing homelessness in England, which is sort of the identical because the variety of first-time patrons yearly in England.

“It’s essential to me that the app offers again… How superb is it that you need to use this app that will help you purchase a home however then additionally assist another person discover a dwelling too?”

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Taskrabbit: From assembling IKEA furnishings to mounting a TV, this handyman service means that you can e-book a tasker to assist with the inevitable little jobs that include proudly owning a house.

Rightmove: Rightmove’s dominance within the UK property market can’t be underestimated. Make sure to arrange alerts so as quickly as any properties that meet your standards hit the market.

AroundMe: A terrific app should you’re transferring to an space you don’t know. AroundMe highlights facilities equivalent to chemists, petrol stations, banks and supermarkets, close to the place you’re shopping for.

Sortly This app makes the packing course of (nearly) stress-free. You’ll be able to create a transferring guidelines and take pictures of things, as you pack them, so nothing is left behind and unpacking is faster and simpler.