Types of Virtual Tours for HMOs
There are several ways to create a virtual tour, each with different costs, quality levels, and suitability for HMO properties.
360-degree interactive tours
Created using cameras like the Matterport Pro2 or Ricoh Theta, these tours let viewers click through rooms at their own pace, pan around in 360 degrees, and get a true sense of the layout. The gold standard for HMO listings.
Video walkthroughs
A filmed walk through the property, either professionally shot or captured on a smartphone with a gimbal. More affordable than 360 tours and easier to produce, but less interactive. Works well for social media and listing portals.
Floor plan tours
Interactive floor plans where viewers click on rooms to see photos or 360 views. Particularly useful for HMOs as tenants can see exactly which room they are renting and how it relates to communal spaces.
Self-guided DIY tours
Using a smartphone app and a basic 360 camera, you can create simple virtual tours yourself. Quality is lower than professional options but serviceable for budget properties or landlords with large portfolios.
Why Virtual Tours Work Especially Well for HMOs
HMOs benefit more from virtual tours than almost any other property type. Here is why.
HMO tenants are renting a room, not a whole property — but the communal spaces matter just as much as the bedroom. A virtual tour lets prospective tenants see the kitchen they will share, the bathroom facilities, and the overall condition of the house. This builds confidence in a way that room photos alone cannot achieve.
Many HMO tenants are relocating to a new city for work or study and cannot easily attend in-person viewings. A virtual tour allows them to commit to a room remotely with confidence, dramatically expanding your pool of potential tenants. This is particularly valuable for rooms aimed at postgraduate students or professionals on corporate relocations.
Virtual tours also reduce wasted viewings. When a tenant has already explored the property virtually, they arrive at an in-person viewing ready to decide rather than just browsing. Some landlords report that over half of tenants who view the virtual tour sign without a physical viewing at all, saving significant time and coordination effort.
SpareRoom allows you to embed virtual tour links in your listing. Properties with virtual tours consistently rank higher in search results and receive more saved-listing actions.
Virtual Tour Costs for HMO Properties
Costs range from free (DIY smartphone tours) to several hundred pounds for professional Matterport scans. The investment is typically recouped through a single week of reduced void period.
| Tour Type | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| DIY smartphone video walkthrough | Free (your time only) |
| DIY 360 tour (Ricoh Theta Z1 camera) | £50–£100 per property (after camera purchase) |
| Professional video walkthrough | £150–£350 per property |
| Professional Matterport 360 tour | £200–£500 per property |
| Interactive floor plan with linked photos | £100–£250 per property |
| Premium package (360 tour + video + photos) | £400–£800 per property |
Tours typically need updating only when the property is refurbished or significantly changed. The cost is a one-off investment that serves multiple tenant turnovers.
How Virtual Tours Reduce Void Periods
Void periods are the biggest cost in HMO ownership. Even one week of vacancy per room per year adds up. Virtual tours attack voids at every stage of the letting process.
Pre-qualified viewings
Tenants who have explored the property virtually arrive at viewings already interested. Conversion rates from viewing to signed tenancy increase significantly because tyre-kickers self-select out before booking.
Faster time to let
Start marketing rooms before the current tenant has moved out by using the existing virtual tour. New tenants can view the property without coordinating access around the departing occupant's schedule.
Remote lets for relocators
Tenants moving from another city or country can commit to a room based on the virtual tour alone. This expands your market beyond local applicants and is especially valuable for university towns and corporate relocation hubs.
Premium positioning on portals
Listings with virtual tours appear higher in search results on SpareRoom and Rightmove. They also generate more clicks and saves, keeping your property visible for longer in a competitive market.
Creating Virtual Tours Yourself
If you want to create tours without hiring a professional, follow these steps for the best possible result on a budget.
Invest in a basic 360 camera (Ricoh Theta SC2 or Insta360 X3) — these start at around £250 and pay for themselves quickly
Clean and stage every room before shooting — declutter surfaces, make beds, and remove personal items from communal areas
Use a tripod at chest height and position the camera in the centre of each room for the most natural perspective
Shoot in daylight with all lights on — mixed lighting creates the most flattering interior images
Capture every space a tenant will use: their room, the kitchen, each bathroom, any lounge or dining area, and the exterior
Upload to a free hosting platform like Kuula or CloudPano, which allow you to link rooms together into a walkthrough
Add the tour link to your SpareRoom, Rightmove, and OpenRent listings — most portals now support virtual tour URLs
A Ricoh Theta camera and Kuula hosting account costs less than a single week of void on a typical HMO room. The equipment pays for itself almost immediately.
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