DRONE footage gives a potential buyer an immediate overview of a property – the scale, yard facilities, any improvements that must be made, topography and a general landscape of the land. The use of drones to take aerial photographs and video footage of properties is becoming more popular in Ireland. For some auctioneers, a drone is becoming a cost effective way of providing a powerful presentation of the property they are showcasing, giving the buyer a complete tour of the area from their desk.

However, operators should be aware of the responsibilities that come with flying a drone. It is considered an unmanned aircraft that is remotely piloted/controlled and operators must familiarise themselves with the rules, to ensure they don’t endanger other airspace users or people.

Since the beginning of the year, all drone operators must obtain a licence as part of the criteria to fly the object and drone registration is mandatory in accordance with the Small Unmanned Aircraft and Rockets Order S.I. 563 of 2015. All drones over 1kg and less than 25kg without fuel but including any articles or equipment installed in or attached to the aircraft and including cargo at the start of its flight, must be registered.

The operator is obliged not to fly the drone higher than 400ft (120m) in order to ensure there is a safety buffer zone to avoid small planes, who can fly as low as 500ft. The drone must also be kept within 300m of the operator. Henry O’Leary of Henry O’Leary Auctioneers, Clonakilty, Co Cork, who operates his own drone, believes they are much more useful than sending a small plane into the air to capture a property.

COST EFFECTIVE

“A small plane won’t ever get you the same angles as a drone will. First of all, they cannot fly below 500ft and they can’t get into the smaller places,” said the Cork-based auctioneer. O’Leary believes that investing in a drone for long-term use is about 30 percent cheaper than hiring a small plane, and the availability of the latter is often limited. “The cost will depend if you are hiring a professional or operating the drone yourself but to buy one, they start at about €1,000 for a basic version and go up to €20,000.

“Not everyone will be comfortable flying a drone and if it is not something you are doing on a regular basis your chances of perfecting the skill are greatly reduced, so for many the option to hire someone might be the less stressful solution.”

However, the price of hiring a drone, as well as the professional to operate the unmanned aircraft, can be high and varies depending on the size of the parcel of land, the length of time it will take, if there is editing of footage involved and how much work the camera man has to do on that.

Steve Slade of SkyTec UAS Ireland Ltd told The Irish Field that capturing pictures and video footage of a farm with over 80 acres of land could cost up to €1,000. “The cost varies again depending on the amount of time the camera man spends at the property and the length of the video the client wants.”

Slade captures between 10 or 12 properties each year for auctioneers, but explains that rules and regulations prevent drones flying over main roads, people and some properties, which makes photographing certain areas increasingly difficult.

Meanwhile, the benefit the buyer gets from the footage is huge, and with the current exchange rate between the Sterling and Euro, UK buyers are prominent in Ireland. The comprehensive video footage will give the clients a bigger incentive to visit the property. “Some 80% of my buyers are from the UK,” said O’Leary. “Some people will always be wondering what is out of shot. This way you can show them more of the property. The truth of the matter is, buyers can go straight to Google Earth and have a look for themselves. This way you can provide them with better quality footage and any updates that may have been done since Google Earth was filmed. It will fill the gap between an image and Google Earth.”

Auctioneers (or anyone) intending on operating a drone can apply for their licence and organise to attend a short training course on www.iaa.ie.