On 13th May 2020, the government amended the corona virus (COVID-19) regulations to make clear that people who wish to move home can do so provided social distancing is adhered to. This guidance provides important public health information to ensure that moving home and key activities around this, such as market appraisals, can happen safely.
COVID is still well rooted in the UK, and therefore it’s not just a case of simply heading back to the office and booking dozens of appointments. We need to make sure that we work in a safe and responsible manner, and this will take some time to set-up.
The guidance released by the government is summarised below:
Preparing to sell or let your home
Agents are permitted to visit your property, but must adhere to social distancing guidelines. If any of your household are displaying symptoms or self-isolating then nobody should visit your home. We will have in place internal guidelines to protect our staff and clients, and will provide more details upon booking an appointment.
Finding a home to buy or let
You are now permitted to travel to view a property for the purposes of purchasing it, or letting it. However, this process will be different and we intend to follow the government guidelines.
- Initial viewings should be done virtually wherever possible. We are working hard to compile 360 virtual tours for ALL of our properties. These tours allow you to freely walk around the property in your own time, without the pressure of a timed appointment slot.
- Only if you are seriously considering making an offer on the property, should you then request a physical viewing. We will only be permitted to show those who are in a position to proceed immediately and have funds in place. I.e. they are first time buyers, or have sold and have cash or a mortgage in place.
- We will only be permitted to show people from the same household. If you must bring your children with you, they should be closely accompanied to prevent them from touching surfaces.
- Whilst in the property you should avoid touching any surfaces, and should bring with you your own hand sanitiser. We ask that you sanitise your hands prior to, and after entering the property. If you have a mask, you should wear this in accordance with any appropriate instructions/guidance.
- Our clients will vacate the property whilst you are shown around, to minimise the risk of contact.
There is further detailed guidance relating to home moves, and surveys etc… that can be viewed here.
