Can I Sell My Home During Lockdown?

So, can I put my home on the market during lockdown?

Yes, definitely, however you must observe COVID-19 guidelines, and if you, or anyone in your household, show symptoms then estate agents and potential buyers should not visit your property in person. If you remain symptom free, and are not being asked to self-isolate, we can visit to prepare the necessary photos, floor plan, and Video Tour for the successful marketing of your property. To help prevent the spread of infection, the government recommends that buyers view your property online prior to making a physical viewing, and that is why we added the Video Tour feature to our services in 2020.

Can buyers visit my home during lockdown?

Yes, if someone is looking to move home, they can continue going to do viewings during lockdown. Wherever possible, they should view the property online in the first instance. Then, if they feel the property is very suitable, they can book a physical viewing. This should reduce the number of viewings they have to undertake, which in turn will help minimise the spread of germs. When viewing a property in person, viewers must wear a suitable face mark, avoiding

touching surfaces, and should wash or sanitise their hands before and after the appointment. There should never be more than two households inside a property at any one time, so ‘open houses’ are not currently viable. In addition, the government recommends viewings last no longer than 15 minutes. To aid that, it is best to ensure the viewer moves around your property purposefully. Questions, wherever possible, should be kept until the end of the viewing. The buyer can then either put the questions to you from the doorstep once the viewing concludes, or better still then can call/text/email the questions to us afterwards and we will furnish the responses as quickly as possible.

Can I book a removals firm?

Yes, removals firms are still able to work providing that all parties follow the safety guidelines. We would recommend you do as much of the packing as possible yourself and give your belongings a quick spray or wipe-down with a disinfectant before they are handled by removals staff. When the removals staff are on the premises, we recommend you do your best to maintain social distance and wash your hands regularly. And offers of the cliched “tea with 2 sugars” is, I’m afraid, off the cards. Given how busy the housing market it at present, and the extra safety measures the firms need to observe, we would recommend that you book your removals company as early as possible. In many areas they are very busy, and it may be a challenge for you to find a suitable company available at short notice.