How to view a property safely.
If, like many, you havefelt frustrated that youcan't view or move home, you will be pleased to hear that the housing market is re-open. But for many viewing someone's home is a real concern.
So, we have put together a guide on what you can do before, during and after a viewing to minimise the risks and safely view your next home.
Protect yourself and those in the property you’re viewing by following these steps:
Whether it’s on your way to a viewing, or once you get there, remember these three key pieces of advice from the government:
- Maintain a 2m distance from anyone you aren’t living with
- Wash your hands regularly (and thoroughly) and avoid touching your face
- Minimise contact with surfaces outside of your home
Start with an online viewing, if available?
Before you view the property in person, we will offer you an online viewing. It’s a great place to start and can be particularly helpful, allowing you to work out if the property is suitable or not. We will arrange a virtual viewing and answer your initial questions, it’s also one less journey you’ll need to make.
Of course, you may still wish to view the property in person, before being able to proceed with an offer, but it’s a great place to start.
Before the viewing
In line with government guidance, anyone experiencing coronavirus symptoms should be staying at home, to help prevent further spread of the disease.
We recommend asking us as many questions as possible during the online viewing and before the physical viewing, to help save time on the viewing itself.
Travelling to and from viewings
We want you to be more excited than stressed right now, so follow our top travel tips for a smooth, and safe, journey:
- Wherever possible, use your own transport (i.e car, motorcycle or bicycle) or, if it’s a walkable distance, consider this as an option
- If you’re planning to drive to a viewing, think in advance about parking. Let the agent know in advance so they can advise you on where’s best to park as it’s not always obvious, especially if you don’t know the area.
- Show up on time. Agents will need you to arrive at your viewing at the time you’ve agreed, not earlier and not later. This is to help minimise the number of people gathering near the property.
At the viewing
For the duration of the viewing, you will need to be mindful that this is someone’s home (if occupied) and follow the social distancing guidelines.
Being armed with all the questions you still need to ask on the viewing will be more important than ever to ensure you’re getting the most out of the viewing.
We recommend that you create your own ‘viewing kit’ to get the most out of your viewings:
- Anti-bacterial hand sanitiser, this will ensure you can clean your hands both before and after the viewing
- A face mask – It will show politeness to the agent and current owner that you have considered them.
- Disposable gloves – not an essential, but a good idea if you’re worried about touching anything accidentally (especially if you’ve had to travel by public transport). We will ask all viewers at the viewing to refrain from touching anything in the property.
- Questions - try to ask as many questions as you can BEFORE the viewing, during the virtual viewing is a great place to ask as many questions but anytime before or after the viewing.
- Something to write with – be it a pen, pencil or your phone, you’ll want to jot down the answers to your questions and make notes.
- Your phone – not only so you can contact us if you need to, but also so you can take photos or make notes
Over the coming weeks, your agent will be busy booking in prospective buyers who’ve asked to view your property. Whilst we will make every effort to carry out the viewings for our clients we have put together a list of what you can do to help:
Protecting your household and those on viewings
Always remember to follow this simple government guidance:
- Maintain a 2m distance from those on the viewing – we know this may be challenging, especially in smaller properties, but speak to your agent and together work out a route that makes the most sense for viewings to follow. If you ever forget what 2m looks like, imagine taking two long strides, or visualising the height of your front door!
- Wash your hands regularly (and thoroughly) and avoid touching your face – we’ve all got the dry hands to prove it, but this remains one of the most important pieces of guidance right now to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and we’d recommend doing this both before and after each viewing.
- Regularly clean items that are likely to be touched on viewings – Particularly door handles, doorbells, and window latches/locks.
Before the viewing
Viewings should not go ahead if any party is experiencing symptoms or has recently tested positive for coronavirus.
As with buyers and tenants we will be asking similar questions on the day of the viewing to ensure that circumstances haven't changed. e.g.
- Has anyone in your household had COVID-19?
- Has anyone in your household displayed COVID-19 symptoms or not yet completed a required period of household self-isolation?
- Is anyone in your household in the high-risk category?
Don’t be afraid to check with us to check if this has happened if it’s a concern.
Preparing for the viewing
Presenting your home at it's best is crucial to ensure the best price, giving the house a good deep clean before a viewing has always been advisable but now more so than ever it serves a double purpose.
When the agent is doing the viewing on your behalf, they will be opening all doors, cupboards etc for those on the viewing and we will be asking viewers not to touch anything. Keep a track of where the viewers have been and if they have accidently touched anything you will know where to wipe. Our agents will be doing this on viewings that we accompany.
It is imperative that you discuss any viewing plan or strategy before any viewings take place.
To help minimise the number of people in your home at any one time, it may be required for you and your household to leave while the viewing is taking place.
When preparing for a viewing, follow our checklist to help it go smoothly:
- Clean items and/or areas that are likely to be touched (i.e door handles, doorbells) with an antibacterial cleaner both before and after the viewing has taken place.
- Open windows to boost ventilation prior to the viewing taking place
- Open internal doors, loft hatches, and anything else you think may be of interest, ahead of the viewing to minimise any unnecessary contact
- If possible, provide hand sanitiser by your front door so that the agent and viewers can clean their hands when they enter and leave your home. Agents will have their own with them and viewers will be asked to bring their own.
- Have a plan of where you can go while the viewing is taking place if you need to.
After the viewing
Once the viewing has finished, the agent may want to spend a couple of extra minutes with you, perhaps going through any feedback or comments with you. If you have an outdoor space that allows you to distance yourselves more easily, feel free to take the conversation outside, or ideally minimise physical meetings and book a follow-up video call.
Once the agent has left, you’ll want to wipe down any door handles, cupboard doors etc that were touched on the viewing, with an antibacterial wipe or spray, and wash your hands.
If your agent is unable to do the viewing, you may find our blog on "How to carry out the perfect viewing" useful.
If you have any concerns please get it touch, we are here to help.