What The Move to Phase 2 of the COVID Route Map Means for Your House Move
From 29 June the property market in Scotland will enter Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Route Map for moving out of lockdown. As a result many of the restrictions on the process of buying and selling a property are being lifted, and we have already seen enquiries from buyers and sellers rise substantially in anticipation of the market ‘reopening’.
It’s important to note that the move to Phase 2 does not simply mean a return to pre-COVID normality however and important rules and guidelines are still in place. You can read full details of the Government’s guidance here and we would certainly encourage to do so, but for convenience we have summarised some of the key points below on what the move to Phase 2 means.
Booking a Property Valuation
From 29 June it will be possible to carry out physical valuations of properties once again. At Warners we will be providing all of our valuers attending valuations with facemasks and hand sanitiser to minimise any potential risk.
We will also be happy to continue to offer virtual valuations over WhatsApp, Zoom or Facetime for those who are self-isolating or would just be more comfortable with that approach.
You can book a free, no obligation valuation of your property here or by calling 0131 662 4747.
Viewing A Property
In-person property viewings will be permitted again from Monday 29 June but there are some important caveats to this. In-person viewings should also only take place after the potential buyer has taken part in a virtual viewing. At Warners we are offering all of our clients a 360 Virtual Tour of their property to help make this easy for potential buyers.
Open viewings are not permitted to help avoid a situation where large numbers of people attend at the same time and all appointments should be by appointment only. Those taking part in viewings are advised to wear facemasks, maintain a distance of 2m or more from those not in their household and to wash or sanitise their hands before and after the viewing.
Viewers are advised to avoid touching surfaces in the property wherever possible. To assist with this, Warners is encouraging our selling clients to ensure that internal doors are opened prior to viewing appointments.
Home Report & Photography Appointments
Surveyors, photographers and other relevant professionals can now enter your home to carry out work necessary to progress the sale of your property. Again, there will be some practical differences to how these appointments will take place. Many of these, such as the wearing of face coverings and maintaining distance from those attending your property mirror the guidance for conducing viewings.
It is also important to ensure that your home is fully prepared for when professionals attend to minimise the need for, say, a photographer having to handle or move items within your home.
Our team will go through all of this in detail with you and be happy to answer any questions that you have.
Further Information
If you are thinking of buying or selling a property and would like more information, call Warners today on 0131 662 4747 or by emailing property@warnersllp.com and one of our team will be delighted to help.
