What the Enhanced Lockdown Measures Mean For Property Buyers & Sellers in Scotland

What the Enhance Lockdown Measures Mean For Property Buyers & Sellers in Scotland

On Monday 4 January the Scottish Government announced a series of enhanced measures in response to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Here we take a look at what this means for those looking to buy or sell a property in Scotland.

Is it still possible to view properties for sale in person?

Yes. The latest government guidance, which you can read in full here, states that reasonable situations to go out include: “….activities in connection with moving home (including viewing a property), or for activities in connection with the maintenance, purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property that the person owns or is otherwise responsible for.”

In an effort to limit the number of in-person viewings to those who are most interested in the property, viewers should all have viewed virtually prior to attending an in person viewing. For that reason Warners is including as standard a 360 Virtual Tour for properties that we are bringing to the market.

There are also safety protocols governing how viewings are taking place. For example, all viewings must be arranged by appointment, so there are no open viewings taking place. Additionally, viewers are required to wear facemasks and maintain social distancing while viewing properties.

Can I get my property onto the market just now?

Yes. In line with the above guidance activities relating to moving home are permitted. This includes having photographers, surveyors and other professionals visit your property. The best first step in this process is to have one of our experienced valuers come out to offer you an assessment of your property’s value. You can arrange this here.

If, in the first instance, you would rather have us carry out a virtual valuation over Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp we are more than happy to accommodate that.

Can someone travel from elsewhere in the UK to view a property in Scotland?

Yes. The Government has confirmed that travel between the rest of the UK and Scotland is permitted for activities connected to moving home, including property viewings. However, they continue to advise that viewings take place virtually where possible. 

Can I view a property Warners is selling if I am shielding or self-isolating?

Yes. In addition to offering 360 Virtual Tours of properties that we are selling, we are happy to arrange virtual viewings via Zoom, WhatsApp and FaceTime wherever possible to do so. Do please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to try to arrange this for you.

Additional Information

The above article is based on latest available information at time of publication, 6 January 2021. If you have any queries please feel free to contact Warner today on 0131 662 4747 or by email at property@warnersllp.com and one of our friendly experts will be delighted to assist you.