Preparing for your next move…
Traditionally spring has been a good time to sell your home. It’s when our properties look best, our gardens are starting to flourish and the good weather is better for showing off our homes in their best light
But this year has been different for those wanting to move home. With Coronavirus leading to lockdown for 16 weeks it’s not been an easy time for buyers or sellers.
In May, the government issued official guidelines on the re-opening of the residential housing market in England. While very welcome news for the property market, there are still complex regulations and strict guidelines to adhere to, which will remain in place for some time to come.
But there are things you can do yourselves to keep on top of the property market, so you don’t miss out on your dream home.
If you are still on furlough, it’s a good time to finish all those DIY jobs inside and out and spruce the place up.
You can still put your property on the market and start looking in the areas you want to move to. If you don’t want an estate agent in your house, you can take photos of each room yourself. It’s also good to produce a video and if possible, film a virtual tour. Video increases the level of engagement and makes people more likely to view your property on-line. Take photos from different angles to showcase the size of each room. You can then upload these to your estate agent and they can select the best shots. Secondly take accurate measurements of each room. You can even write your own spec, specifying all the key features. Your estate agent can advise on what to include.
Prepare and scan as much of the documentation necessary to sell your property in advance so that these can be submitted to your estate agent and solicitor online.
If you are happy to have a surveyor or tradesperson round to carry out estimates, no one should enter if a member of the household is showing symptoms of coronavirus or is self-isolating. Where someone is visiting your home, they should maintain the guidelines of social distancing, minimising contact and avoid touching any surfaces. Once they have left, make sure you wipe down with antibacterial wipes and wash your hands thoroughly.
You could also offer viewing via Zoom, giving potential buyers a live tour.
You can also do a short film of the local area including schools, amenities and transport links.
If you are looking for a home, new developers will often have a downloadable pdf document of their houses on-line for you to look at If you want to view a property, you should be able to make a specific appointment when there is no one else viewing at the same time.
Moving house will be a new experience and one we will all have to get used to. If you need advice, speak to your local estate agent who will be there to help you.
