North Carolina is beginning Phase 2 of the reopening process following the COVID-19 shutdown. If you’ve been around town lately, you are starting to see signs of life trickling out into the neighborhoods. People are eating outside on restaurant patios. There are more cars in the parking lots of local businesses. Salons are busy again.
While everyone has their own level of comfort re-acclimating into every day, it is still important to follow certain guidelines to keep everyone safe. If you are looking for a house, here is how you can safely visit a potential property.
We expect private showings will increase as the warmer weather and summer months are typically prime time for house hunting.
Virtual video tours are a great place to start with any home search. The virtual tours allow you to see inside a home so you can determine if you’d like to see the property in person.
If you think you’d like to see the home up close, talk to your agent to see if they have any information regarding schools, traffic, parks, development, etc. that would impact your decision.
Assuming the home passes that test, then schedule a showing and take the following precautions.
- When you are visiting a potential home for a showing, wear a mask. Masks are as much for your safety as the real estate agents and the current homeowner.
- Do not go to a scheduled showing, if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.
- Refrain from touching surfaces in the home.
- Keep as much physical space between you and the real estate agent as possible. Social distancing guidelines recommend 6 feet between people who are not in the same family.
- Use hand sanitizer before and after going inside the home.
- Meet the real estate agent at the property. Do not ride to or from a property with the agent in the same care.
While open houses are allowed, keep in mind there are limits to the number of people in the house at one time. So along with your mask, bring your patience.
If you are selling your home and are not comfortable with having strangers in and out for showings, discuss your concerns with your real estate agent.
- Your real estate agent can help you explore more digital options to promote the home.
- You may also want to reduce unnecessary risk by limiting showings to serious and pre-qualified buyers only.
- You can also request potential buyers sign a waiver stating that to the best of their knowledge they are not infected or have not been exposed to the coronavirus.
It is possible to find your dream house even in a pandemic. The process just looks a little different than it used to… but then again, so does everything else these days.
Your real estate agent should be happy to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have.