Buying and selling a home during the coronavirus lockdown

As the current Covid-19 pandemic continues, the government have put into place a UK-wide lockdown. Many people who are in the midst of buying or selling a house have put all their plans on hold, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.

Whilst physically viewing properties is not an option at the minute, expert estate agents Chancellors have come up with some helpful advice to market a property during this unprecedented time.

Undertake a video tour 

As a result of social distancing, house viewings are not currently available.  A way around this may be showing the property off by filming a video tour, even if it’s homemade.

People will be understanding if it’s not entirely professional looking at this time as it will still give a good feel to the property.

You can also send over photos and any important information regarding your property.  Doing this may just encourage a motivated buyer to make an offer.

Keep the property online

If the property is kept online, interest lists can still be created by estate agents. This means that when things calm down, an open house can be planned by the agents in order to encourage buyers.

If you are looking to buy a house, it’s also important to research as much as possible into the area so you have a clear idea of what you want when the lockdown is over.

This includes researching Ofsted school reports, reviewing sold property prices and taking a look at local transport links and facilities such as shops.

Consider remortgage options

We also advise you to look at remortgage options that do not have redemption penalties to ensure that if you do have to wait a little longer for the perfect buyer you are not spending more than you have to for those extra few weeks or months.

Buy a key box 

When it comes to exchanging keys for your property, buying a key box can be a good idea if social distancing restrictions are still in place. This will avoid you coming into contact with people, and keep everyone safe whilst still allowing the key to be passed over to the buyer.

Choose a suitable conveyancer

Research your conveyancer options before you select one. We advise you to choose a conveyancer who has a team of people to support exchange and completion and also has full working from home arrangements in place.

You can find out the current advice on moving home during the pandemic by clicking here.