How to stay safe from covid-19 while searching for a property?

In the world today, if you are looking for a new property, whether for private or commercial purposes, a little inconvenience unfortunately will be caused. Therefore, during this ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the sops for covid 19 for real estate should be greatly adhered to. The Covid 19 Pakistan, after challenging the nation with its first wave, is currently in its second wave. Nevertheless, Pakistanis have always had endured any challenge put forward to them. 

This is the reason why despite all the challenging times, Pakistan’s almost all industries are endeavoring to thrive in general and the real estate industry in particular. However, the real estate sector has probably more responsibility on its shoulders, when it comes to taking sufficient precautions in the form of sops for covid 19 while searching the property.

Searching for a new home or property is always exciting. However, in these ‘never seen before times’ and the compulsion to make social distances, finding properties could become painful for any stakeholder involved. That said, it still is possible to pursue the property dealing or selling plans, if the sops for covid 19 while searching property are followed.

This article has been, therefore, written for the people with property dealing goals in these days, in light of the coronavirus sops for real estate. And it follows as:

1. Hiring a sufficient knowledgeable real-estate dealer:

The best thing for a purchaser to do, as part of the coronavirus sops for real estate, is to hire a real-estate third party, as the Property Buy Rent. Real estate dealing parties can brief the current situation much better than anyone in your local respective community. 

Party, the one which is making the purchase, its property/real-estate dealer should be very well familiar with the laws and restrictions of the area. It should also be familiar how all this is going to affect the purchasing and selling process. A good property dealer should simplify things for you. The dealing process should also be made streamlined. Thereby, remains no complexity regarding paperworks, appraisals, and inspections. 

Therefore, it is very necessary to ask these important questions, to whoever you choose as your property dealer: 1) is the selling party allowed to provide you with a tour of the property; 2) is the selling party willing to give you a property tour; 3) in case the selling party is not allowed to provide the tour can a virtual be arranged; 4) are they familiar with using technology or apps for providing such virtual tour; 5) if the the coronavirus sops for real estate are being observed to the best, which includes hands’ washing, mask wearing, and working in accordance of the community guidelines.

2. Opt for a virtual tour of the home

As part of the coronavirus sops for real estate, it may not be permissible for you to get a physical or in-person tour of the property that you want to have. For this reason, you may need to ask your property dealer or the third-party real estate, if they can provide you with a virtual tour of the property.

In a virtual tour, the seller or the property dealer using a video camera shows the property to the extent they can. This virtual tour gives almost the same experience as the in-person or physical tour gives. Also, the tips to save life from covid 19 while renting a house, also falls under this standard operating procedure.

A useful aspect of the virtual tour in comparison to a pre-recorded video is that in the latter the buyer can ask questions and interact with the seller or the dealer, while in the former it is not possible to interact and question the other stakeholder. These live tours can be done by making use of the apps such as the zoom, skype, or the facetime. The use of technology however varies from one individual to another. It is nonetheless also possible to use any other app or technology for providing a virtual tour instead of the aforementioned ones.

3. Explore the neighborhood in light of coronavirus sops for real estate

Exploring the neighborhood is one of the necessary measures for making a purchase of any kind of property. It makes a significant impact if you are to use it for a commercial or income purpose. For residence purposes, the neighborhood weighs equally important. 

Therefore if the coronavirus sops for real estate allows you to walk in the neighborhood, by taking care of the social distancing, you may be free to talk. Such walks therefore should only be for the sake of exploring and experiencing the neighborhood. However if it is not permissible for a walking neighborhood tour, it is still a possibility to better explore the place, by staying in the car all the time and making the rounds. Additionally, interacting with the locals is also possible if some distance is maintained, while the interaction is being made.

4. Search properties using online platforms

It is a very good idea and can indeed be very useful if the purchasers can be a little more specific in the property they are interested to buy in. This can be possible by making online searches by using real estate mediums, such as Property Buy Rent. Thanks to the just mentioned property dealing online platform, your desired property is always a few searches away. By filtering down your preferences,  your dream property is just short of a visit to the website.

Filtering the preferences helps you in being precise in what you are looking for in a property and can be very helpful before having a virtual tour arranged. Having virtual tours before you are precise in your preferences wastes a great deal of time of every party and individual involved. However, it is important to also know that whichever online real estate platform you opt, it should provide detailed descriptions and photos of the property.

5. Convey you are a serious buyer

Because of the obvious reasons due to the current coronavirus pandemic, the sellers, although willing for an immediate sale, may become a little hesitant in allowing buyers or the property dealers to have a physical tour of their property. This hesitation is seen to be higher, when the sellers have the residence in the property that they wish to sell.

This behaviour, although justified to a rather extent, is now being shown because of the trends of the non-serious buyers in the past. The non-serious buyers are the ones who are not readily willing or able to purchase a property. However, their tours of the property are for such property purchases which they will be making after some good years. Not to mention, some people have got a lot of time on their hands as well.

Owing to the aforementioned reasons, the sellers now have become very careful in letting people visit their homes. Therefore, the buyer should convey the seller that the tours they want to have or the interactions they are having are not on their future to-do lists, but for their immediate property purchasing plans.

Moving-in and the Coronavirus sops for real estate

If you have already purchased a home of your dreams and are just planning to move, you may need to follow our list of the do’s and the don’ts pertaining to the coronavirus sops for real estate, which follows as:

Avoiding the used cardboard boxes– As per the world health organization the used cupboards should be avoided at any cost. This guideline is backed by the research conducted by various international scientists and pandemic countering bodies, which states and reveals that coronavirus strains live upto 24 hours on the surface of a cupboard.

This emphasizes the fact that such boxes should neve be borrowed from either the friends, family or from the workplaces. This should always be kept in mind that the contemporary situation does not permit us to share our things with others, and neither to use the used things of others.

Virtual surveys for the moving companies- A moving company basically helps you in moving-in your things or belongings from your old to the new residence. The moving companies work by visiting your old residence to know the estimate of your belongings in order to arrange for the pertaining workforce, allocate sufficient time, and estimate the cost. 

However, now, as part of the coronavirus sops for real estate, you should better request them to have a virtual tour of the belongings in your old-residence, in place of their traditional in-house visits.

Sanitizing the surfaces after moving in –  Now this one requires you to arrange an array of disinfecting sprays and wipes prior you move in, or should be with you on the very day of your moving in. Hand sanitizers and hand soaps should be placed in all the bathrooms and by the main/entering/front door as well.

In addition to this, after you have moved in, cardboard boxes and the surfaces with the most contacts (as the railings of the staircase, door knobs, etc) should be extensively and thoroughly sanitized.

The moving company shall vary– The workforce of the moving company to which you have entrusted the movings of your belongings should be advised to work in adherence to the coronavirus sops for real estate. The precautionary measures for the workforce of the moving company includes the following:

  • they should be wearing the mask all the time
  • they should not be find negligent of not wearing the gloves (it is most important since they would be getting in contact with all the belongings)
  • the gloves should be of the standard quality and should be not below the standard
  • the gloves as per the need should be replaced time after time and should also be extensively sanitized as an additional protection
  • they should also be taking great care of the personal hygiene (which primarily includes washing their hands thoroughly throughout the day)

Making sure of all such precautions is very very important. Based on which a company should be assessed before, and should be handed over with the responsibility of moving in the belongings.

Maintaining the social distancing- Now, no one can better explain the guidelines for the social distancing and explain what a best version of it should be or looks like, other than the World Health Organization (WHO) itself.

The WHO’s social distancing guidelines are as under, and the moving company should as well be made to work in according to it:

Avoid crowded or indoor settings but if you can’t, then take precautions: Open a window. Increase the amount of ‘natural ventilation’ when indoors.”

The WHO further says:

“Maintain at least a 1-metre distance between yourself and others to reduce your risk of infection when they cough, sneeze or speak. Maintain an even greater distance between yourself and others when indoors. The further away, the better.

Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate use, storage and cleaning or disposal are essential to make masks as effective as possible.”

Key takeaways:

If by any reason you can’t or could not read our detailed article on the coronavirus sops for real estate, following is the summary of what you should be doing to a rather extent as sops for covid 19.

In case you are allowed to make a physical tour of the property, ensure following guidelines are being met:

  • Only a handful and minimal number of people should be making a tour of the house.
  • Masks should be worn all the time.
  • One single individual should be assigned with the duty of making contacts with the households or the surfaces. This should be done by the very individual only, who would be wearing the gloves.

Precautionary measures for the moving company, which should be took while moving the belongings are:

  • Staff should be wearing the mask all time
  • They should not be found negligent of not wearing gloves. It is most important since they would be getting in contact with all the belongings.
  • The gloves should be of the standard quality and should not be below standard.
  • The gloves as per the need should be replaced after some time and should also be extensively sanitized as an additional protection.
  • They should also be taking great care of their personal hygiene. It primarily includes washing the hands thoroughly throughout the day.

Following questions should be mandatory to ask one’s property dealer:

  • If the selling party is allowed to provide you with a tour of the property.
  • Is the selling party willing to give you a property tour.
  • In case the selling party is not allowed or willing to provide the tour, a virtual should be arranged by making use of such technology or applications.
  • Is the selling party is capable of arranging the virtual tours
  • Inquire whether they are practicing the coronavirus sops for real estate to their best. It includes hands’ washing, mask wearing, working in accordance with the community guidelines.

Extra steps which should be taken as an additional protective layer:

  • Perform proper due diligence on your own. Do not only rely only on what the property dealer and the seller says.
  • If necessary, request for more photos of the property, or clearer and much extensive videos.
  • Importantly, make such places identified within the property, which would be requiring you to get in touch. This is to enable you to get into minimal touch with the surfaces.

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