Homebuyers are usually not confident of closing a high-ticket purchase, such as real estate, without physically looking at the product. Therefore, property visits continue to be an integral part of the home buying process, even during the ongoing pandemic.
While video tours may be helpful for the preliminary rounds of property selection, a transaction is highly unlikely on the basis of only the virtual experience. Site visit remains a crucial decisive factor for a potential buyer. Thus, as a seller, you must be prepared to arrange a hassle-free site visit, which is safe for both you and the visiting parties. Here are a few useful tips and tricks that you may apply while preparing for a site visit during the COVID-19 crisis.
Based on the guidelines issued by the Central Government of India and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to battle COVID-19, you may follow the following practices to keep yourselves and others safe, while at the same time ensuring that your property stands a good chance of being sold.
Avoid surprise visits
Allow site visits to only genuine homebuyers and prefer arranging a well-planned meeting. Avoid surprise visits and walk-ins to reduce the risk of being infected. A prior notice of at least a day and a follow-up call before the visit should help you keep the place sanitized.
Cancel group visits
Limit the number of people arriving for a site visit at a given time. Speak to the prospective buyers and fix prior appointments to avoid group visits. Besides, ensure that people coming for a site visit have downloaded the Aarogaya Setu mobile app and share their Coronavirus exposure status before arriving. You can also ask the following questions via phone or email to determine the risk factor:
- Do you have any flu-like symptoms?
- Are you facing any breathing problem?
- Have you been overseas recently?
- Have you been diagnosed with Coronavirus?
It would be better if you also share the above details with prospective buyers. This would reduce their fear of virus transmission and will look forward to the home visit.
Complete home sanitisation
The primary purpose of a site visit is to check if all the outlets are working or not. Hence, visitors might turn on the switch lights or open the windows and doors to have a better view of the property. But touching various surfaces can increase the chance of virus transmission. Therefore, it is crucial to sanitise your property thoroughly before and after the visits. Disinfect all the common touchpoints such as doorknobs, switchboards, taps, doors and windows, among others, to ensure everyone’s safety.
The self-hygiene protocol
Create a sanitisation spot at the entrance of your house. Keep a hand-sanitiser and disposable glove kit for people visiting the property and make sure that everyone follows the protocol. A dustbin outside the house will also be essential for the trash. Moreover, keep the windows open or use air filters for proper ventilation in the home.
Dress code
The chance of catching the virus is higher if it were to land on your exposed body parts as compared to your clothes. Hence, wear masks and clothes that cover most parts of your body. These norms apply to both you and the visitors. For additional protection, face shields can also be used, but they alone do not suffice the purpose. It is crucial to have a mask underneath a face shield.
Meeting and greeting norms
While the trending elbow bump and foot shake may not be appropriate for this instance, a welcoming verbal greeting would be enough. Avoid handshakes altogether to prevent virus transmission and maintain a minimum of six-foot distance during the home tour.
Source: www.99acres.com
Also read: Who Pays Real Estate Fees?
Back to All Thane Real Estate Articles
No comments:
Post a Comment