Covid-19 Advice & FAQs

Seller FAQs

• Are Estate Agents open during the current lockdowns in England, Scotland & Wales?

  Official government advice across England, Scotland and Wales is that the housing market should remain open subject to adherence of published safety guidelines. You can therefore still move home during the current lockdown. Estate and letting agents and removal firms can continue to work.

  Where possible colleagues we will be working from home. Where this isn’t possible our branches will be staffed in order to assist with your home move.

  The safety and wellbeing of colleagues and the public in reducing the spread of Covid-19 remains paramount. We will be working in accordance with government guidance in England, Scotland and Wales.

  Access to our offices will be by appointment only and so please ensure that you make arrangements with us via telephone or email before you visit to ensure that a colleague will be available to assist you. Please remember that you are required to wear a face covering before entering our premises and when attending appointments.

• How will you market my property during this time?

  This is one of the things that has not changed significantly. We will make sure that your property appears on all of the property portals, Rightmove, Zoopla, and Prime Location. Your property will also appear on our Websites. Remember that 90% of people start their house search online and with more people at home this may well increase. We still have new buyers registering with us every day and we are carrying out viewings in a safe and socially distanced way. Given the current significance of appearing appealable online if you haven’t you may want to consider our Premium Marketing Pack.

• Can potential buyers view my property?

  Watch our video here

  Prior to the appointment, we will provide you with details of how it will be conducted and what is required to help keep everyone safe.

• What measures are in place for when your staff visit my property?

  Watch our video here

  Booking your appointment

  • When making an appointment you will be asked if you or any of your household has shown symptoms of Covid-19 or has tested positive in the last 14 days. If yes then we will not be able to proceed with the booking.
  • We will also ask if you are officially shielding anyone at the property or whether you or anyone present at the property is in the vulnerable category. If yes then we will not be able to proceed with the booking.
  • Where possible you should not be present when the property is being shown to members of the public.
  • Time inside the property should be kept to a reasonable minimum.
  • Appointments should not be double booked with anyone else.

  Key collection

  • If we need to collect keys, they should be left in an agreed place to avoid any unnecessary face to face contact of less than 2m. You may be asked to place the keys in an envelope or bag that we will provide. We will only touch the keys once we are wearing gloves. We may also disinfect the keys.

  Arriving at the property

  • If anyone is presenting Covid-19 symptoms when we arrive at the property we will be unable to proceed.
  • Where possible children should not be present in the property and should vacate whilst we are in attendance. Pets should please be contained.
  • We advise that you wear a face covering during the appointment.
  • From arrival at the property, a 2m distance should be maintained between all persons. Ideally, the occupants should vacate the property whilst we are in attendance, and at the very least they should not be in the same room at the same time.
  • We will aim to limit our time in the property and will answer any questions either outside of the property or over the telephone.

  Preparing the property

  • The property should be well ventilated with fresh air prior to our visit but the windows must be shut prior to arrival when photos are taken.
  • All light switches, door handles and other key contact surfaces should be sanitised with a disinfectant prior to our arrival.
  • All lights should be on and internal doors open. We will photograph and leave the property as we find it
  • The property should be ready to be photographed. We will not be tidying things away or moving furniture.

  We may appear different

  • Our colleague will use hand sanitiser or will request to wash their hands upon arrival at the property; they will do the same before leaving.
  • Our colleague will be wearing a face covering.
  • They may carry disinfectant spray with them and may need to use this for keys, their kit or even in some areas of the house if they feel they need to.

  Other

  • We will politely decline any offers of refreshments
• Can you still progress my property sale? How will you do this?

  We are as committed as ever to progressing your sale to exchange of contracts. You can also contact your lawyer or legal advisor for updates. We will still pursue all parties involved and provide you with regular updates. We are here to help so please don’t hesitate to contact us.

• If the chain collapses in my sale due to the issues we are facing, what will happen?

  We are experts at progressing sales and managing property chains and we will still proceed with your sale, liaising with all the key parties. In the unfortunate event that your sale does fall through, we will work with you on a plan for your property and your circumstances.

• Should I place my property sale on hold?

  There is no reason to put your property sale on hold at this time, in fact as well as seeing a demand in sales the latest data from Rightmove shows that house prices are largely working in the Sellers favour. We will work with you to ensure that viewings are carried out in a safe way that puts you at ease and protects your property; the safety of all of our customers remains our utmost priority. Our local property experts will always be here to go the extra mile to ensure that your sale is successful.

• Can I get a valuation and find out how much my property could sell for?

  Yes - we are here to assist both with your immediate requirements and where you are considering selling at some point in the future. Your safety is our first priority. If you would like us to carry out a valuation we have the tools to help you. We can visit your property to carry out a safe and socially distanced valuation, but we also recognise that for some Sellers you may not want an agent in your home. We can still offer you an accurate valuation remotely based on the latest market conditions. Please use the “Get a free valuation” icon on our website or contact your local branch, we are here to help however you want to move forward.