We are delighted that Stones have been given the green light by the Housing Minister to recommence market appraisals and viewings, however, we realise that we also have a social responsibility beyond that of being your local estate agent and recognise that as a landlord, vendor, tenant or buyer, you will have concerns given the current situation with COVID-19.
We want to reassure you that the team at Stones will be following the Government’s health and safety guidelines thoroughly and ultimately will always ensure the wellbeing of our clients, our team, and our community comes first.
At the time of writing, it has been announced that restrictions around property viewings and transactions have been lifted. However, COVID-19 has not gone away and as yet there is no vaccine, so we will be carrying out our business in an extremely safe and highly-managed way to ensure our clients and staff are protected at all times.
Viewings
We are awaiting an update on viewing guidelines from the Housing Minister, and once received we will ensure these guidelines are followed to the letter. In the meantime, we will be adhering to the following:
Social distancing (2 metres) will always be observed. Our staff may remain outside the property whilst the viewing takes place.
We have the wheels im motion to offer virtual viewings and 3d tours on as many of our properties as possible and If you would prefer to have your property initially viewed virtually – we now offer this option.
Viewing Limits: All viewings will be limited to either one viewing per property per day OR viewings will be scheduled apart, for example, with a 30-minute delay between each viewing.
Time Limits: The time viewers spend inside a property will be limited to between 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the property.
Viewing Numbers: We will allow a maximum of two people inside a property along with the owner or member of our team.
Contactless Viewings: Vendors, landlords and existing tenants will be asked to leave cupboards and doors open so that viewers to the property do not touch them. Viewers will be asked not to touch surfaces unnecessarily.
PPE: Our team members will wear gloves and masks while conducting viewings. PPE will be available for viewers if they do not bring their own.
Health Declaration: When viewing or valuing property, all parties will be required to confirm, stating that they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and have not been in recent contact with anyone who has.
Market Appraisals
Currently there are no valuation guidelines. We will update you on this as soon as we have confirmation, however we expect the guidelines to be similar to viewings.
Further information
As soon as we receive further clarification on `valuations, market appraisals and viewings, we will provide further updates.
Guidance for Landlords and Vendors
If your property is already on the market or is shortly coming to market, please reassure potential viewers by making sure your home / property is clean and safe to view.
Still deciding whether now is the right time to buy or sell?
The team at Stones will be delighted to talk you through your options. We appreciate your circumstances may have changed or might be difficult right now, but we can help you talk it through in confidence.
We want to help you make an informed decision, so please call us for an informal chat on 02089540045 or email richard@stonesresidential.co.uk.
Above all, please continue to stay safe.
