10 Steps to Showing Your Home During COVID-19 Outbreak

10 Steps to Showing Your Home During COVID-19 Outbreak

Last month’s quarantine gave us plenty of ‘planning’ time as to how to approach showings for our buyers and for our sellers. The fact that many sellers still wanted to list their homes for sale and even more buyers wanted to buy during the quarantine, we found ourselves putting to use our virtual tours and, of course, practicing safe distancing and wellness protocol.

Many buyers didn’t want to worry that the sellers have COVID-19 and that they are possibly being exposed and many sellers didn’t want to risk a possible infection from one of their sellers. Their fears are very real and justified - and I’m sure will continue to be for several months to come.

That said and with the ‘release’ of Mecklenburg County from the strict Stay-at-Home Code (more strict than the state’s Code), we wanted to suggest an adaptation to showing homes the ‘old’ way. Besides being sure to over-communicate, not only with clients but, agents on the other side of transactions, there are very important safety precautions we are encouraging our sellers to take.

We put a lot of thought into the safest way to show homes during this unique time in our history. Please be reminded that we are not doctors, lawyers or infectious disease professionals. We did do hours of research using CDC recommendations, or state association’s recommendations and have come up with what we think is a solid plan. We recommend that homes be shown while this threat still exists (which may be months to come).  As they say, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’

Here are 10 Steps to Showing Your Home During COVID-19 Outbreak:

1. Only serious buyers with pre-approval letters will be allowed to tour homes.
2. Both buyers and sellers must have no symptoms of illness or COVID-19.
3. Sellers will have all countertop surfaces and door/cabinet handles disinfected prior to showings. 
4. Sellers will leave key doors open so that buyers will not have to touch handles or knobs. Please limit ‘touching’ to prevent the spread of any possible virus/bacteria. Our recommendation is to have buyers’ agents do the touching with gloved hands and a disinfectant wipe. *BUYERS DO NOT UTILIZE RESTROOMS IN HOMES YOU ARE TOURING.
5. Three adults over 18 allowed in the home at any one given time. *Absolutely no children allowed.
6. All touring parties must wear a cloth face covering or mask, wear gloves and wash hands (or use hand sanitizer) at least before entering the home and upon leaving.
7. Buyers to maintain 6-foot social distancing requirements while touring the home.
8. No over-lapping showings are to take place.
9. No open houses unless they are virtual open houses; our recommendation is to have a virtual walk-through video tour made and shared with potential buyers & on MLS.
10. Sellers to disinfect all countertop surfaces and door/cabinet handles AFTER showings as well. 

Happy, Safe Selling!

© Debe Maxwell | The Maxwell House Group | RE/MAX Executive | CharlotteBroker@icloud.com | 10 Steps to Showing Your Home During COVID-19 Outbreak