A quick guide to moving home during COVID-19: Information for buyers, sellers and renters. To move home during the COVID-19 outbreak you need to know about the ‘new rules’ to make sure you move safely.
This quick guide to moving home safely during COVID-19 will help you understand what you need to do, and what anyone involved in your move, whether an estate or letting agent, a property lawyer, photographer, energy assessor, a valuer or surveyor, someone helping you organise your mortgage or the removal company who move you, will need to do to provide a safe environment for everyone.
This guidance is aligned with ‘The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy’ and the Government advice on home moving during the covid-19 outbreak.
No guidance can cover every scenario, especially as the current situation is evolving, so please take a pragmatic, common-sense approach to moving home during this time.
Do your really need to meet in person? For the foreseeable future everyone needs to look for easy alternatives to physical meetings wherever possible so use digital technology, telephone contact, email and video-conferencing tools – whatever suits you best.
There will be times when you will need to meet, for example, if you need to have a legal document witnessed and, in all cases, you must protect each other by following current social distancing guidelines.
However, if a meeting is required, wash your hands before and after using soap and water, dry them thoroughly, ideally with paper towels, and abide by the 2m (about 2 large strides) social distancing guidelines.
When you buy, sell, or let property you will need to prove your identity, often to several different people, for example, your mortgage adviser, property lawyer, estate or letting agent. This can be done using electronic verification systems.
Contracts can be electronically signed though your property lawyer may still post them to you to sign and return. Some legal documents need witnessing and your witness will need to be physically present. If you maintain social distancing and don’t share pens, the risk can be minimised.
Where possible, they will:
Any person selling, buying, occupying, or renting a home, together with everyone else working in the industry, is legally obliged to declare any COVID-19 symptoms immediately during a property visit. Everyone will need to observe government PHG.
If you are in this category, please seek medical advice on whether your move should take place as during this period the government advice is “staying at home and avoiding unnecessary contacts over this period, if at all possible.”
The also suggest that “All parties involved in home buying and selling should prioritise agreeing amicable arrangements to change move dates for individuals in this group, or where someone in a chain is in this group.”
Please read the advice for vulnerable people or those shielding in the ‘Government advice on home moving during the covid-19 outbreak’.
There are three key stages in the property purchase, sale and rental process. The checklists below outline everything you need to know.
When you want to let or sell a property and are arranging visits there is a lot that you can do, together with property professionals, to take sensible precautions and minimise the time people spend in your property.
Property professionals will need to ask a series of questions prior to visiting your property, including:
The company should also confirm with you that the property professional viewing or visiting your property hasn’t had any symptoms.
If an agent is not present at a viewing, they will ask all those attending to declare they have no symptoms and keep a record that highlights everyone has understood the need to meet the safety guidelines.
Beware: If these questions are not asked before visiting your property, you need to consider whether the company is taking your safety seriously.
To keep contact to a minimum:
Please have answers to the above questions ready when you speak to your property professional.
Where possible, and depending on the size of the property, agents and viewers will be asked to minimise time inside the property.
This won’t be possible, however, for property assessments such as energy performance, for preparing marketing materials, and surveys or removals.
Check carefully any terms and conditions so you know whether:
When handing over keys to an agent, surveyor or other property professional, ensure they are sanitised by using hand sanitisers or passed via a disinfection wipe.
When a property is being viewed or assessed by a property professional, they will minimise the time spent in your property.
When booking a visit or viewing, a property professional should ask a series of questions prior to visiting your property, including:
The company should also confirm with you that the property professional viewing or visiting your property, or any viewers, haven’t had any symptoms.
Beware: If these questions are not asked before visiting your property, you need to consider whether the company is taking your safety seriously.
When preparing your property for viewings, valuations and surveys, please protect everyone by:
After the visit, don’t forget to wipe down any door handles and other ‘touch points’ with a disinfectant.
Please be patient; it may take longer to secure a viewing due to staff being furloughed or more property visits having to be accompanied by the agent. All of these measures are in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Where possible, and depending on the size of the property, agents and viewers will be asked to minimise time inside the property.
This won’t be possible, however, for property assessments such as energy performance, for preparing marketing materials, and surveys or removals.
Good time keeping is essential, and communication if running late. Agents should allow a longer time-window for a 15-minute viewing to allow for preparation, delays, and closing up.
Most mortgage valuations and all home survey inspections and energy assessments will require surveyors to inspect your property in person. Surveyors will minimise time spent at the property, however depending on the service and your requirements, they may need to spend a longer time inspecting different parts of the property.
You can reduce moving day stress by preparing beforehand.
Some removal services would normally offer packing services but these will be limited for now. However, boxes and packing equipment can still be supplied.
A ‘deep clean’ is recommended when moving in and out of a property, so it’s a good idea to agree with your property lawyer whether you need to do a deep clean on your own home when it is empty, and also whether you need to do this in your new home before you move in.
If you are in this category, please seek medical advice on whether your move should take place as during this period the government advice is “staying at home and avoiding unnecessary contacts over this period, if at all possible.”
The also suggest that “All parties involved in home buying and selling should prioritise agreeing amicable arrangements to change move dates for individuals in this group, or where someone in a chain is in this group.”
Please read the advice for vulnerable people or those shielding in the ‘Government advice on home moving during the covid-19 outbreak’.
Try to have everything packed and ready the night before your move.
Remember – any keys handed over need to be sanitised by using hand sanitisers, or via disinfectant wipes.
Note that it will not be possible for crew members to keep a 2m distance during your move from each other, but you should keep a 2m social distance from them.
If you are someone in the chain is asked to self-isolate during the moving process, please refer to additional information in this document.
There is already comprehensive guidance from government, the industry, individual sector and consumer guidance for those involved in moving home:-
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid- 19-outbreak
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works
https://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/downloads/20200513
To help communicate the ‘new way’ to move home to buyers, sellers and tenants, the consumer
guides below will also be helpful:-
Preparing for a property professional to visit your property for sale or let during COVID-19 – https://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/articles/prepare-property-professional-visit-your-property- sale
Home viewings, property visits and assessments during COVID-19 https://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/articles/home-viewings-property-visits-and-assessments- checklist
Checklist for moving day during COVID-19 – https://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/articles/checklist- moving-day-during-covid19
This additional guidance covers what consumers and the industry should do if someone:
When and if available, and to reduce the impact of any spread of the virus during home moving it would be worthwhile for home movers and those within the industry, be they buying or letting, to sign up to the NHS track and trace app when it becomes available.
If anyone is asked to self-isolate during the moving process, please ensure they follow government guidance:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home- guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
If you have any symptoms or are contacted by the NHS test and trace system, here is the information on what to do: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works
If someone becomes ill during these stages, it is possible to continue with the home buying and selling process up to the point of people visiting the home eg for a valuation or the physical move. The move should not take place unless everyone in the chain is free of the symptoms and Covid-19 itself. If contracts have not been exchanged it is still possible to withdraw from the transaction.
If someone becomes ill during this time, the property lawyers will need to negotiate organising the physical move when everyone in the chain is free of the symptoms and Covid-19 itself.
If it is not possible to postpone the move for any reason, the person with Covid-19 and anyone that is self-isolating with them will need to be out of the property before move (completion) day and not enter the new property until everyone else has gone eg removal people and other occupants.
If the property is a shared home or House in Multiple Occupation, see below and read this article: https://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/articles/how-do-you-let-and-rent-house-multiple-occupation- hmo
The property the person is leaving will have to be deep cleaned by someone who is not self-isolating and is free of Covid-19 prior to anyone entering it eg removals team and post leaving the property. For more information on deep cleaning and what to do on move day, read https://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/articles/checklist-moving-day-during-covid19
For anyone suffering with or having Covid-19 symptoms who cannot postpone their move, face masks will need to be used on move day.
It is recommended that a supply of face coverings is available for everyone on moving day, just in case any symptoms are developed during the day.
If someone develops symptoms on move day, ideally the move should be delayed if at all possible, please follow the latest self-isolation rules https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19- stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19- infection
Anyone that develops symptoms on the day whether they are buying/selling or letting, and the move can’t be postponed, will need to stay away from everyone on the move day. For example, if one person in the household has had to isolate and there is someone that can manage the move that doesn’t have symptoms, they can go ahead, but with the precautions, if they have symptoms, they need to take the precautions too.
This person needs to wear a mask and keep at least 2m social distancing from anyone they meet.
However, if you are moving yourselves, you can continue to pack if you are all well enough, but you will need to do a deep clean of the property as soon as you have emptied it.
Read the following for more information:- https://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/articles/checklist- moving-day-during-covid19 .
You will need to alert your property lawyer and agent as soon as you are aware you have symptoms so that they can advise the other parties.
When travelling to your new home, you will need to remain within the car on the journey and ensure the agent drops off the keys to the property you are moving into, rather than picking them up from the agent or the previous homeowner/tenant.
If the property is an HMO, the person with Covid-19 will ideally need to delay the move in, or as a minimum stay in their room and self-isolate according to the guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home- guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
The property will need to be deep cleaned once they have moved in and the tenants should:-