COVID 19 PROTOCOL

Our aim is to provide anyone who wants to view a property in person the opportunity to do so in a safe and secure way, ensuring that we follow all Government guidelines, including the new Test & Trace rules effective 28th May 2020. Please note, this policy only applies to any area of the UK where restrictions have been lifted to allow Estate Agents to conduct viewings.

 

ADVICE TO VIEWERS

You should only request a physical viewing for those properties which you believe you are most likely to want to move into.

You may be asked to provide further information about your position in the market and your ability to purchase or rent the property, please do be prepared for this, as we can only carry out physical viewings for those that are prepared and ready to purchase.

If on the day of your viewing you are suffering any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 such as a high temperature (above 38 degrees), a persistent cough or loss of the sense of smell, please do not attend the viewing. We will be happy to rearrange once you are symptom free.

Use hand sanitiser before entering the property and when you leave it - there will be some available on the day if you do not have your own.

We would kindly ask that you wear suitable protective face coverings throughout the viewing, but these are not legally required.

Wear overshoes - these will be provided for you on arrival at the property. So please make sure you do not wear high heeled shoes that are not compatible with an overshoe protector.

Refrain from touching door handles, cupboard doors and other surfaces - we will leave all doors to rooms open and any other spaces that you may wish to view.

Follow social distancing guidelines, remaining 2 metres apart from anyone that is not from your own household both on the way to, and during the viewing. In addition, to protect our agents all viewings should last less than 15 minutes and at all times you must remain at least 2 metres away from our agent, and they from you, to avoid having to self- isolate under the new Test & Trace regime, should anyone later develop symptoms of COVID-19.

Viewing times will be limited to no more than 15 minutes per viewing, there will be a 10-minute interval between each viewing to allow for our agent to carry out a check of the property and sanitise touch points.

To minimise the risk of infections spreading between parties it will not be possible for us to allow children to enter the property, so we ask that you make alternative child-care arrangements and you do not bring children with you.

Viewing appointments will be limited to two people from the same household – other members of your family or friends will not be able to join you.
 

ADVICE TO VENDORS

If any member of your household is suffering symptoms of COVID-19 please let us know immediately and we will rearrange all viewings.

Thoroughly clean your property prior to the viewings taking place using appropriate sanitising products and do so again once all viewers have left.

Open windows to allow for ventilation whilst viewings take place.

In the interest of all parties, where possible, please remove valuable items from sight.

Allow access to hand washing facilities, providing paper towels or a separate hand towel - ensure that a suitable bin is available for disposal of paper towels and wash any hand towels immediately after the viewing has taken place. If using hand towels you will need to change these between viewings.

As the current guidance requires that we must remain at least 2 metres apart from others outside of the people that we live with, we must ask you (and all other members of the household) to vacate the property whilst the viewings are taking place.

Viewings will be accompanied by one of our agents, maintaining social distancing as far as possible.

Only viewers from the same household will be able to attend the appointment.

There will be no 'open-house' viewings.

We will stagger appointments to reduce contact between parties and allow time to wipe down touch points before the next party arrives.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE VIEWINGS.

We will ensure that all prospective purchasers have viewed a video tour of your property (if available) and will only carry out physical viewings for those buyers that are in a position to make an offer on a property.

Any buyers attending physical viewings will be asked if they are suffering symptoms or have been asked to self-isolate prior to attending. These records will be destroyed in accordance with our privacy policy available upon request.

Prior to viewers arriving we will open all doors to rooms and any other spaces that someone may want to view and sanitise any surfaces that we have touched.

We will set up a hand sanitiser station at the entrance to the property and ensure that every viewer uses it before entering the property.

We will endeavour to accompany viewers around the property, maintaining appropriate social distancing where possible.

When the viewers leave the property, we will sanitise all door handles and any other surfaces that may have been touched before the next set of viewers arrive.

We will wear overshoes when inside the property. Surfaces will only be touched where necessary.

If you have provided us with keys, we will ensure that these are sanitised and posted back through your letterbox (if you are not present for us to leave them with you personally), or where agreed we will securely retain a set of keys.

Where possible we will talk to viewers before they leave to obtain their feedback, if there isn't time to do so, we'll contact them within 24 hours.

You will be provided with feedback on all viewings and of course, if there are any offers, we will call you to discuss them immediately.