Buying & Selling a Home During a Pandemic
While we all stay safe while staying at home, some people planned to move in 2020.
It seems like a plan to move would have been canceled along with everything else canceled this spring, but people are still buying and selling houses. According to Indiana state regulations, real estate is an essential business, so it is still possible to look for and close on a home during these unusual times. But all is not business as usual; real estate has taken certain safety measures to protect those on both sides of the transaction.
Jimmy Dulin, broker/owner of RE/MAX Ability Plus, is proud of the way that the industry has adopted these safeguards so quickly and easily, maintaining the flow of business during such an uncertain time.
“Though we have used virtual tours and social media in real estate for several years, these tools have become a vital resource that have enabled us to seamlessly service our clients right now. The safety precautions and social distancing standards have also made it possible for our agents to help our buyers and sellers conduct business safely.”
Home Showings During a Pandemic
RE/MAX Ability Plus real estate professionals recommend taking certain precautions when showing your home. Disinfecting surfaces after showings and providing hand sanitizer to potential buyers is helpful, as is keeping closet and cabinet doors open to minimize touching. Buyers are urged to not attend showings if feeling ill, wash hands frequently and wear protective shoe covers inside the home, as well as taking care to drive their own vehicles to each showing.
How to Virtually Sell a Home
Likewise, buyers and sellers should take extra precautions while conducting the listing and buying/selling transactions. Like many of us, real estate has taken to the internet to compensate for not being able to operate in person. Realtors have leaned on teleconferencing, 3D virtual tours, remote staging and social media messaging to confer with buyers and sellers. Once a contract has been accepted, inspections can be conducted in a socially-distanced way and closings can be conducted curbside with minimal contact through e-documents.
Some of us might not be ready to jump into the process of buying & selling yet, but find ourselves with some extra time on our hands while at home. Contacting a real estate professional like the agents at RE/MAX Ability Plus is a great way to get started; establishing a working relationship from the beginning. Getting pre-approval from a lender is another way to get plans in order.
Preparing Your Home for the Market
Preparing your home to get ready to go on the market is something else that can be done while you stay at home. Here are some key projects to consider:
- Make small repairs around the home like fixing a leaky faucet, tightening a cabinet hinge or making drywall touch-ups.
- Embark on a deep clean like wiping down baseboards, dusting blinds and descaling hard water spots.
- De-clutter your pantry, linen closet, bedroom closets, garage and storage room. Space sells!
- Donate what you no longer need–Goodwill is still open for you to drop off your donations.
- Enlist your green thumb to tidy up landscape beds and plant new landscaping for added curb appeal.
- Re-paint rooms that could use a refresh and consider a fresh coat of white on your baseboards and trim work.
Pantry perfection by the professional organizer and party stylist Maria Baer, owner of the Baer Minimalist.
Next Steps
Make sure to reach out to the brokers and agents at RE/MAX Ability Plus to get your moving plans underway. And, if you’ve perhaps fallen in love all over again with your home and want to re-imagine the possibilities, connect with a design professional who can help you do so.