With the government recently announcing that home moves can go ahead and residential viewings can begin in a socially distanced way, we are looking at how to prepare your home for a socially distanced viewing.

1. Prop open all doors

This is one small step you can take to reduce the number of surfaces which a potential buyer and you agent will touch during the viewing. This will reduce the risk of infection for buyer, seller, and agent and help break any existing chains of infection. This also has the double benefit of making a home seem brighter and more spacious.

2. Regularly disinfect all surfaces between viewings

This will mean that any viruses present in the house or carried by any visitors are not spread to other visitors, agents, or members of the household. This will also have the added benefit of making a home look cleaner and more presentable.

3. Limiting viewing sizes

Viewings should be limited in number and block and group viewings should be discouraged wherever possible. This will allow people to socially distance when viewing a property much easier.

4. Ensure vendors, landlords, and existing tenants are not in the property during a viewing

This seems obvious but it will allow much easier social distancing as there are fewer people in the house and there is therefore more space.

5. Switch on all lights

Similar to the proposal for opening all doors, this is designed to minimise the number of contact surfaces there are in any property. This means that all viewings are safer wit a lower risk of transmission.

Here at RIB we continue to evaluate each individual home and its suitability to physical viewing on a case by case basis and are taking a cautious approach in order to reduce transmission risks.