You may have been in the middle of house hunting when the coronavirus entered your state, or maybe you still need to find a home because you’re moving to a new city. With governments expecting people to stay inside their homes, how can you continue your house hunt and tour houses during the coronavirus pandemic while keeping yourself safe?
Luckily, there are plenty of precautions you can take to safely continue the homebuying process. Whether it’s 3D Walkthroughs, Video-Chat Tours, or venturing out into the world to tour your dream home in person, there are things you can do to protect yourself and those around you.
Stay safe by touring houses virtually
Whether you live in Atlanta or you’re moving to Philadelphia, the practice of social distancing has quickly become everyday life for almost everyone. Though staying home is the best way you can protect yourself during this uncertain time, that doesn’t mean you have to stop house hunting. Fortunately, you can still see homes you’re interested in buying without ever leaving the couch with both 3D Walkthroughs and live Video-Chat Tours.
3D Walkthroughs allows you to see the inside of any Redfin-listed home with three-dimensional, interactive scans. 3D Walkthroughs also make it easy for potential buyers to explore every angle of the home at any time, day or night.
Video-Chat Tours allow you to tour a home in real-time without stepping foot outside your house. Your agent will be your boots on the ground at the home of your choosing. You’ll have the opportunity to ask the questions you want to know, such as if there’s enough natural light or if a cabinet opens properly.
Need to tour a house in-person? Keep yourself safe with these tips
If you think you’ve found the home of your dreams, but need to see it in person before making an offer, here are some helpful tips to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
- Don’t go if you feel unwell: Please cancel your in-person tour if you or someone in your home is feeling unwell, has a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or has been exposed to COVID-19.
- Drive your own car: If you live in a city where you are able to drive your own car to a home tour, do so to prevent the spread of outside germs.
- Limit two persons: Now is not the time to bring the whole family to check out your potential new home. Save that for when you’ve bought the house or your city has lifted social distancing restrictions.
- Wash your hands: Make sure to wash your hands before and after you tour the home, leaving any germs at the curb.
- Wear shoe covers: If the home you are touring provides shoe covers, make sure to use them. It will help prevent extra germs from tracking into the home
- Don’t touch anything: Pretend you’re walking through a museum… you wouldn’t touch the artwork, would you? If you have to test a light switch, wash your hands immediately after or use sanitizer.
- Practice social distancing: Stay at least 6 feet away from your agent as they walk you through the home. If you aren’t sure you’re 6 feet away, then take a step back to be safe!
Social distancing and the coronavirus doesn’t have to stop your search for the perfect home, in fact, the US housing market shows that homebuyers are still wanting to buy houses. By relying on virtual home touring options, you can see homes without taking a step outside. If you attend an in-person tour, adopting safety measures not only protects you as a homebuyer, but they protect your agent and the home sellers as well.
This post first appeared on Redfin.com. To see the original, click here.