The Government Shuts Down Estate Agency
Wed 01 Apr 2020
We wanted to reassure you that we are taking all of the necessary precautionary steps to respond to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. The safety and wellbeing of our customers is paramount to us, so we are following all of the government and health advice continuously.
The government has released detailed guidance on the process of moving home during the current health crisis which has slowed all areas of estate agency. The guidance includes what you should do if you are in the process of a house transaction and, what precautions to take. Taking account of this, we have included our advice below:
House Moves
The government has advised that those in the process of buying and selling, do not need to pull out of transactions, solicitors can continue to work on the conveyancing but building societies can’t arrange surveys. Everyone should follow the guidance to stay at home and away from others. Prioritising the health of individuals and the public must be the priority. At Robert Oulsnam and Company, all of our offices are closed, but we have a small sales team working from home who are available to support you with your urgent queries relating to your transaction. They can be contacted at sales@oulsnam.net
Where a property is vacant, house moves may continue. However, this is providing that no person has symptoms, or has been in contact with someone with symptoms of COVID-19, and that social distancing precautions are maintained during the process.
Where possible, people should delay their house move and agree an alternative date to move for when ‘stay at home’ measures will no longer be in place. The government has advised that mortgage lenders are working to find ways to enable customers to extend their mortgage offer for up to three months, where delay to completions takes place in order to prioritise safety. Work with conveyancers is also underway to develop a standard legal process for moving completion dates.
The new emergency legislation that gives Police powers to respond to the Coronavirus, provides an exemption if a new moving date is unable to be agreed. This means that where house moves are critical and a new moving date cannot be agreed, you are still able to continue your house move in line with your current completion dates. Where house moves continue, social distancing advice must be followed to minimise the spread of the virus.
Lettings and Block Management
Our Lettings and Block Management staff are working from home to deal with any issues. However, we are unable to let additional homes during this time.
Properties on the Market
Our properties for sale will continue to be displayed on our website and the usual portals Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and One Dome. However, we are unable to arrange viewings during this time.
You are still able to accept offers on your property; however, the selling process may take longer.
Properties not yet on the market
If you are thinking of selling and you would like to place your property to market, we will not be able to do this in the usual manner during this time. Please e-mail us on sales@oulsnam.net and we will arrange to contact you to market your home as soon as the crisis is over. You can also use this time to start gathering together all the information you will need to provide to potential purchasers.
We realise our service to our customers is hugely limited at the moment but want to reassure you that as soon as restrictions are lifted, normal business will be resumed and we very much look forward to dealing with you at that stage.
Above all stay safe