The metro Vancouver area has seen a rebound in home sales. This, after the lockdown due to COVID 19 in the spring. COVID-19 has brought about a number of changes when it comes to the process of buying and selling homes. 

The rebound in home sales is due in part to lower interest rates. Buyers seeking stability, or those with housing needs changing, are looking for homes. And they are happy to find these lower rates which give them an incentive to buy before they had initially planned for. And that’s a good thing, but what formalities have changed when it comes to buying and selling? 

Open Houses Are Few and Far In Between

Dropping by on Open Houses is a thing of the past. There are options for virtual tours or walk through’s and these help to eliminate potential buyers that are more on the fence. This is advantageous to the realtor or seller too. 

These virtual tours are now as important and even more important than pictures. Homeowners can get an accurate look at the home from their screens and this also moves most of the paperwork online. 

1. Waiver Forms now feature a series of questions that are related to COVID. BCREA guidelines allow a realtor the option to refuse entry to or to reschedule if either a tenant or seller or anybody working on their behalf is showing symptoms.
2. The BCREA mandates strata for condominium properties to clean high touch point common areas such as elevator buttons. Realtors are required to confirm with sellers to find out if common spaces have been disinfected. Realtors are also required to communicate to the buyer whatever safety protocols are their responsibility.
3. Prospective buyers must wear a mask and sanitize their hands. The wearing of gloves is not mandatory, but they are recommended. Persons are asked not to touch anything as they tour the home but there are times when they forget the request.
4. Social distancing is a must. This is practiced by limiting the number of persons that are allowed into  the home at one time. The number of people allowed is limited by the size of the property. Typically, one household is taken in together. A household denotes people already living together. In bigger homes there may be the chance that two parties can view at a time and in such cases they are cautioned to maintain distance.

Tips for Attending an Open House

If you still want that physical walk through that of an open house, make sure you are working with a realtor that you trust. You want to keep yourself as well as your family members safe. So you want to be certain you can trust that your Realtor is taking the proper precautions to keep you safe. 

To limit your time in an open house, try to find out all you can about a home before you view it. This way too many questions will arise as you notice things when going through the house. It is understandable that you will want to physically see a house as buying a home is a huge investment. 

Be sure you are taking the appropriate safety protocols and practices reducing your chances of catching the COVID-19. 

If you’d rather be safe than sorry, you can build your home from the ground up. And we can help you with that. Contact us today to see how we can make your dream of owning a home, a reality.