COVID-19: Great news for home sellers on the Northern Beaches

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Just when real estate agents and property sellers/buyers had begun to adapt to conducting inspections and auctions online, things have changed again.

But it’s good news. Low transmissions of COVID-19 have allowed the NSW Government to lift the restrictions on the real estate industry. It’s now possible to inspect homes in person and attend auctions across NSW and including our local areas of Allambie Heights, Frenchs Forest, Davidson and Beacon Hill.

If you have been preparing your property for an autumn sale, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The even better news is that while the streets have been quiet, online property searches have actually risen over the past few weeks. According to data from realestate.com.au, the shutdowns led to a spike in property searches of close to 40 per cent, year on year. This means homes currently for sale are receiving plenty of attention.

Buyers have also had the chance to get their ‘ducks in a row’, use the downtime to pay down their credit cards and contact their lenders to prepare to borrow. With the restrictions set to lift, those who have steady employment will be eager to visit properties in person and start making offers. 

 

Changes to open homes and auctions during COVID-19

While we are so pleased to be able to host open homes again, there will be some differences to the way things are run. For one thing, the NSW Government has requested people don’t come to open homes ‘just for a look’. To minimise numbers, it’s preferable for everyone who visits to have a genuine intention to make a purchase in the area.

If you’re a seller, it’s likely we will extend the time of your open home to prevent a big crowd from rushing through. This will be a good time to pop out for your daily exercise!

The number of people permitted to enter a home at one time will be limited, so if you are planning to visit an open home, be prepared to wait a few minutes to enter. With social distancing still recommended, we’ll ask you to be patient once inside and avoid entering a room if you can’t stick to the 1.5 metre distance guidelines. 

The JDH Real Estate team is keeping hygiene in mind. Visitors will be offered hand sanitiser at the door and asked not to touch any surfaces. While we usually do this anyway, we’ll be making extra sure to record the contact details of each person who comes to the property for health and safety reasons. 

Going forward, auctions will be held outdoors as much as possible. If they are held indoors, we will encourage social distancing between household groups of at least four square metres. 

Should you wish to, you can activate your COVIDSafe app as an extra precaution while you’re viewing an open home or attending an auction. This is a decision that’s entirely up to you. 

Of course, if you are feeling unwell, we do ask you don’t attend an open home or in-person auction. Our team is also happy to assist you remotely, offering inspections through video call and allowing you to register and bid online. We can also do this if you feel your health is at risk and would rather not come to properties in person for the time being. 

While your health is a top priority, we also understand how frustrating it has been to experience the disruption of COVID-19 right when you were preparing to buy or sell. However, now the restrictions have been lifted, our team is looking forward to doing what we do best and helping you achieve your property goals.

 

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR PROPERTY? 
LIVE ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES?

Read our report on how to have a successful home sale, even within these unusual times of COVID-19.