After months of social distancing, wearing masks, and changing how we work, it’s not surprising that the term “new normal” has popped up to describe what we’re going through. We still have a ways to go before life actually feels normal, but living in a new normal means we’ve made changes so that life can go on. This is especially true in the world of real estate, as more people realize they don’t have to wait to sell their home. Here are three steps you can take to sell your home safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#1 The Prep Work
With the use of video tours, it’s easy to show your home in a way that’s safe and socially distant. Other than this change, the process of selling isn’t all that different, but relying primarily on virtual tours means that staging your home is more important than ever, which is why you’d do well to hire an interior designer or professional stager. The team at Seattle Staged to Sell & Design knows how to bring out your home’s best features, not just to wow buyers in real life but also to create the best first impression through pictures and videos.
Before staging your home, you’ll want to determine the scope of what needs to be done. The purpose of staging is to make buyers walk in (or take a virtual tour) and immediately feel like it’s the place they want to call home. To get a feel for what it will take to create this effect, you could start by having a virtual consultation with professional stagers. They can help you decide if you need partial staging, redesign staging, or even minor remodeling projects. Staging always starts with cleaning and decluttering your home, and then you can move on to creating a design that maximizes style and function.
One thing you’ll want to do before hiring any professional is make sure they follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 safety precautions.
#2 The Listing Process
Once your home is staged, you’ll need a plan for how to market and show your home safely. Real estate agents have adapted to their clients’ needs during COVID, and your agent may even have a preferred method of doing virtual tours. As Realtor.com explains, the simplest option is to have agents record a video while walking through your home, but some agents may do live video chat tours with their clients. If your budget allows, a higher tech option is to use a company that produces 3D tours.
Another decision to make is how you want to manage in person showings. CNBC recommends allowing in person tours only for buyers who are already interested after seeing your home virtually, plus you’ll also want to take extra precautions like providing hand sanitizer and wipes for anyone who walks through your home.
#3 The Selling Process
In addition to doing all the prep work and choosing a strategy for showing your home, the other thing sellers need to understand is the importance of keeping your home in top condition as long as it’s on the market. This is a general rule anytime you’re selling, but it can be a little trickier to accomplish when you’re home all time.
If you work from home, consider which files and work supplies you absolutely need, and then pack away the rest during the decluttering stage. Then make sure you have an easy way to store work stuff at the end of each day (or before a showing). To keep the rest of your home tidy, the blogger Dreams & Coffee recommends using a laundry basket to gather up clutter at the last minute.
This part is more challenging when you’re always around to create more messes, but don’t let that discourage you! Just like we’ve all adapted to the rest of life’s changes, selling during the pandemic is just one more example of our “new normal.” The pandemic won’t last forever, but there’s no need to put life on hold while we wait.
Written By: Suzie Wilson – Edited by Ashley Pasquale
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