Home inspection during COVID-19: Tips to ensure safety
COVID-19 has hit the entire world hard with the restriction and increasing death toll. However, even during these hard and economically tough times, people are selling and buying houses. Home inspections and open house shows are still happening, but with some restrictions, of course. If you, too, are planning to sell your house and wonder how to get it home-inspection ready in the times of COVID-19, here are four tips to help you out.
- Push the dates
Perhaps one of the first tips for sellers is to push the open houses and inspections as much as possible. With the death toll increasing worldwide, especially in Canada, it is wise to avoid any kind of social gathering if it is not absolutely necessary. Moreover, if you or anyone in the family is showing signs of COVID-19, postpone the showings and inspections until cured and tested negative.
- Take the necessary precautions
If you are going ahead with the inspection or showing, make sure to take the necessary precautions. This includes sanitizing the house before the event and having necessary equipment at disposal and instructions. Advise anyone attending the show to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and mask and to cover the shoes with booties. Additionally, have sanitizer on the premises or instruct attendees to sanitize their hands before entering and leaving. Lastly, avoid handshakes and stick to nods and waves.
- Make it easy for inspectors
While it is important, otherwise, to make inspection easy on an inspector with accessibility, in the times of COVID-19, the need is acute. Reduce the number of people attending the showings or inspection. In fact, it is better not to attend the inspection and let the inspector do his or her thing. Should anyone attend, make sure they are maintaining a distance of six feet. This will protect you and give inspectors space to move around. Moreover, keep the doors and windows open, allowing inspectors or buyers to browse and check without touching anything.
- Clean and disinfect later
This part is important. Once the inspection or show is done, sanitize your house before you or your family touch anything. Instruct those who used PPE kits to dispose of them in a secure place away from your place. From sanitizer to sanitizing wipes, use them all to keep your homes germ-free after a showing. This will help you and your family members remain protected afterwards.
Conclusion
As a provider of quality home inspection Toronto residents trust, we at InspectMyHouse make sure to follow all the safety guidelines during inspections. While these times make it hard for most gatherings to take place, conducting a home inspection or open house show is not impossible with some precautionary measures and tips.