How to Tour Homes for Sale During Coronavirus

Some people have paused hunting for a home, whereas others have little to no choice but to look for a home to buy. If you’re one of those who couldn’t delay buying a home, here are some safety tips for touring homes for sale during coronavirus. 

Although buyers have turned to virtual home tours, it still doesn’t give the same satisfaction as touring a home in person. A virtual home tour minimizes exposure to the virus, but it also prevents you from inspecting important aspects of the property in detail. 

If you aren’t too keen on a virtual tour, you can tour several homes in relative safety, and here’s how:

• Don’t Tour the Home with Anyone

When we say anyone, we mean going without your real estate agent or during open houses where you may encounter others. Simply let your real estate agent know that you want to tour the home by yourself. You can always have your real estate agent on the phone with you when you tour the home. To make questions easier, you can even do a video call. This makes it easier to address specific questions you may have about the home as you walk through it. 

• Wear a Mask

Don’t tour the home without wearing a mask. With the virus being asymptomatic, the home owner or any of the recent visitors could have left the virus behind, or you yourself could be leaving it behind to infect the homeowners. Either way, by wearing a mask, you’ll help prevent the spread of the virus.

• Bring Hand Sanitizer or wipes

It’s difficult to avoid touching things, particularly light switches and doorknobs. That’s why we suggest using disinfectant wipes to touch surfaces. Hand sanitizer also works for after accidentally touching a surface. The best advice is to avoid touching anything unless unavoidable.

• Wipe Down Surfaces in Your Car

After the tour ends, it’s a good idea to wipe down surfaces in your car that you frequently touch, such as the steering wheel and car door handle. If you used your phone in the house you toured, then it would be a good idea to wipe it down as well and any surface it may have touched in your car.

• Wash hands

When you enter your home, make sure that you wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes are great, but they can’t match the power of a good wash! If you’re feeling particularly cautious, putting your clothes in the wash, wiping down items that were with you, and showering can also help.

We hope this helps put your mind at ease for touring homes in-person. Even before you’ve chosen a home, be sure to consult with Northwest Mortgage for a pre-approval.