COVID-19: Safety measure to take while visiting site post-lockdown
The wait for a flattening of the curve in India continues, central authorities have realized that the pandemic may be here to stay longer. As all the states gradually ease the lockdown restrictions induced by COVID-19, this may be a good time to buy a property, because developers across the nation have introduced various payment plans, offers, and discounts plans for high-intent buyers.
However, with the unlock phase, social distancing has become important. In this article, we are going to discuss, what developers, home buyers, and brokers need to do to keep the business afloat without violating the norms.
A prospective property buyer may have already shortlisted a few properties. If you are keen on buying a property and site visit, make sure you do most of the talking before the site visit. The site visit should just be used as a chance to check the quality of construction.
Do the due diligence and research online, insist on virtual property site visits, and online meetings for the discussions and negotiations. Most developers and their online partners are coming up with webinars that talk about their projects, while discussions around real estate have moved online too. Use online resources to make your decisions.
As a final step, if you are planning a site visit, below are Dos and don’ts for site visits during a pandemic
• Do not go for a site visit if you are not a high-intent buyer.
• Insist on appointments and ask the other party to be on time.
• Only 1 or 2 people from a family should go for a site visit.
• In cities where community spread has started, avoid physical interactions.
• Do not take seniors and children under 10 years of age with you.
• Do not hesitate to inquire about the developer firm’s adherence to safety measures to prevent COVID-19.
• Avoid carrying bags and other things.
• Go digital.
• Keep a small pouch and carry essentials like sanitizers and napkins.
• Do not handle doorknobs
• Do not use commonly touched surfaces like elevator buttons.
• Do not use common toilets.
• Avoid outside food.
• Travel in your vehicle.
• Upon return, keep aside your shoes and soak your clothes in soap and disinfectant.
• On return home, take a shower immediately.
At last, Keep it short and simple: Keep the property visit short and simple. Insist on doing the talking later, over a video call, so that physical interactions may be as short as possible to avoid the risk of catching an infection.
Article written by Neha Khanna