Selling a home during the best of times can be a long and overwhelming process. When you add COVID-19 into the mix, it only gets worse – especially when it comes to the challenges involved in showing your house. It may still be a seller’s market, but everything is, nevertheless, now more difficult and riskier. But showing a house can be done with relative safety if you know what to do. So here are 5 tips for showing your house during COVID-19 in Ventura County.
1. Cancel In-Person Showings Where Cases Are High
Showing your house in Ventura County probably shouldn’t be attempted if the area or neighborhood is highly affected, if COVID-19 cases are high. The CDC advises limiting unnecessary contact and avoiding the unnecessary risk of exposure. So if cases are high in your area, your best course is not to show your house. Just put showings on hold till the situation improves. Your health and the health of others is the most important concern.
So now let’s look at what you can do to make showing your Ventura County house safer and still effective. . .
2. Take Extra Precautions and Safety Measures
Despite the many digital alternatives available and used now, nothing can really replace in-person showings, and many buyers will (understandably) still insist on them. But during COVID-19, you must take extra precautions and extra care.
Here are some of the precautions you can and should take for showing your house in Ventura County:
- “Instead of holding an open house and allowing people to show up at any time, offer time slots for walk-throughs, so people can come and check out the property without additional exposure to strangers.”
- “Advise anyone who arrives early that they must wait in their car or outside of the property, maintaining 6 feet of distance from other viewers.”
- Open doors, cabinets, and drawers so that potential buyers can examine everything without touching anything.
- Ask visitors to wear masks, gloves, and protective booties.
- Disinfect all surfaces both before and after a showing.
Two other important precautions involve your agent. Make sure potential buyers have been vetted by your agent and are in fact serious buyers who have been pre-approved so that you don’t run the risk of exposure with mere tire kickers. And make sure your agent can provide showing kits with gloves and hand sanitizer.
To find out more about how your local agent can help you with safely showing your Ventura County house, call 805-232-8503.
3. Go Virtual and Rely on Technology
Although in-person showings can’t be eliminated, their number can be significantly reduced. Virtual tours and virtual showings – especially interactive ones that allow buyers to ask your agent questions – are admirable substitutes during the early stages. But don’t stop there.
You can further reduce contact and exposure by leaning on technology for other aspects of the process. You could, for example, use Zoom and/or Google Hangouts to discuss offers and review documents with interested parties. Again, your agent can provide valuable assistance here.
4. Get Serious About Sanitizing
We’ve already mentioned it, but for showing your house during COVID-19 in Ventura County, you absolutely must be serious about sanitizing – thoroughly and often. At the very least clean all frequently touched objects, areas, and surfaces before and after showings. These include light switches, doorknobs, drawer and cabinet pulls, and faucet handles.
Even if you leave doors and cabinets open (as we suggested), it’s still a good idea to sanitize and wipe everything down. In addition, keep hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes on hand for visitors to use. It’s almost impossible to be too careful here.
5. Put More Effort Into Decluttering and Staging
While showing your Ventura County house may not happen as often as it would have before COVID-19, the necessary preparation has become even more important – precisely because your opportunities to create a great impression are now more limited. And this means putting extra effort into decluttering and staging.
Nothing turns off potential buyers as quickly as a dirty, cluttered house. And numerous studies have shown that staged homes sell faster and at a better price than homes that haven’t been staged. So don’t blow your limited opportunities. Make sure your house looks its best and has been professionally staged.
Bonus Tip: Lean on Your Local Agent
Finally, keep in mind that these are just a few of the tips you’ll need for showing your house during COVID-19. The risk is real, and we all need to do everything we can to stay safe and healthy. Your local real estate agent has the experience and expertise you can call on to get the most out of your showings while keeping risk low. In addition, different areas have varying health requirements, and local markets vary widely. Only your local agent will have a handle on these things. Find out today everything needed for showing your house during COVID-19 in Ventura County: contact us at 805-232-8503.