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The stress of selling your home during Covid

Advice for sellers from Realtor® Miguel Melo
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Right now, things are finally starting to look up. The encouraging vaccination rates across the country and the falling case counts are long-wished-for signs of progress in the long battle against Covid-19. 

And yet, many still have some reservations when it comes to putting their homes on the market.

Sellers, or those who are thinking about selling but haven’t begun the process yet, are stressed out. This is something Realtor® Miguel Melo has definitely been noticing among his clients.

“The stress is very noticeable right now because people are afraid of this pandemic and there is new information every day about variants and restrictions. People are cautious of who they let in their homes,” says Miguel.

Sellers are concerned about the risk of catching the virus and the potential for germs to be brought into their homes, exposing their families. They worry about who is coming into their homes and how safe they are being.

That said, at this point in the pandemic, virtual showings aren’t happening very often anymore. People very much want to take a physical, in-person look at the property they are considering buying. 

The advice he gives his clients is to:

  1. Prepare your home for showings by leaving all of the lights on and all of the doors open so that there is minimal contact required.
  2. Put up a sign reminding people to sanitize before entering your home.
  3. Have gloves, sanitizer and masks available at your front door, in case any prospective buyer or agent happens to forget them.

He has helpful advice for steps sellers should take after each showing too. Homeowners should take care to wipe down all surfaces once the showing is over and to keep a detailed list that tracks all of the names and contact information of anyone who has entered their home.

Even though we’ve seen high rates of vaccinations and restrictions are gradually loosening up throughout the province, it’s hard to predict how the second half of 2021 will look. “I think that we are still in for some uncertainty in the future because of the variants coming in,” says Miguel. “I think sellers’ stress will remain the same.”

The good news for those who may still be feeling a little hesitant is that it’s definitely still a sellers’ market. Says Miguel, “We see a slowdown in the number of multiple offers but in our region, properties are still selling quick at prices never seen before.”

For more information on how to navigate the market during this challenging time, visit Miguel Melo, Realtor® or call 905-715-4168.