The Conveyancing Association together with the Home Buying and Selling Group and other industry bodies have released a new guide to help professionals in the sector operate safely and comply with social distancing.

Re-Opening the Home Moving Market Safely sets out practical guidance for those working in the field on how to carry out property visits or interactions while observing Public Health guidance.

It includes advice that professionals should stand side by side rather than face-to-face with clients and limit the amount of time in proximity to them in order to reduce chances of transmitting the virus.

Anyone visiting properties should avoid travel by public transport where possible and use knuckles when switching off lights or pressing doorbells and lift buttons.

It says they should use their elbows to open doors, use hand sanitiser and wash hands frequently. 

They should not shake hands with clients.

It urges professionals to use electronic ID checks and signatures wherever possible and says this should be permissible in most cases apart from on official land registration documents.

On property viewings it says that virtual tours should be used where possible but acknowledges that buyers are unlikely to make a binding offer without first visiting a property themselves.

But open house viewings should not be allowed and viewings should be restricted to a maximum of one agent and two adults from the same household.

This means a couple who are currently living separately would need to make separate appointments to view a property.

Many other recommendations are made in the guide, which is due to be followed by the publication of further advice for consumers.

Conveyancing Association chair Paul Smee says: “This practical Guide for all property professionals involved in the home moving process supplements, and builds on, the government’s own guidance published earlier today and provides recommendations for individual behaviour to reduce the risks of covid-19, as well as key advice in areas such as client engagement, ID requirements, documentation, preparing a home for sale, plus pre- and post-inspections of properties.

“Our key aim in contributing to this is to ensure that home moves can proceed in a safe manner and that industry professionals are aware of their responsibilities and the actions they should be taking in order to make sure this happens.

“This guide will be followed by both specific consumer information plus conveyancing sector guidance which will cover a range of recommendations, as well as a checklist for conveyancers to follow.

“The CA is pleased to see the housing market in England being opened up, but are aware that this is not the case yet in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and there will be ongoing worries about this and the safety of the process.

“This guide is designed to alleviate a number of those concerns and to spell out that safety of both professionals and consumers should be at the heart of everything we do in order to ensure we can move people into their new homes.”

Home Buying & Selling Group chair Kate Faulkner says: “The re-opening of the property market is incredibly important for those currently stuck in properties which are no longer suitable for them. 

“However, both property professionals and consumers need to make sure they adhere to these new guidelines so everyone can move safely.

“The property sector has worked incredibly hard to ensure these guidelines allow buying, selling and renting a home to be done safely, which is of paramount importance. 

“Consumers will need to be patient while the industry gears up to move them.”