Tips for House Hunting During a Pandemic

You may be surprised to learn that the pandemic did not, in fact, slow down house hunting for many buyers. Sure, record-low mortgage rates definitely play a big role in the current buyer-heavy market; but the pandemic itself has likely also directly contributed to it. Let’s face it, many people have spent more time at home in the past year than they probably ever have, and it’s easy to imagine wanting a change of scenery. The same walls suddenly start to look a little boring, and those new to working from home are probably painfully aware of their lack of a dedicated “office” room by this point. Even as vaccines are rolled out and regulations on public gatherings are lifted, many people are still anxious about exposure to the COVID-19 virus. So how can someone shop for a new home that better fits their evolving needs, while still staying cautious for their health’s sake? Here are some helpful tips we’ve picked up over the past year of house hunting during a pandemic!

1. Keep a “sanitizing go-bag” in your car for any spur-of-the-moment showings.

By now, grabbing a mask on your way out of your front door is probably as automatic as grabbing your keys and wallet. But to keep from finding yourself in front of your dream house without the required face-covering, it’s a good idea to keep some kind of dedicated bag or pouch in your trunk with the following items: a handful of fresh masks, hand sanitizer, shoe coverings, and latex gloves. You may not need the shoe coverings and gloves, but some homes do ask guests to wear them, so it’s better to be over prepared than risk missing out on seeing the perfect home. 

2. Keep touching to a minimum.

When you’re visiting someone’s home for a showing, resist the urge to open every cabinet and closet. Designate someone in your group (like your agent) to be the “official opener”, to minimize how many hands are touching the same things all throughout the house. And when you’re finished at every house, make like Lady Macbeth and wash. those. hands. If your hands are sensitive to soap and/or sanitizer, it’s a great idea to keep hand lotion on you at all times, so you don’t end up with gnarled, cracked hands from all the cleaning.

3. Leave friends and family at home.

If you can avoid bringing a posse of people with you, do. As fun as it is for everyone to participate in the house hunt, leave non-decision makers at home - especially young children, who may be more likely to touch surfaces, crawl around, and put their hands in their mouths. To keep anyone from feeling left out, have those attending the showings video chat those who stayed home, so they can participate in the fun! If you’d rather avoid in-person showings altogether, ask your agent about virtual showings - many listings have walkthrough videos available online, and can help coordinate a live, virtual showing with you and your agent.

This also applies to inspections and walkthroughs. Ask curious (or nosy) family members to avoid coming to inspections if possible. If they’d like to offer their expertise, consider sending them a copy of the completed report after the inspection for their perusal.

4. Virtual closings

Though policies will change from title company to title company as COVID-19 restrictions ease, many title companies offer the option to hold a virtual closing, where all documents are reviewed, explained, and signed over a live video chat. If this is not something provided by your chosen title company, consider asking the sellers to pre-sign to minimize the number of people present at settlement. This has the added benefit of speeding up the process for everyone involved, as it means no one has to sit through everyone else’s signing! One word of advice, though: to keep the process on track (and to preserve your settlement agent’s sanity), be sure to make all special settlement requests (virtual closing, separate signings, etc.) known as early in the process as possible, preferably as soon as you go under contract. This will prevent the title company and your agent from having to scramble to make last-minute accommodations, which can potentially delay settlement.