At Nicol Estate Agents, the health and wellbeing of our clients and employees are of the utmost importance to us and we are continuing to follow and monitor official guidance from the UK and Scottish Governments.
During the current situation, we are taking the following precautions, among others:
General:
Our branches will become an environment where we will not shake hands with our clients or office visitors and continue to educate our staff on prevention. Social distancing measures will be observed at all times for staff and any office visitors. At this time, we will only receive visitors to our office by prior appointment, please telephone in advance to make arrangements.
At Nicol Estate Agents, we have also raised our already high standards of hygiene, incorporating additional cleaning and disinfecting procedures and frequency. We have increased accessibility and visibility of hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities for employees and visitors to our offices.
With any face to face meetings, in the office or at your property, we will adopt a no hand shaking policy and we will require confirmation in advance from all those who will be present, they are not displaying any Covid – 19 symptoms or are self-isolating and they have not been in contact with anyone who is self-isolating. We will also confirm any staff attending are not displaying any Covid-19 symptoms.
Social distancing measures to be observed at all times. Where social distancing is not possible and the visit is within an enclosed space, all parties should consider wearing a face covering, in line with Government guidance.
Please note, personal protection equipment must be worn, if our client requests. If you do not have access to personal protection equipment, please let us know prior to the appointment. Please take your own personal protection equipment away with you and dispose of safely.
Market Appraisals:
All market appraisals will take place by appointment and only involve members of a single household. We will require confirmation in advance from all those who will be present, they are not displaying any Covid – 19 symptoms or have not being self-isolating and they have not been in contact with anyone who is self-isolating. You will also receive a telephone call on the morning of the market appraisal appointment to reconfirm the time and that no one in the household is now displaying any Covid – 19 symptoms.
If any of our staff are visiting your property to carry out a market appraisal, we will be ensure we are hand washing and using sanitising gel before entering, using appropriate personal protection equipment, as required, observe social distancing and will be mindful at all times of the current situation. Any third parties, for example, professional photographers and surveyors, again will be required to use sanitising gel before entering the property and will have to adhere to their own guidelines.
If you are concerned with someone visiting your home at this time, we offer a telephone or video market appraisal. Please contact us to discuss further.
Viewings:
All physical viewings will take place by appointment and should only involve members of a single household. We encourage people to do their initial property searching online wherever possible and physical viewings should only be conducted where buyers are seriously considering making an offer on a property, in order to minimise public health risks. Proof of funding may be requested.
If any member of either the household being viewed, or the household undertaking a viewing is showing symptoms of coronavirus or is self-isolating, then a physical viewing should be delayed.
We will require confirmation in advance from all those who will be present, they are not displaying any Covid – 19 symptoms or have not being self-isolating and they have not been in contact with anyone who is self-isolating. You will also receive a telephone call on the morning of the viewing appointment to reconfirm the time and that no one in the household is now displaying any Covid – 19 symptoms.
The number of people on a viewing may be restricted to two people and should be minimised to those from your household that absolutely have to be there at one time, as per our industry and government guidelines. Social distancing measures must be observed at all times and viewers will be required to use their own sanitising gel and use appropriate personal protection equipment, as required, before entering the property and be respectful and mindful of touching any doors, surfaces or possessions during the viewing. If you need to be accompanied by small children, you should try to keep children from touching surfaces.
If people are being shown around your property, you should open outbuildings including the garage, open all internal doors and ensure surfaces, such as door handles, are cleaned before and after each viewing with standard household cleaning products.
Viewing time may be limited and viewings should start and conclude outside the property, where any conversation can take place at a safe distance.
Further information can be found on the Gov.uk website under Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-moving-home/
https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/
We will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure we navigate these challenging circumstances with everyone’s health and wellbeing in mind.
If you have any questions or require clarification, please contact a member of our team to discuss.
Thank you for your continued support.
Date – June 2020.
