The real estate market is experiencing extremely low mortgage interest rates right now which has brought a flood of buyers into the market looking for their next home! If you are ready to sell your house don’t let the virus completely stop you from moving forward because right now buyers are buying! However, you want to make sure you take the appropriate measures to keep everyone safe and compliant with Govenor Prtizker’s executive stay at home order. Here are some tips for selling your Chicago house during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sell Directly
The easiest and fastest way to sell your Chicago house during the Coronavirus Pandemic is to work with a direct buyer. Blue Ladder Development purchases homes throughout the Chicago area directly from homeowners. You’ll avoid having several strangers walking through your property when you have a direct buyer.
No Open Houses – UPDATE HERE
If you are going to sell or have your house listed already, don’t have an open house. Not only is it risky to have groups of multiple strangers from different households in your property it is also a violation of the Illinois Govnernor’s executive “stay at home” order. The Illinois Realtors association reported that on April 1, 2020 the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity specifically clarified that while real estate showings ARE permitted (limited to 4 people), open houses are strictly prohibited. For specific information on the Chicago open house guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic please visit this link https://www.illinoisrealtors.org/blog/dceo-says-open-houses-are-not-allowed/
Effective 5-29-20 the Govenor has announced that all Illinois regions will move into phase 3 which means open houses are now legally allowed as long as all safety measures can be observed.
Create Virtual Tours
Doing a walk-through video on your phone is a great way to showcase your property. Once your house is photo-ready, go ahead and take a walking video tour of your home. It doesn’t have to be perfect so do your best to go slowly and try not to be too shaky or spin too quickly. These videos can easily be uploaded and shared on a plethora of real estate advertising sites, or you can upload to a popular video hosting site to share with your real estate professional. This will allow potential buyers to virtually walk through your home without bringing their germs!
Clean!
When you do have buyers look at your property, you will need to make sure to clean up and sanitize commonly touched surfaces including door handles, light switches, and countertops. During the pandemic, it is acceptable to ask the buyer to try not to touch surfaces as much as possible and some basic signs around the property can be a good reminder for your potential buyers. Once the showing is over, you will then have to make sure to sanitize all of those surfaces over again. Remember, you shouldn’t be present when the buyer is viewing the house, so you have to assume they have touched doors and light switches.
Use Technology
In this day and age, it is perfectly acceptable to use video conferencing or phone conferencing instead of face to face meetings when discussing the terms of the sale of your home. You can also use digital signature programs to negotiate the contract. When you are getting ready to close you can use a power of attorney agreement so that you don’t have to physically attend the closing and avoid people multiple people in the same room.
Take it Easy
Selling your home is a lot of work and stress under normal circumstances. During the coronavirus pandemic, selling your house is just a little bit more stressful because of the possible extra cleaning and avoidance of contact. Don’t be afraid to take the steps of selling your house at your own pace. Plan ahead for multiple showings and be sure to note in your listing the efforts you are going through to keep the place sanitary. Hopefully these tips should help you during this unprecedented time to sell your Chicago house fast during the coronavirus pandemic.
Call Blue Ladder Development today at (331) 642-1952 or send us a message to discuss these and other tips for selling your house. We can discuss your technological options and best practices for minimizing contact with the buyers.