COVID 19 - Keeping you safe moving home

Local restrictions

If you, or anyone in your chain, is affected by additional COVID-19 restrictions imposed in your, or their, local area, you must comply with these restrictions.  You are also advised to have regard to any relevant guidance in relation to your, or their, local area.  How this affects your plans will depend on the restrictions and guidance applying to the area.  For example, it may be advisable to postpone viewings of properties or delay a home move, where this is possible.

Property moves while measures to fight COVID-19 apply

You are allowed to move home. However, the process of finding and moving into a new home is likely to be different, as all of those involved in the process will need to adapt practices and procedures.

In order to minimise public health risks and allow home moves to happen as safely as possible, the following measures should be followed:

• initial viewings should be done virtually wherever this is possible and property agents (estate agents) and landlords should help you to do this
• all physical viewings should be arranged by appointment only and open house viewings should not take place.  You should not view any properties if you have COVID-19 symptoms or are self-isolating
• when physically viewing properties, where possible, you should avoid touching surfaces, wash your hands with soap and water before entering the property or use alcohol-based hand rub (hand sanitiser)
• the number of people attending a viewing at one time should be restricted so that physical distancing can be practised.  You should only be accompanied to viewings with members of your current household and/or your property agent, social landlord or private landlord or representative.  If you need to be accompanied by young children, you should try to stop them touching surfaces and ensure they wash their hands regularly
• if people are being shown around or working in your current home, while you are still living there, you should open all internal doors and ensure surfaces, such as door handles, are cleaned before and after each viewing with standard household cleaning products
• where possible, we recommend that you vacate your property whilst viewings are taking place, unless you are conducting the viewing.  This is in order to minimise your contact with those not in your household
• when moving between properties, you and those in your household should try to do as much of the packing yourself as you can.  Where this is not possible, you should speak to removal firms in advance. There is further advice about this below
• If you are particularly worried about the risk of infection, then speak to the professionals involved, your landlord, letting agent, property agent or removers as they may be able to put in place extra measures

Everyone involved in any aspect of the moving process must follow government guidelines on physical distancing, handwashing and the use of face coverings to minimise the spread of the virus. You should also keep up to date with current advice on keeping yourself and others safe.

Face coverings

We recommend that you consider wearing a face covering when in contact with other people from outside your household involved in activities related to renting your home.

A face covering is a non-medical covering of the mouth and nose, usually made of breathable fabric, for example a scarf. It is not a hospital face mask. Read more: guidance on face coverings

Use of face coverings is not a substitute for physical distancing practices, which must be maintained wherever possible.

Steps in the moving home process

Preparing to buy, sell, rent or move home

You can put your home on the market and start to look for properties you want to move into.

• you can begin to market your home and property agents are able to visit in order to take photos/videos of the property, in accordance with public health guidelines. If any member of the household being viewed is showing symptoms or is self-isolating, then property agents should not physically visit the property
• to help prevent the spread of infection, we encourage you to do the majority of your property searching online and only physically view those properties which you believe you are most likely to want to move into
• as usual, you can also start to bring together the documentation necessary to sell your property. Read more: buying and selling homes on mygov.scot
• surveys, and Home Reports, can also be carried out. You should continue to follow health advice and physical distancing while a survey is being carried out. The surveyor should also contact you before any home visit to let you know what you should expect and what steps they will be taking to ensure the visit meets health requirements.  In relation to custom and self-build projects, surveyors can visit and undertake valuations of plots you wish to purchase
• if you are buying a new build property, you should make contact with the housebuilder in the usual way. You should be able to view the show home or visit the particular plot you are interested in purchasing, by appointment only and in accordance with public health guidelines. The developer or builder may also have their own procedures and you should check with them before viewing

Viewings

People should use virtual viewings before visiting properties in person where possible, in order to minimise public health risks.

If any member of either the household being viewed or the household undertaking a viewing is showing symptoms of COVID-19 or is self-isolating, then a physical viewing should be delayed. If you are a tenant who is at high clinical risk from COVID-19, you should not be compelled to allow viewings and your landlord or letting agent should check this with you beforehand.

All viewings should take place by appointment and only involve members of a single household.

• we encourage people to do the majority of their property searching online. Initial viewings should be done virtually wherever this is possible. Physical viewings should only be conducted where people are seriously considering making an offer on, or renting, a property, or where a prospective tenant is being offered a rental property and a virtual viewing is not possible.
• to support this, agents may ask home occupiers to conduct virtual viewings. This will help reduce the number of properties people need to visit before finding their future home.
• viewings should be conducted by appointment only and no open house viewings should take place.
• if your property is being viewed, while you are living in it, you should open all the internal doors prior to the viewing.
• where possible, we encourage all members of the household to vacate the property whilst viewings are taking place, unless you are conducting the viewing, in order to minimise contact with those not in your household.
• landlords and letting agents should not conduct viewings in properties where tenants are showing symptoms or self-isolating. If tenants are at high clinical risk from COVID-19, they should not be compelled to allow viewings to take place in the property.
• before viewing a property, all parties should wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand rub (hand sanitiser) and avoid touching surfaces where possible. Access to hand washing facilities should be provided, using separate towels or paper towels if possible, which should be washed or disposed of safely. In rental properties, the landlord/seller should be responsible for providing these. We also recommend that you consider using a face covering (see above). You should restrict the number of people who accompany you on a viewing so that physical distancing can be practised. Only those in your immediate household and/or your agent should accompany you.  If you need to be accompanied by young children, you should try to keep them from touching surfaces and ensure they wash their hands regularly
• where viewings are unaccompanied by an agent, social housing or private rented sector representatives; viewers and home occupiers should comply with physical distancing and health advice.
• all surfaces, such as door handles, should be cleaned with standard household cleaning products before and after each viewing and towels disposed of safely or washed as appropriate. In rental properties, the landlord/seller should be responsible for providing the cleaning products and towels

Agreeing to buy or rent a property

Once you have agreed to buy or rent a property by concluding missives or signing a tenancy agreement, you have entered into a legal agreement and a moving date will be set. We encourage all parties to be as flexible as possible over this period and be prepared to delay actual moves if needed, for example if someone is at high clinical risk, becomes ill with COVID-19 during the moving process or has to self-isolate. You should not expect to move into any home where people are ill or self-isolating, or before it has been properly cleaned.

• when buying a home you and your solicitor should discuss the possible impact of COVID-19 on any contract and, where needed, your solicitor will be able to advise you and help make such contract as flexible as possible to accommodate these risks.
• we encourage you to be as flexible as possible if you are asked to delay your move and speak to your solicitor, letting agent or landlord about this.
• it may also not be possible for home moves to take place on the same day. We encourage you to think about the scheduling of any move, and where you might stay in between moves, taking into account the relevant health guidance. You may also wish to discuss this with your solicitor or letting agent or landlord.
• after accepting a tenancy in either the social housing or private rented sector, you should notify the landlord immediately if you subsequently become ill with COVID-19 or anyone in your household is self-isolating and is unable to move into the rented property by the date of entry agreed. This is so that the landlord or letting agent can agree a way forward with you.

Moving your belongings

Removal firms are able to operate. You may also wish to make your own arrangements to move belongings. Adjustments will need to be made to usual procedures in order to ensure moves happen as safely as possible. If you are not using a removal firm but have asked other people to help you, everyone involved should still follow all relevant advice.

• we encourage you to contact removal firms, and others including van rental firms, as early as possible in advance of your move
• you and your household should also try and do as much of the packing yourself as possible. However, where this is not possible, and you are using a removal firm, you should speak to your removal firms in advance
• we ask that, where possible, you clean your belongings with standard domestic cleaning products before they are handled by others, including removal firms
• whilst the removers are in your home, you should ensure any internal doors are open and seek to minimise your contact with the crew by following government guidelines on physical distancing
• all parties should regularly wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand rub (hand sanitiser) and avoid touching surfaces where possible to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. We also recommend that you consider using a face covering
• you should not provide refreshments but you should ensure removers have access to hand washing facilities, using separate towels or paper towels if possible, which should be washed or disposed of safely afterwards.  In rental properties, the landlord/seller should be responsible for providing these and carrying out the cleaning, unless the tenant objects, in which case they must take responsibility
• if you are moving into or out of a property which has common areas and/or shared access, physical distancing and relevant public health advice should be followed

Click to read the updated guidance for Scotland