Have you been considering selling your home during COVID-19? Here's what you can expect when you put your home up in the market.

What to Expect if You’re Selling a Home During COVID-19

News, Tips

The only thing certain about life during the Coronavirus quarantine is that nothing is certain. Even if you’re lucky enough to still be employed, you might be working from home for the first time, trying to keep your family safe, and entertained 24/7, and wondering if life will ever return to normal – whatever that is – or was.

Of course, with real estate markets uncertain at the best of times, if you’re thinking about putting up your Markham, Richmond Hill or Vaughan house for sale, you couldn’t be blamed for wondering if right now is a good time to do so.   

3 Things to Expect if You’re Selling A Home During COVID-19

No one can say what will happen for sure. But here are just a few of the realities you’ll face if you put your house up for sale during the coronavirus pandemic.

  1. Strangers in Your Home – Realtors are doing everything they can to minimize in-person home tours, including virtual tours, qualifying potential buyers before offering an in-person tour, and strictly enforcing social distancing.

    But the most interested buyers often want to see a home first-hand before making an offer. Arrange with your agent to get lots of advanced notice of a showing before it happens. If you can, find another safe place to live while the house is for sale. And be prepared to disinfect the entire home after a showing.
  2. DIY Staging – This is becoming less of an issue as quarantine restrictions ease up. But, if you don’t want furniture, artwork and other staging effects from outside, and the people it takes to deliver and assemble it,  in your home, it’ll be up to you to ensure your home looks its best to attract better offers and get your home sold faster.
  3. Don’t Make a Decision Either Way Without Talking to a Realtor – It’s a mistake to think that the pandemic means lower house prices – or higher house prices. As always, the Toronto and GTA housing market has been resilient so far through the quarantine. Prices are up in many areas.

    Now more than ever you need the advice of a professional realtor with specific experience in your neighbourhood when it comes to selling a home during COVID-19. That realtor will make sure you price and market your home in the best way possible to suit the realities of your particular location and deliver the highest return for you.

If you enjoyed this post, check out our recent article “I’ve Lost My Job to COVID-19. Can I still Get a Mortgage?”.