Buying or selling? What you can do right now

Life goes on regardless of lockdowns so use this time wisely to get yourself into the best possible position so you are ready for action when the time comes.

House moves cannot be kept on hold forever; up and downsizing plans have to go ahead and so do moves for work or family circumstances. Rest assured - all the players in the property market are working hard to keep things moving. How on earth do you move house during a pandemic with so many lockdown rules in place? The Scottish Government says you are: ‘strongly advised to postpone at this time, if possible’. But sometimes staying put is not an option; moves for family circumstances, including finances, and employment, have to take place. The current guidelines from Holyrood say work can be carried out in someone’s home for ‘the maintenance, upkeep or functioning of the home’ If keeping your home functioning means moving house then do not worry. People can enter your home, ‘to support a home move, for example furniture removal’. And, ‘it is permitted to leave your house for activities in connection with moving home (including viewing a property), or for activities in connection with the essential maintenance, purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property that the person owns or is otherwise responsible for’. But the advice continues: ‘You should search for property online and do viewings virtually in the first instance and only physically view a property which you most likely want to move into’. This is where our estate agents have stepped up to the challenge. Most have expanded their online presence with video views of properties and the number of photographs of each property has been vastly increased. Moving house is possible and the market is strong, but don’t just take our word for it. Last week the Financial Times reported that UK property prices rose at their fastest rate since 2016; with a four-year high in November, saying that lockdown lifestyle shifts and government measures boosted property prices in spite of economic slowdown. The Scottish Property Federation (SPF) is the voice for the property industry in Scotland. Michaela Sullivan MRTPI, who chairs the foundation, is optimistic; she said in the organisation’s review at the end of 2020: ‘As we move into 2021, We still have some hurdles to face, as the vaccination programme will not be completed overnight, furlough will come to an end, our public finances have been altered beyond all recognition and the potential long-term impacts on how we occupy and use our real estate are not yet understood.’ The Home Owners Alliance reports: ‘With demand outstripping supply, it’s definitely a ‘sellers market’ as newly listed homes are being snapped up. This puts sellers in a strong position to negotiate and pick from the best buyers who are able to move quickly.’ Nearly a quarter of those planning to buy their first property say they have been able save more cash during lockdown, according to research from the Nottingham Building Society. The money saved on commuting and the removal of any temptation to go out for a meal or the treat of a weekend away have all helped boost nest eggs.