The news that anyone in England can now move house, as long as they follow new government guidance, will be welcomed by the 450,000 buyers and renters who have been unable to move since March.
After the government announced plans to help people to move house safely, in-line with social distancing advice, flatsharing site SpareRoom surveyed its users to ask whether they feel confident to move now the new regulations are in place.
The results reveal that over half (54%) of renters do feel confident to view a property now the government has given the housing market the green light to reopen. One in three (32%) however, still feel wary and said they’d only feel comfortable to move if they absolutely had to.
The government are recommending that initial viewings take place virtually for now. If people view properties in person, there are specific guidelines to follow. It seems renters and landlords alike are embracing the virtual option. SpareRoom has seen a huge increase in the number of video adverts on the site. Since lockdown began, they’ve seen 6 times the normal volume of video uploads, showing renters, landlords & agents are keen to crack on with their search as safely as possible.
Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom Director comments: “COVID-19 has put a pause on ordinary life for all of us. Allowing people to move, when they feel confident to do so, will be a huge relief for those who need to.
Even though viewing properties in person is now allowed, from our data it’s clear that people are embracing virtual methods to continue searching for properties safely. We’d encourage as many people as possible to upload a video to their ads, especially if it includes the people living in the property. Video is a great way for potential flatmates to find out more about each other and work out whether they click before needing to meet in person. We may well see video remaining a natural part of the way people find rooms and flatmates way beyond the end of social distancing.”