Category: Property


Tags: CORONAVIRUS, covid-19, HOUSING MARKET

How the Coronavirus is currently affecting the Surrey property market – March 2020

26th March 2020

Much like every other business in the country, the property industry is coming to terms with the sudden and immediate change to all our working and domestic lives that were announced this week.

I am relieved that as a company we took the decision to temporarily close our sales and lettings branches together with all our support offices and departments on Monday 23rd March 2020. This decision means that all our staff are now able to safely operate from home and therefore help to reduce the risk of Coronavirus transmission, which has to be everyone's priority.

As an independently owned and managed firm, Burns & Webber have always been able to adapt and manoeuvre quickly to ensure that we offer the best and most up-to-date advice to our clients. As we now all start to adjust to our new home working arrangements, I think what is important to remember is that when this is over, we are expecting there to be a huge demand for people wanting to move home.

If your home is currently on the market, my recommendation is to keep it available for sale and visible online. Potential buyers will have additional time to search in the coming weeks and we are making arrangements for ‘virtual viewings’ where possible.

For those of you who have been thinking of moving, we are also now offering a ‘virtual valuation’ service, which for the time being will replace our face to face marketing consultation. This will enable us to continue to provide you with a current market appraisal of your home – as always this service is free and without obligation.

BOOK A VIRTUAL VALUATION

 

If you are currently on the market or have had a sale agreed on your property or you are a landlord or a tenant, here is a full breakdown of our current advice:

 

What happens if I have a sale or purchase agreed, but haven’t yet exchanged?

If you have agreed a property sale or purchase, our advice is to allow your solicitor to continue to progress your sale in the background. Don’t treat this as a pause, but rather encourage your appointed lawyer to complete the searches and other necessary paperwork involved in conveyancing. This will mean that by the time the Coronavirus outbreak is under control, your sale is at the point where it is ready to exchange and complete.

There is now guidance that a physical move should be delayed where possible. My advice is to be pragmatic, speak to your agent and solicitor. We are finding that where this type of approach is adopted and there is a willingness to compromise, sales are proceeding often with a delayed completion and in such cases an ability to bring forward by agreement a completion date, should current movement restrictions be eased.

All of our branches have been set up so we can operate in a homeworking environment. This means we will continue to do everything within our power to work with the solicitors involved in every single one of our current transactions, ensuring the sale stays together and our clients can reach exchange of contracts.

What The Lawyers Are Saying

Whilst Coronavirus is causing a lot of immediate turmoil in our day to day lives, property lawyers are still working, albeit from home, to allow property transactions to continue to progress.

At present, The Law Society has not recommended a ‘Corornavirus Clause’ be added to sales contracts that have not yet exchanged. Common sense is being encouraged so that if the purchaser or seller gets into difficulty over a completion date because they are suffering from the Coronavirus, solicitors will seek a sensible resolution by way of renegotiating completion dates – this is a welcome and pragmatic approach to enable our buyers and sellers to complete their property transaction.

Advice For Landlords & Tenants During Coronavirus Crisis

It is important that tenants, landlords and estate agents work together during this period and we must all take every reasonable measure to continue to adhere to the terms of the Tenancy Agreement.

That being said, should you be experiencing immediate financial difficulty as a direct result of Covid-19, which places you in a situation where you are unable to pay your rent, please contact your letting agent or email your assigned property manager to discuss your next rent payment.

A lot of tenants will no doubt have concerns over the long term financial implications of the Coronavirus crisis. However, only those that have been immediately affected through actual job loss or significantly reduced income need to take any action at this time. Much like the current guidance from the NHS this will allow letting agents to prioritise tenants and landlords who need immediate advice and we will continue to issue ongoing guidance as the situation develops.

You can be assured that every member of our team is determined to continue on the basis that it is business as usual and we will be delighted to hear from you at any time.

Similar Articles

Category: Property


Tags: building work, construction, flat roof

The Art Of The Flat Roof And How To Choose The Right One For Your Home

View Full Article
13th September 2021

Category: Property


Tags: GARDEN, landscaping, outside space

Why A Garden Can Increase The Value Of Your Home By 20%

View Full Article
20th April 2021

Category: Property


Tags: boomin, Property search

BOOMIN – The smartest, most powerful property search ever!

View Full Article
12th April 2021

Category: Property


Tags: diy, HOME IMPROVEMENT, renovation

Which home improvements boost property value and which will actually lose you money?

View Full Article
19th February 2021

Category: Property


Tags: 2021 predictions, property market

What Does 2021 Have In Store For The Property Market?

View Full Article
18th January 2021

Category: Property


Tags: AUTUMN, CORONAVIRUS, property market

Property Market Update: Autumn 2020

View Full Article
9th November 2020

What Burns & Webber can do for you

No Sale, No Fee

Our cutting edge marketing package includes professional photography and floorplans to present your property at its very best. There’s nothing to pay upfront, so you won’t pay us a penny until we’ve successfully sold your property.

Maximum Exposure For Your Home

We are one of the few agents to advertise on all the UK’s leading property websites including Rightmove, Zoopla, Primelocation and OnTheMarket, so you can be confident of having your home in front of thousands of buyers.

Our People

Over the 80 years we’ve grown from a single office to be the largest independent estate agent in the south of england. Our friendly yet professional guidance and advice, will give you a smoother and more enjoyable experience of moving home.

24/7 Access to Your Sale

Our website gives you instant access to information about your property sale, including updates, contract documents and correspondence and easy access to your property listing.

Tell Us What You Are Looking For

Not every property we have for sale is listed on our website - we arrange many sales before they ever appear online, exclusively to buyers registered on our database. Registering with us will give you the best chance of finding your dream home. stats

Advice From the Experts

We have ten mortgage advisers with over 100 years experience within the industry who can advise and find the right mortgage for your needs. We can also recommend qualified surveyors, solicitors and additional services to help at every stage of your purchase.

Selling Your Existing Home

If you have a property to sell, we recommend you find a buyer for your existing property before starting your search. Early preparation is key to a successful sale - we can help you establish its market value and find you a buyer.

24/7 Access to Your Search

Our website gives you instant access to information about your property search, including shortlisted properties and once you’ve had an offer accepted, updates and all correspondence.

Licenced & Regulated

We are members of ARLA Propertymark, the UK’s foremost professional body for letting agents which means we are required to operate in a transparent way, providing services which are subject to independent scrutiny, giving you peace of mind at all times.

No Let, No Fee

Our cutting edge marketing package includes professional photography and floorplans to present your property at its very best. There’s nothing to pay upfront for this service, so you won’t pay us a penny until we’ve successfully found a tenant your property.

Your Property in Safe hands

One of our locally based in-house property managers will be personally assigned to you and your property. From finding a suitable tenant, to rent collection, maintenance, property inspections and day to day management, we take care of everything on your behalf.

24/7 Access to Your Portfolio

Our website gives you instant access to information about your property portfolio, including status updates on your letting, financial overview and statements, contract documents and easy access to your property listing.

Dedicated Local Point of Contact

Our experienced property management team based in branch, are readily available to respond to your enquiries, maintenance issues and any emergencies. We respond quickly and professionally providing guidance and advice throughout your tenancy.

Tell Us What You Are Looking For

Not every property we have to let is listed on our website - we arrange many tenancies before they ever appear online, exclusively to people registered on our database. Registering with us will give you the best chance of finding your dream home.

Licenced & Regulated

We are members of ARLA Propertymark, the UK’s foremost professional body for letting agents which means we are required to operate in a transparent way, providing services which are subject to independent scrutiny, giving you peace of mind at all times.

24/7 Access to Your Search

Our website gives you instant access to information about your rental search, including shortlisted properties and once you’ve had an offer accepted, updates on your Tenancy Application, rent payments, maintenance and all correspondence.

Buyers
Subscribe to our newsletter

Please confirm you consent to us using cookies to help with your property search and improve your experience on the Burns & Webber website.

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer/mobile device that remember your preferences and what you were searching for. Our cookies don’t collect any personal information. For more information please read our privacy policy, thank you