They say moving home is one of the most stressful times in your life, but how about moving home in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic?
A question from many at the moment is – what is the impact of the coronavirus on my residential conveyancing transaction?
The Law Society recently shared what they determined to be some new and perhaps unique issues that buyers and sellers may encounter, including:
- requests for properties to be decontaminated
- refusal to vacate properties upon completion because of the new government restrictions
- the chance of potential failure or disruption to parts of the banking system (such as CHAPS)
- delays in local searches as a result of local authority staff absences
We understand that this is a difficult time so please do contact us to get the right information regarding your transactions. Our team is here to reassure you.
The government has advised there is no need for those buying a home to pull out of transactions, but that ‘prioritising the health of individuals and the public must be the priority’. Therefore:
- Home buyers and renters should, where possible, delay moving to a new house while measures are in place to fight coronavirus (COVID-19).
- If you have already exchanged contracts and the property is currently occupied then all parties should work together to agree a delay or another way to resolve this matter.
- If moving is unavoidable for contractual reasons and the parties are unable to reach an agreement to delay, people must follow advice on staying away from others to minimise the spread of the virus.
- In line with Government’s advice, anyone with symptoms, self-isolating or shielding from the virus, should follow medical advice which will mean not moving house for the time being, if at all possible. All parties should prioritise agreeing amicable arrangements to change move dates for individuals in this group, or where someone in a chain is in this group.
For further guidance and advice, contact PGM Director, Paula Murphy on 07921 394927.
