Question: What steps should I take to make offers on properties?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: Advice to industry
Developers and new build sales
section_content: Developers can continue with sales during this period but should ensure that
their sales teams follow the government’s safer working
guidance. Developers should inform consumers and their own staff about their
procedures, so that they are safe throughout the sales process.

Where possible, developers should promote virtual viewings.
Where physical viewings do take place, including visits to show homes, these should be by appointment with one household visiting one property at a time.
Developers should clean surfaces between viewings.
For new reservations and contracts, developers should work with conveyancers to ensure contracts take account of the risks posed by coronavirus, including building in flexibility in case move dates need to change as a result of someone falling ill with coronavirus or needing to self-isolate.
Developers should do what they can to support anyone with coronavirus symptoms or self-isolating, and those they are in chain with, to agree a new date.


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This answer contains covid-19 guide intended for developers and does not provide any information on what steps should be taken for people who want to make offers on properties during pandemic.
This offers guidelines for developers and does not address the buyers making an offer.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Bad

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: Advice to the public
3. Making offers or reservations
section_content: More detail on progressing the individual elements of the home buying and
selling or rental process and how this applies to different groups is set out
in the next section.
You are free to make or accept an offer or reserve a property as normal.

There is a greater risk that parties may need to delay their move because someone is showing symptoms of coronavirus or self-isolating. Where needed your legal adviser should advise you and help make sure that any contracts or agreements are as flexible as possible to accommodate this risk.
Prospective purchasers may wish to visit a property again once they have agreed a sale, for example to measure up. Where this has been agreed to, the above advice on prioritising virtual visits, hygiene measures, maintaining social distancing at all times and mitigating contact where possible should be followed.
Purchasers may also want to send in tradespeople to carry out inspections. Where possible these should be scheduled with one person visiting the property at any time. No tradespeople should enter a property where a member of the household is showing symptoms of coronavirus or self-isolating. Where a tradesperson is visiting the property, the occupier should maintain social distancing, wash their hands regularly and minimise contact as far as possible, for example by staying in another room. These visits should be carried out in line with government safer working guidance.


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This is a direct answer to the question. This answer provides information on what to consider and also safety guide for people when making or accepting offer or reserving properties during pandemic.
This offers buyer specific information about how to purchase and make an offer on a home during the crisis.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: Advice to the public
1. Preparing to buy, sell or move home
section_content: More detail on progressing the individual elements of the home buying and
selling or rental process and how this applies to different groups is set out
in the next section.
You can put your home on the market and start to look for properties you want
to move into. If any member of the household being viewed is showing symptoms
or is self-isolating then estate agents should not physically visit the
property.

You can begin to market your home and estate agents are able to visit in order to take photos/videos of the property.
To help prevent the spread of infection, we encourage people to do the majority of their property searching online; for example only physically viewing those properties which you believe you are most likely to want to move into.
As usual, you can also start to bring together the documentation necessary to sell your property (more information on these documents is available in the government’s guidance on how to sell homes).
If you wish to buy a new build property you should make contact with the developer in the usual way. You should be able to view the show home or visit the particular plot you are interested in purchasing, although there will be appointment systems in place.


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This does not answer the question. The question is asking for information on steps to make offers on properties during pandemic. However, this answer is about selling home or properties during the pandemic.
This offers some information about buying property, but there are not details specific to making an offer.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Could be Improved