Falkirk housing market up and running as lockdown restrictions ease

As restrictions on people’s lives continue to ease, the property market is one area which has been allowed to take steps out of lockdown this week.

Estate agents in Falkirk and across the country reopened their doors on Monday to get the market moving once again.

The pandemic caused the industry to effectively shut down at the end of March, with people asked to delay moving and only those homes moves which were “reasonably necessary” allowed to take place under the government’s guidance.

However, from this week it’s back to business, albeit not as normal, for those in the property business.

Viewings can now take place as long as safety measures are in place including physical distancing, and moving home or preparing a residential property for a move are now permitted.

It is also possible to visit a residential property for activities required for rental or sale, such as valuations and completion of home reports.

Two local estate agents are pleased to be back to work this week, and they say business is booming.

Clark Gillespie, director of Clyde Property in Newmarket Street, said: “It’s like a dam wall breaking.

“When we went into lockdown a dam wall built up, but now that wall has come down.

“We have been busy as things are starting to happen again.

“For the last two weeks we have had some properties come on the market as surveyors were back doing home reports.

“We had one property go to a closing date last Tuesday and we have two more closing dates this week.

“There is demand for property at the moment, in fact, demand is out stripping supply, just as it was before lockdown.

“It the last three weeks with sales and enquiries, business has been booming.

“We’ve had an interlude when people couldn’t do anything for three months, and now those limitations have gone.

“On Monday we had 13 viewings lined up for one property, all socially distanced single viewing appointments.

“So the market is buoyant at the moment.

“There’s demand there at the moment, but it’s pent up demand.

“It may just be an initial backlog, and in a few weeks it may settle down, but we will have to wait and see.”

And his view on the current demand is shared by Alyson Lowe, managing director of Alexander Taylor Estate Agents.

She said: “It’s been very busy so there’s a huge influx of stuff going on the market.

“You only need to have looked at Right Move in the past few weeks to see things are starting to move again.

“The surveyors were back working earlier in the month, so they have been completing home reports allowing properties to go on the market again.

“There’s so much of a back log the surveyors are working back to back.

“If someone was to ask when the best time to sell your house was I’d say now.

“The market is still buoyant, but it may not be the same market come January or February.”

To support the safe re-opening of the housing market, the Scottish Government has published guidance for the public and those working in the sector.

It reinforces the key health messages such as following the latest advice on physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene.

Ms Lowe said the team at Alexander Taylor were continuing to offer video tours of the property in the first instance, but were doing some physical viewings.

She explained some of the measures they have put in place to ensure the safety of clients and staff: “Ahead of viewings we are asking people to complete a health assessment form to say they have not had Covid-19 or been in contact with someone with Covid-19 and that they do not have symptoms.

“We are asking people to wear face masks and gloves, we’re providing hand sanitiser and we’re only allowing one person in a property at a time.

“They are asked not to touch doors, door handles or hard surfaces.

“In the shop we are open by appointment only, we’ve got floor signs, protective screens and hand sanitiser.”

Mr Gillespie spoke of similar measures being put in place to enable viewings of their properties to continue safely.

He added: “We are doing all viewings on single appointments, we have no open house viewings. It’s all strictly by appointment.

“We're asking people to wear face masks and we’re offering hand sanitiser.

“We’re retaining a two metre distance, and asking people not to touch surfaces and door handles.

“There’s only one party on the premises at a time.”

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you