Due to the COVID-19 outbreak spreading the globe and resulting social distancing themes taken on by much of society, many homeowners are naturally wondering what to do about various home services. Whether we’re talking HVAC, plumbing or even home inspections prior to a potential sale, there’s some question out there about how these appointments will be carried out safely.
At Aerolite Consulting, we’re happy to help. We already have significant experience with airborne contaminants, as evidenced by our wide range of environmental home inspection areas – we test for mold, radon, asbestos and several other contaminants. We’re also taking prudent health and safety themes during all our home inspection appointments – here are some of the basic areas to consider here, plus how you can stay safe if you plan to attend a home inspection in-person.
Local Regulations
First and foremost, it’s important for us to make clear to our clients that we are not breaking any Utah rules or regulations when performing our home inspections. There has been no statewide stay-at-home order during this process, and most areas of the state have done very well combatting the virus and have begun to safely, cautiously reopen.
For this reason, questions about whether real estate inspections are considered “essential” don’t apply in our state’s current situation. Be sure to stay on top of this information, however, as if another outbreak surge were to occur, it’s possible local regulations could change.
Buyer and Owner Absent
Modern technology allows us several outlets when it comes to safety and health for home inspections. In fact, it may allow for several inspection scenarios where neither the current occupant nor potential buyer of the home are even present, keeping everyone at least one degree safer from virus spread risks.
This is easily enough done by homeowners with Supra keys or related remote entry themes – you can even go old-school and hide a key in a certain location. In addition, video chat services like Zoom or Facebook allow our inspectors to communicate actively with buyers, sellers and their agents during or after our inspections, even allowing us to visualize any issues we might locate in the process.
In-Person Precautions
If you do choose to attend your inspection in-person, several precautions should be taken. All our inspectors will be following these in detail as well. They include:
- Wearing shoe covers and other personal protective gear when around any other individuals, including masks and gloves.
- Regular hand-washing, particularly after touching common surfaces.
- Easy access to hand sanitizer for areas where hand-washing is not realistic.
- Distance of at least six feet maintained between people at all times.
For more on how home inspections and related services can be handled safely and easily during the COVID-19 crisis, or to learn about any of our home or environmental inspection services, speak to the staff at Aerolite Consulting today.
