Housing secretary confirms show homes and estate agents will not have to close doors from tomorrow
Housebuilder show homes and estate agents are to be allowed to remain open when new lockdown measures come in to force from tomorrow.
A joint message published late last night by the housing secretary Robert Jenrick, Home Builders Federation executive chair Stewart Baseley and Federation of Master Builders chief executive Brian Berry makes clear the industry is expected to carry on working “securely” through the lockdown.
Jenrick (pictured left) made clear over the weekend that he expected construction sites to remain open and was not placing the restrictions on the home-buying and selling process seen in the initial phase of the spring lockdown.
However, some had expected that showhomes and estate agents would be asked to close physical offices, given the government’s direction that all “non-essential” retailers should shut for the month.
The letter, published last night, said: “Buying, selling and renting a home can continue, in a covid-secure way, as it has in recent months. Estate and letting agents can operate, show homes and sales suites can remain open and property viewings, mortgage valuations and surveys can take place.”
The letter made clear that guidance on safe site procedures and the home-buying process used in recent months must continue to be followed. “House building – and its supply chains – should continue working securely”, it said.
It also said that home repairs and maintenance work could continue, and said the housing ministry has written to local authorities to emphasise that it expects urgent building safety remediation work to carry on.
The letter said: “The housing industry has reacted with enormous agility to the extraordinary circumstances presented by covid-19. Its determination to keep building, repairing, buying and selling the homes our country needs has been a crucial part of the economic response to covid-19.
“We are committed to supporting the sector through this emergency to continue working safely to build, buy and sell the homes we all need.”
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