With the recent concerns of the Covid-19 virus, also known as the Corona virus, companies have had to adapt to new ways of doing business. One way to adapt is to add additional services in response to need. Another is to adjust how things are done.
Concerns regarding the spread of viruses and bacteria are a real concern and have definitely come to almost everyone’s mind due to the global Corona virus pandemic. People are increasing social distancing from each other and bars and restaurants have been closed in some areas and people have been ordered to stay home to help prevent the spread of the virus.
For real estate in most places, home and condo buying continues and, as a result, home inspections continue as well. For home inspections, it is recommended that very few people attend the home inspection and of course stay at least 6 feet apart. No more handshakes when the inspector meets the homebuyer. Inspectors wash their hands more frequently and apply hand sanitizer frequently. Many wear gloves and masks. Face masks should only be worn if one is sick or caring for someone known to be carrying the virus. If a buyer or home inspector is sick, he should stay in her own home to help prevent the spread. Home buyers are usually not right next to the inspector, so there is a low risk of transmission. So the change in how the home inspection is done hasn’t changed much.
The concern stems in large part from homebuyers being hesitant about moving into a home that may be infected in some way. Naturally, this is concerning because the new owner of the house does not know who was in the house just before they moved in. This has sparked new services from home inspection companies.
One of these new services is fogging or the physical application of a disinfectant in the home to help kill bacteria and viruses. The request is made after the sellers have put their stuff out and before the new owners put it up. Habitation Investigation offers the service free of charge to its homebuyer clients through a “sister company” Environmental Consultants of Ohio. This service helps homebuyers feel better not only when looking at the house, but also when moving into a house recently occupied by strangers.
Two functions of home inspections are to provide information to the homebuyer so they can make an informed decision and to help eliminate many of the unknowns that exist when buying a home. Sanitizer is another way to help reduce worry about the unknown. Of course it doesn’t prevent the home from getting “infected” after the treatment, it does provide some peace of mind.