Housing market in lockdown: will house viewings and moves still go ahead?

The housing market will remain open during lockdown 3, despite some of the harshest measures since March 2020 being imposed in England. Covid-safe home viewings and appraisals for sales and lettings properties are still possible, surveys can go ahead and home moves will also be allowed to continue during the current lockdown

Housing market in lockdown: will house viewings and moves still go ahead?
Covid-safe home viewings and appraisals for sales and lettings properties are still possible, surveys can go ahead and home moves will also be allowed to continue during the current lockdown, which was announced by Boris Johnson last night.

From tomorrow, January 6, England enters a period of strict lockdown to halt the surge in coronavirus cases surpassing the previous peak in spring last year.

Mark Hayward, chief policy adviser of industry body Propertymark welcomed the news that the housing market would stay open during this lockdown but stressed it was essential that agents follow all the guidance on how to safely work to limit the spread of Covid-19.


In the first lockdown estate agents were forced to close for seven weeks between March and May 2020, while all but essential home moves were banned. The government also advised against having builders or decorators working in your home at that time.

However, as soon as those restrictions were lifted, home sales and moves boomed, a result partly of pent-up demand, partly of the cooped-up masses realising they needed gardens and home offices as a matter of urgency.

Rishi Sunak also announced a stamp duty holiday up to £500,000, giving a tax break of up to £15,000 to tens of thousands of home buyers. This has led to a severe backlog in processing sales with fears that thousands of sales will fail to complete before the stamp duty holiday deadline on March 31.

“For the many people currently caught up in a race to complete before the stamp duty deadline, leaving the property market open will come as a great relief,” said Dominic Agace, chief executive of Winkworth.

“With mortgage approvals in November at levels not seen since 2007, this could affect record numbers of families and first-time buyers, for whom missing the deadline and incurring extra costs could have a significant impact, as well a huge additional disruption to people’s lives.

“Hopefully, the Government recognises that with the right Covid secure policies in place, ensuring PPE is worn and social distancing is maintained, the housing market can continue to operate safely and provide a bright spot for people in a pretty grim year.”

Former RICS chairman, estate agent Jeremy Leaf called on the Chancellor to extend the stamp duty holiday deadline, saying the latest lockdown would cause inevitable delays in some home moves.

He said: “While the property market remains open for business, the new lockdown will have some impact on surveyors, removals firms etc and in the circumstances, it would be prudent for the Chancellor to reconsider the stamp duty deadline.

Those who have moved heaven and earth to meet the deadline should not now be penalised if they miss it through no fault of their own.”

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Meet Our Founding Director James

Meet Our Founding Director James

James Allen is the founding director and owner of Allen Residential. James started in estate agency back in 1997 and after working for a couple of strong independent estate agencies he established Allen Residential in 2005 Keen to invest back into his team, James is dedicated to ensuring that each team member at Allen Residential is a key part of the business, emphasizing the importance of their contributions. His leadership style highlights the significance of a cohesive and dedicated team, fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment. The business has flourished in recent years, thanks to the staff's commitment to excellence and the implementation of effective systems. James' appreciation for his team’s hard work and dedication is evident, making Allen Residential a thriving and dynamic company.

Why choose Allen Residential?

Why choose Allen Residential?

With an owner who has 35 number of years experience in the industry and 20 years of company history, we bring knowledge, reliability, and expertise to every property transaction.

Our approach is casual and professional, aiming to form personal connections with the people we work with instead of treating them as a number.

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