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HOW HAS COVID CHANGED THE PROCESS OF
HOUSE HUNTING
IN SPAIN
The pandemic has changed how we’re living, our priorities and our outlook on what we want from a home. Property hunters need to be prepared for how these changes will affect their search and also consider their new essential must-haves in the post-COVID era, so this month we’re answering your questions on how things have changed and what to expect. WORDS SEAN WOOLLEY, SPANISH PROPERTY EXPERT AND AUTHOR OF FROM THE GROUND UP
travel to Spain. For clients who are already well-researched and familiar with an area, there has sometimes been no need to physically visit. Armed with a high-quality camera, a gimbal and a wide-angled lens, we have been able to conduct live walk-through video chats and to produce beautifully edited videos which are almost as good as the real thing. We have been able to sell a number of high value properties purely
based on virtual viewings and we expect this trend to continue even when travel restrictions lift. Q. What is the mask etiquette when touring properties? Spanish law requires the wearing of face masks in all public spaces, and this also applies to property tours. When we take clients out on viewings, we are armed with extra masks and hand sanitiser. We tend to restrict the length of our tours to
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Q. If I am unable to travel to Spain, do international real estate agents offer virtual home tours? Virtual viewings have become the “new normal” for overseas real estate agents. We have been using them so that our buying clients can effectively shortlist properties from the comfort of their own home, with the aim of physically viewing their selected options when they are able to comfortably
150 / APRIL 2021 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE
