As the Covid-19 restrictions on the country’s housing market begin to ease, DM Hall, one of Scotland’s largest independent firms of chartered surveyors, is ready to start work again on Monday 29 June – providing Home Reports for house hunters and those looking to sell their homes.

With a wait list in the many hundreds of people looking to have Home Reports undertaken, DM Hall has prepared a video setting the five steps for a safe survey, https://www.dmhall.co.uk/five-steps-for-a-safe-survey/.

Administrative staff will contact each household ahead of the visit to ensure that everyone is in good health. The surveyor will then ‘phone the homeowner to confirm that he or she is on their way, that everyone in the property remains well with no symptoms, and that no one has been self-isolating within the last 14 days. If so, the appointment will be re-arranged.

Surveyors have also been given a clear list of instructions to preserve everyone’s safety. “By communicating clearly with customers, they should feel assured that DM Hall can survey safely and support their move”, it says.

Every day, surveyors will check and confirm they have sufficient PPE: gloves, masks, hand gel, and paper towels for the survey, including plenty of spares.

Guidelines confirm that “should gloves have to be removed during a survey and you wish to wash your hands remember to ask permission and bring your own supply of paper towels. Do not bring your own reusable towel to use throughout the day and do not leave used paper towels in the house.”

DM Hall’s Managing Partner, Eric Curran, said: “We have adhered closely throughout the lockdown to Government and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) guidelines. The only homes we have surveyed over the last three months have been uninhabited properties and, even then, only if we were informed of an essential or urgent requirement.

“There is, we believe, significant pent-up demand in the Scottish marketplace, and it is our role, acting within all published guidelines, to meet that demand now that we have been given the go-ahead.

“Our preparations have been extensive and highly detailed, and we eagerly await Monday 29 June when we will return safely to work.”

Richard Clowes, Partner in DM Hall’s Edinburgh office, and also covers Galashiels, said: “Looking at the feedback we’re receiving from clients there appears to be significant ‘pent up’ demand from owners wanting to put their house onto the open market. We’ve been hearing, albeit anecdotally, that properties are continuing to sell even during lockdown.

“We have a substantial waitlist of occupied properties to arrange to visit and we look forward to being back to work with appropriate social distancing to keep the market moving.”