COVID-19 and Home Inspections
ASHI'S Advice for Best Practices
A home inspection is a vital part of a home purchase. ASHI believes that home inspections can continue during the COVID-19 outbreak when prudent safety precautions are practiced, and when performing the inspection does not conflict with government orders and recommendations.
Everyone involved with the home inspection is responsible for helping with safety. The following advice is based on current recommendations from reliable sources. People should be aware that the situation is changing constantly. People should monitor reliable sources, and act if recommendations change.
Home Inspectors
- Reschedule the inspection if you feel sick, or if you exhibit symptoms of a respiratory illness.
- Bring your own anti-bacterial soap, towel, hand sanitizer and shoe covers.
- Use hand sanitizer before entering the home, and wash your hands as recommended before beginning the inspection.
- Wear disposable shoe covers when entering the home.
- Do not shake hands.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Wash your hands after inspecting each bathroom and the kitchen.
- Wipe bathroom and kitchen fixtures and toilet handles with a sanitizing wipe after inspecting these areas. Be sure the wipe instructions allow use on the fixture or handle.
Buyers and Real Estate Agents
- Do not attend the inspection. If you wish to attend, do so only at the end of the inspection. Do not bring children, relatives, contractors, and others to the inspection. Reschedule the inspection if you wish to attend, and if you feel sick, or if you exhibit symptoms of a respiratory illness.
- Use hand sanitizer before entering and before leaving the home.
- Touch as few things in the home as possible.
Sellers
- Reschedule the inspection if anyone in the home feels sick or exhibits symptoms of a respiratory illness.
- Do not attend the inspection. Make arrangements for children, relatives and others to be out of the home during the inspection.
- Wipe bathroom and kitchen fixtures, toilet handles and door knobs with a sanitizing wipe before the inspection. Be sure the wipe instructions allow use on the surface.