Why FSBO Sellers Should Have Hand Sanitizer During Home Tours

By now, you must have been impacted by Coronavirus in some way. At the very least, you’ve heard that you should reduce outings away from home and of course, the guests you allow inside your house. Medical experts have also emphasized the importance of paying special attention to sanitation. Frequent hand washing, sanitizers, and disinfectants have certainly become popular topics for conversations these days. At the same time, the economic disruption caused by this global pandemic may offer you extra motivation to sell your home quickly. In order to sell your home, you’re going to have to let people in to see it. Take a moment to learn why FSBO Sellers Should Have Hand Sanitizer on Hand During House Tours.

How Can FSBO Sellers Safely Show Their Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Even though you plan to put your house on the market as an FSBO, or for sale by owner, you can still get good guidance from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) about the safest way to show homes. According to the NAR, you should:

• Spend at least 20 seconds washing your hands with soap as frequently as possible.
• If you can’t wash your hands, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. You should keep a bottle of hand sanitizer by the door and politely insist that potential buyers use it as soon as they enter your home. FSBO Sellers Should Have Hand Sanitizer on Hand During House Tours.
• Try to maintain a distance of at least six feet from your guests. If this appears awkward, feel free to explain that you’re making an effort to protect your home and your potential buyers.

Besides offering hand sanitizer and maintaining a distance from your guests, it’s a good idea to prepare by cleaning and disinfecting any frequently touched surfaces in your home. Take this step before your buyers arrive and then again, after they leave. Since it’s impossible to know who may have become infected with this virus, it’s best to behave as if anybody might be.

How Can Hand Sanitizer Help Keep FSBO Sellers Safer From the COVID-19?

The CDC does say that frequent hand washing will provide you with your best line of defense against germs. Sadly, you probably can’t install a sink right by the front door. In case it’s impossible to wash hands right away, the CDC suggests using hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol to help curb the spread of viruses. When used correctly, these products can eliminate or inactivate many germs.

To use hand sanitizer the right way:

• Apply enough of the product to cover the fronts and backs of your hand and all around your fingers.
• Rub the hand sanitizer in until your hands are dry.

As a note, hand sanitizers are generally safe on hands but toxic if swallowed. The CDC had reports that poison control centers around the country got tens of thousands of calls each year because of children swallowing hand sanitizer. The bright colors, sweet scents, or colorful packaging might make children think that the bottle contains a tasty drink. Be certain that you keep the bottle away from young children. If you are around children old enough to understand, make sure you let them know that they should never put this product in their mouths.

What if FSBO Sellers Can’t Find Hand Sanitizer?

Right now, you may have trouble finding commercial hand sanitizer on the store shelves. Popular Mechanics quoted an infectious disease specialist,  Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum, who said that making your own DIY hand sanitizer may not be a bad idea. That is, it’s a good idea if you measure carefully and purchase the right ingredients.

This is one recipe for DIY hand sanitizer:

•  One-third cup of aloe vera gel
• Two-thirds cup of 99% isopropyl alcohol, sometimes called rubbing alcohol

You simply mix the two ingredients together in a large bowl. If you measured well, your final product should meet the guidelines for a 60-percent alcohol product. You can pour it into a dispenser or bottle. You can always recycle an empty soap or sanitizer dispenser for your DIY product.

Should FSBO Sellers Invite Buyers Into Homes Now?

At the least, interview prospective buyers before you invite them into your home. Make certain they don’t have a fever, a cough, or other symptoms of coronavirus. You can also ask them if they’ve recently traveled out of the country or knowingly made contact with anybody who has already caught the virus. If you think there’s a chance they may already have been infected, it’s probably a good idea to put the showing on hold. As of today, over 53,000 Americans have contracted this new illness and almost 700 people have died. Just as alarming, the number of new cases in the U.S. has increased almost every day since the first week in March.

Alternatives for FSBO Sellers to In-Person Home Showings

Now that you are informed as to why FSBO Sellers Should Have Hand Sanitizer on Hand During House Tours, you may want to come up with an alternative way to show your house. For example, you can create a video tour of the home with nothing more than your cell phone. In fact, you could upload this video to your social networking sites and YouTube to gain even more exposure. This way, more people can tour your house, but fewer people actually have to visit it in person.

Where to Get Help Selling Your Home as a FSBO Seller

Here at Richr.com, we supply the resources that people just like you need to sell your home. For instance, our free MLS listing will also help you get your house listed on such large real estate sites as Zillow, Trulia, and more. We will also provide you with a simple, step-by-step guide to marketing and selling your house. Mostly, you can save thousands of dollars on typical broker’s fees. If you want to benefit from selling your own home, list it on Richr.com today.