Football aside, are you one of the countless Melbourne residents who have circled October 26th on their calendar? This is the date that the State Government has identified as the next projected ‘landmark’ on the road to recovery, when 70 per cent of eligible Victorians are likely to have had their double vaccinations.

What you may not have realised is that while this date, (and hopefully we might reach the target earlier than this), has been identified as an opportunity to ease some of the current lockdown restrictions, this is also the date that will be of particular interest to many Victorian homebuyers. It’s the date that we are likely to see the return of onsite auctions in Melbourne.

That’s right, when the State government provided details of its ‘roadmap’ on Sunday September 19th, it said that the return of onsite auctions would involve attendances of a maximum of fifty fully vaccinated attendees. You read that right…if you’re not vaccinated, you will not be permitted to attend an onsite auction.

The advice to date indicates that restrictions on property inspections are likely to remain as they are at the moment. Appointments to physically inspect a property will continue to be limited to buyers from the one household while the agent remains outside, and the home’s occupants go for a walk or head to the local shops during the inspection.

With October 26th getting closer, it’s time to consider some key questions if you’re planning on buying or selling in 2021. For example, if you are a buyer and you won’t be fully vaccinated by October 26, you will need to check whether there is an online option for any auctions on properties you are interested in. Alternatively, you may need to ask someone who is vaccinated to bid on your behalf.

For those who are selling and keen to hold an onsite auction, if you’d prefer your auctions was in late October in order to avoid a potential glut of new properties hitting the market in November, you will need to get the wheels in motion this week.

Either way, I would strongly recommend that you get advice from an experienced property professional to help you find your way through your own personal road map. The good news is that our team at Barry Plant Thomastown are available to assist you right now, so feel free to give us a call this week on 9466 3233, or you can reach me personally on 0418 331 741.

Cheers,

Con Constantinou

Barry Plant Thomastown