Under the new rules to stop the spread of COVID-19, Melbourne residents are banned from travelling further than 5km from their homes for at least the next six weeks, and they can only leave their homes for necessary shopping, care giving or seeking care, exercise (one hour per day) and essential work.
Some details concerning real estate are still being ironed out between industry and government but here’s what we know so far:
- Can I move house during stage 4 lockdown?
Yes, with a Melbourne-wide curfew now in place from 8pm until 5am the move will have to take place during the allowable timeframe and movers will be required to wear a face-covering, as are all Victorians when outside their homes.
- Can I move house outside of the 5km radius?
Yes. Metro Melbourne residents moving to a home outside the 5km radius of their current primary residence with an existing contract or arrangement in place, can do so provided there is an agreement in place.
- Are house inspections and open homes still available for tenants?
The short answer is yes, but these will move to online only with all in-person inspections now banned in metropolitan Melbourne
- I am now out of work. What rent relief is available to me?
The federal government introduced financial supports in the form of JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments in March, which have gone some way in helping out-of-work tenants stay in their homes, however, there is further support available.
- Can I sell a house during Stage 4 lockdown?
The Victorian government announced that the real estate industry was one of the business sectors that must close during the six-week Stage 4 measures, however, a government representative has confirmed that “online inspections and auctions are permitted”.
- Is my real estate agent still available for contact in case of emergency?
Yes, provided they’re working from home you’ll still be able to contact your real estate agent remotely if you need to ask a question.
- I am in the process of building my house. Can new home builds and construction continue?
Yes, construction can continue during Stage 4 lockdown but sites will be required to keep the number of attending tradespeople to five.
On larger projects above three levels, the workforce will need to be reduced to 25% of its original capacity.
8.. Can I still visit my new house under renovation?
Under the new restrictions, this activity fails to fall within the four reasons to leave home.
Can I get a tradie to visit my house?
Yes, tradies can still visit homes but this has now been restricted to emergency support situations only.
“There’ll be no cleaners going to your house. There’ll be no one mowing your lawns,” Premier Andrews said. “It’s not the time to be painting your house or having unnecessary, non-urgent work happen.”
- Can I start a renovation during stage 4 lockdowns?
Tradespeople can visit homes to fix an emergency situation but outside of that, the work may be deemed non-urgent.
- What does “pilot light phase” in the residential building industry mean?
This phrase means that while construction hasn’t stopped completely, it is now operating at a far reduced capacity. The state government has placed strict limits on the kinds of jobs that tradies can do – from restricting callouts to emergency situations only to limiting the number of trades that can attend a site to just five.
11.How do I come up with a COVID safe plan for my construction site?
Under Stage 4 restrictions, some small businesses that are still able to stay open are now required by law to come up with a COVID Safe Plan.
Within the construction industry, depending on the scale of the site you’ll be required to implement either a High Risk COVID-19 safe plan (large-scale projects above three storeys excluding a basement) or a Universal COVID-19 safe plan (projects smaller than three levels).
Stay at home and keep safe