Debra Wilmot at her home, which was stranded on the market due to the physical inspections ban. Picture: Tim Carrafa
Melbourne homeowners and tenants facing homelessness and financial strife are pleading with Premier Daniel Andrews to allow physical home inspections to resume.
The crucial element in the buying and leasing processes has been outlawed in Melbourne since early August.
The government plans to extend the ban to October 26, assuming Victoria records fewer than five daily coronavirus cases over the two weeks prior.
Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Leah Calnan said the harsh ruling had been made despite none of the state’s coronavirus cases being directly linked to real estate activity.
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Ms Calnan said the institute met with the government last week to push for private inspections to be brought forward to the second step on the state’s road map to reopening, due to kick in from September 28.
She said the road map announcement had sparked dozens of “heartbreaking” calls from buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords, including people who had already bought new homes and now couldn’t sell their old ones.
“Tenants, too, are needing to move out to meet new COVID-19 budgets but they can’t view properties,” she said.
“Providing shelter should be an essential service.
“In the meeting, we also raised that … we’ve continually mentioned to the government if they’ve heard of any cases (linked to real estate activity), please let us know. But we haven’t heard of any cases.”
Mr Andrews said on Sunday he was “happy to have a look at” reviewing the inspections ban in certain circumstances. But he added: “People are buying houses they haven’t seen. Online auctions are still happening.”
OBrien Keysborough director Darren Hutchins said very few people were willing to “take on property they can’t physically inspect”, and many of his vendors and landlords were “struggling” as a result.
Debra Wilmot’s Postregna Way, Skye home was left stranded on the market by the ongoing private inspections ban.
Debra Wilmot’s Skye home of 13 years was stranded on the market due to the “ridiculous” private inspections ban.
Ms Wilmot said she “had to sell” after being stood down from her catering and events job as she “didn’t know if I’d get my job back at all”.
She was initially delighted when it appeared her house had sold after six days on the market, but the deal fell through when the purchasers couldn’t get finance.
Her agent, Ray White Langwarrin’s Nicholas Cassidy, told her not to worry at the time as he had “people lined up ready to inspect” when the ban was lifted. But that is now several more weeks away.
“I was very stressed by it all,” she said.
The owner of 19 Coowarra Way, Berwick, spent $130,000 renovating the house to sell, but then Melbourne’s stage four lockdown got in the way.
Ronen, who declined to provide his surname, fears he won’t be able to settle on a Gembrook investment property he bought earlier this year, after the sale of his Berwick house stalled.
The father of three said he poured about $130,000 into renovating 19 Coowarra Way and listed it “the day before stage four” restrictions kicked in.
“The property is just sitting there (and) settlement for the other house is coming up. The vendor agreed to delay it (to November 31), but they said they can’t do anything more after that,” he said.
“There’s no way, with the current road map, we’ll be able to sell before then. I’m trying to get bridging finance, but that’s a challenge.
“What the government is doing with lockdown is the right way to go. But the ability to do one-on-one inspections, I don’t reckon is going to risk the community.”
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