A little over a week ago we published the image below in response to the current environment of social distancing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
My, how times change….quickly.
A few days later Governor Eric Holcomb passed a “Stay at Home” order. Which basically states, and I’m paraphrasing here…. STAY HOME.
It goes on to also limit travel to essential trips. This tiny word ‘essential’ opened a pandora’s box of what is an essential trip, what items are essential and businesses that are essential to keep operating.
Yes, there’s all sorts of gray area (going to the grocery is essential, going to the grocery to buy liquor because you’re tired of being under the same roof with the entire family? Um, not so much).
We have received calls and emails asking about whether we are open, essential, etc. We are defaulting to common sense and aren’t going to push the gray areas.
Here’s how it was (legally) explained to me and this is the guideline we are using.
Staging services are not an essential business. HOWEVER, if an essential business, such as a builder or realtor, requests staging then we are a service provider to an essential business and can execute our services with proper COVID-19 precautions in place.
What does this mean?
We can’t go into the warehouse to do inventory, organize, hold meetings, etc. during this time.
We CAN de-stage a property that has sold and needs our items removed prior to closing or if the contract is not renewed.
We CAN stage a property if it’s requested by a builder, realtor or other essential business as outlined by the Governor’s “Stay Home” order. They have deemed we are essential to the sale of the home.
We can’t do pre-staging/pre-listing consultations requested by a homeowner as they are not an essential business.
During this time we ask everyone to default to common sense for the greater good. We’re all in this together. Still not sure? Feel free to reach out to us with your situation. We’ll tell you if we are able to help.
In the mean time check out the latest tips below:
