Home Staging for Realtors During COVID-19
COVID-19 and Real Estate Home Staging
COVID-19 and Real Estate | Home Staging for realtors during COVID-19 has been ongoing throughout most of 2020 except for the first several weeks of the pandemic where many state stay at home orders were mandated. Protocols for keeping everyone safe has entailed three very basic and familiar measures including:
Wash your hands often and thoroughly (20 seconds) with soap and water
Wear a mask for your safety and the safety of everyone else
Maintain a strict six-foot social distance around others
In addition to these practices, many home stagers are wearing gloves while staging, and cleaning pertinent areas such as doorknobs, cabinet handles, and electrical switch plates with disinfectant cloths before leaving staging premises.
COVID-19 concerns about real estate home staging intensify as the pandemic continues to reach record-breaking numbers of those infected and those dying from the disease. Home stagers are taking extra precautions to ensure their safety and those of their staff.
The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) provides a COVID-19 addendum contract for their home staging members that addresses whether a home staging client or anyone living with them has tested positive or awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.
Additionally, the addendum addresses whether the client has been placed under quarantine due to COVID-19, traveled in the past fourteen days to any place designated by Centers for Disease Control as being a concern for an outbreak or known transmission of COVID-19, or has been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Questions on the addendum contract are required to be answered and signed by the client before staging commences. If any of these areas are a concern, home staging is put on hold or rescheduled.
In COVID times, these extra preventative measures of contract addendums to clients are necessary to address the health safety concerns of contracting COVID-19.
Open House Showing Prevention Measures
The California Association of Realtors guideline for an open house showing prevention measures for COVID-19 are very clear. In the state of California, open houses are strictly forbidden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Houses are shown by appointment only and must adhere to strict protocols including:
Wearing a protective mask and having hand sanitizer must be available for use
Disinfect commonly used areas such as doorknobs, cabinet pulls, and light switches
Control the number of people allowed into property – one buying party at a time
Showings must be by appointment only
Be sure to check with your state association of realtors in regards to your state guidelines.
Sanitized Home Staging
Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of homes and businesses, as directed by the CDC, is recommended for commonly used areas within households and businesses. The CDC has recommendations on their website to be sure disinfectant is qualified to kill COVID-19.
These same protocols can be used for a sanitized home staging. Ensure that all those on your home staging team wear protective masks, wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently, and maintain a social distance of six-feet from others.
When the home staging is complete, use the proper disinfectant qualified to kill COVID-19 to wipe down counters, doorknobs, switch plates, toilet handles, or any other surface areas touched by staff.
Following the safest and strictest protocols will help to limit the spread of COVID-19 to clients and staff. While absolutely nothing is foolproof with this highly infectious disease, every effort must be made to protect others.
