Moving is already a stressful experience but moving during a pandemic can make it feel even more stressful. Not all moves are essential and can wait until a safer time, but sometimes you can’t postpone or cancel it all together. This might leave you worrying about how you are going to conduct this move safely, especially given the current situation. By taking the proper precautions you’ll still be able to move from your old place to a new spot. Read on to learn how to move safely during a pandemic.
Virtual Quote
As always, it’s important that you are receiving estimates from multiple companies. This can seem intimidating, as you probably do not want dozens of people entering your home. Thankfully, a lot of moving companies have resorted to using virtual or online quoting processes. This way you can still receive the quote without any face-to-face contact, keeping you and your family safe from any risks.
If the company you are really interested in hiring offers this service, you can be confident that they will follow all guidelines surrounding COVID-19. This will include wearing proper protective equipment when entering your home, as well as maintaining their distance and being overly cautious of cleanliness. To be extremely careful, it’s best that you also wear a mask during this visit.
Preparation
Once you have hired your moving company it’s time to prepare for the move. Preparing for a move includes organizing and packing your belongings to be ready to go.
Organize
As with all moves, you should start by organizing your belongings. To make your move easier, you should do a thorough sift through of your belongings and throw out or donate anything that you are not going to need on the other side of your move. There’s no sense packing items you do not want to keep. This will help to alleviate some of the time and effort required to complete your move.
Pack
When hiring a moving company you will have the option to allow them to pack all of your belonging into boxes. As times have changed, you should consider packing your belongings yourself. You may not be comfortable with the movers handling your personal belongings. This will also eliminate the amount of time that the movers have to spend inside your home. Don’t worry if you’re unable to pack your belongings yourselves, as movers will be equipped with protective gear and sanitary products to keep your belongings clean.
Keep in Contact
Maintaining communication with your movers is key when moving during a pandemic. You should have all logistics of your move sorted out prior to hiring so you know exactly what the plan is. As well, you should make it clear that if at any time one of the movers is sick, has been sick, or has come into contact with a sick person, that employee will not be on-site, and if needed the move will be postponed until it is safe to complete. Vice versa, you should let the company know if anyone in your home is sick, has been sick, or has come into contact with a sick person. Doing so will help to keep everyone healthy as well as limit the spread.
Day of Move
On the day of your move everything should be planned and ready to go. If you prepared your belongings and kept in constant contact with the company, you should be all set! In order to remain safe during the actual move, here are some precautions you should take:
- Have your house ready to go. The more you prepare all of your boxes and everything that needs to go ahead of time, the more seamless the move will be. This will help to decrease the amount of time the movers are in your home as well.
- Ensure that you have cleaning supplies on hand, including wipes, hand sanitizer, and paper towels (or separate towels) for the movers to use. Ensure everyone is constantly washing their hands, or sanitizing them, throughout the move.
- Everyone, including your family, should be equipped with masks and gloves during the move. Be sure to enforce that everyone is wearing their masks properly throughout the move.
- As best you can, try to maintain a social distance of 6 feet between your family and the movers. Try not to overcrowd any bedrooms or hallways. Maintaining your distance will help to keep everyone safe during the move.
Moving companies are taking all precautions necessary in order to be available to help. Be sure that you are also following all guidelines, and don’t be afraid to enforce them if needed. By prepping, maintaining communication, and following guidelines your move can be completed safely during this time. It’s important that you work together with the moving company to ensure everyone is safe.
