Moving During Covid-19 Pandemic? Here’s What You Need To Know

Are you one of the 35.5 million Americans who were planning to move to a new house this year? If so, your plans may have been thrown into doubt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then you are probably lost and confused as to what to do next.

Don’t fear – moving to a new house is still possible! You just have to take some precautions. A lot of moving companies are still working, while taking all the necessary precautions against the virus. As long as you’re sensible, you can still make the move.

Here is what you need to know about moving during a pandemic.

Consider Being Flexible with Moving Dates

Moving dates are not always flexible but the best Annapolis movers will be able to move the date if necessary. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, meaning no one has any idea when the situation might change. As a result, you may just have to pick a day and hope for the best. Keep an eye on the news to see whether a short delay could be of value.

Most states are recommending that only essential business takes place. You should therefore consider whether this move is non-essential. If so, delaying is highly recommended.

A move may be essential if:

• You have sold your old house and new people are moving in
• You cannot afford to live at your old property
• Your property is damaged and not fit for habitation

If any of the above is true for you, then you are fully justified in moving. You should go ahead and make the move on the original date as planned.

Find Out If Local Removal Companies are Operating

Once you have decided that you’re definitely making the move, then it’s time to start making inquiries. Call around to check if any moving companies are still working during this time. Generally speaking, moving services are considered essential.

For smaller removal firms, however, there may be difficulties. If there are only a few staff and some of them are showing symptoms, then they may be forced to self-isolate. Therefore, you should always call ahead, just to check out the situation. There may not be any problems, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Things to Look for in a Moving Service

When making your inquiries, it is important to check the reliability of the moving service. This is an extraordinary time and many companies are making big changes to how they do business. If a moving service has made no changes at all, then they probably are not taking the virus seriously enough. This puts you and your family at risk.

When selecting a moving service, you should check that:

• They have adequate PPE: Personal protective equipment is essential for many jobs nowadays. If your moving company staff are not wearing any, then they could be contracting and spreading COVID-19. That is why the moving companies will not just wear a medical grade mask but will also use a face shield and gloves. These people will be touching just about everything you own. So, when you make your queries, ask whether they have been using PPE on their recent jobs. If they have not, then put the phone down and ring someone else.
• They respect social distancing: You also need to check whether this company is practicing social distancing where possible. The removal workers will have likely come from different households and are always therefore expected to maintain a distance of six feet between each other. If you have a small house, then workers should enter one at a time to allow a safe distance for the duration of moving day.
• They are thoroughly clean all equipment: Moving vans probably aren’t cleaned as often as you’d like. This is not too much of a problem. In the current circumstances, however, deep cleaning and disinfecting all equipment is essential. Ask your moving service what their cleaning routine is. The more confident and detailed they can be when answering this question, the more trustworthy they are. The best movers should have reviews online. Check the most recent ones and see how previous customers rate their hygiene.
• They do the job quickly: The less time spent moving between locations, the safer. Ideally, you should pack everything up in one truck and move it to the new property all at once. Repeat journeys increase risk. Therefore, choose a company who can provide enough workers to get the job done quickly and enough capacity in their vehicles to do it all in one trip. You can help things along by decluttering before the move, to cut down on the number of items that need transporting.

Stay Safe: Check Your Symptoms and Get a Test

It is not just removal companies that need to be careful about moving. You should do everything you can to make sure you act safely. Beyond using your own PPE and keeping your distance from people outside your household, you should ensure you are not ill. Whether you have symptoms or not, get a test. If it is positive, then postpone the move while you self-isolate for 14 days.

You should also check your symptoms. Even if you have had a negative test result, you should self-isolate if you have any symptoms linked to COVID.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• A new and continuous cough
• A high temperature
• Loss of smell and taste

If, however, you are symptom free, then it is okay to go ahead with the move.

Ready to Move?

After all that preparation, you should now be ready to make the move. Congratulations! Find yourself the best movers you can today. Book them in as soon as possible and get started on making a safe move in line with government guidelines. Then prepare to start your new life in your wonderful new home.