Tips for Moving Safely During COVID-19

Introduction

If you already planned on moving during the COVID-19 pandemic and can’t reschedule your secured move in date, you should consider some tips to help make your move as safe as possible. Keep in mind these practical tips that will assist you with the moving process, helping ease any added stress.

Choosing your moving company and asking questions

If you do not have family and friends to help you move, then be careful when considering a moving company. Find out how they’ve adjusted their protocols in response to COVID-19, how often they are monitoring the health of their crew members, and what type of PPE supplies they’re using. It is important to discuss best safety practices for moving day. Furthermore, when looking for companies to help you with your move, make sure you call and ask them a few qualifying questions. Below are some examples of questions you can ask:

• What precautions are your movers taking to help prevent the spread COVID-19?
• What would your company do if one of the movers or one of your customers has been diagnosed with COVID-19?
• What other protocols are put into place to protect customers and your crew during the move?
• What is your cancellation and rescheduling policy?

Don’t worry if you have to cancel or reschedule your move. You should contact the moving company as soon as possible and see if you can reschedule to a later date. If you paid a deposit, ask if that can be refunded or turned into credit for later use.

Minimize contact as much as possible

One option to avoid contact with others is to move your belongings yourself. However, if you need workers, try to avoid contact with them as much as possible. You should limit the number of people present in the home to two people at most. If there's more than two people in your household on moving day, have them stay in one room and avoid contact with the movers to minimize contact. It's essential to practice social distancing, so when workers are loading and unloading your belongings, leave six feet of distance between you and the movers. For their safety, provide hand sanitizer and gloves. Make sure they are wearing face masks at all times. As your movers are moving your belongings, keep the door open at all times so that the air can circulate through your house. Furthermore, make sure to avoid contact with doorknobs, somewhere that germs tend to spread the most.

Last but not least, try to complete your paperwork virtually to avoid the spread of germs through documents and pens being passed around. If you want to tip, ask about electronic payment options to avoid contact as much as possible. Don't forget, greet your movers with a smile and not a handshake to practice social distancing!

Virtual moving estimate

To limit the spread of COVID-19, avoid in-person contact and use a virtual moving estimate. Many moving companies can give you an estimate by looking at a video of your home or through virtual walkthroughs on apps like Facetime and Skype. This will help your moving company know the number and size of the possessions you want to move. Therefore, having a tape measure while doing this will be important, just in case they want any specific measurements to make sure things can fit in the moving truck. This virtual moving estimate can also help movers know ahead of time the entry and access options to your home and anything they need to avoid on the day of the move. It will be best to ask if your moving company has virtual surveys and if not, search around to find one that will best suit your needs. If you are looking for a place to start, here are some good virtual moving estimate companies:

• Mayflower
• United Van Lines
• Arpin

Clean/disinfect as you pack and unpack

As you are packing, try to simultaneously clean your home. There will be frequent high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, tables, sinks, handles, etc. Clean these surfaces frequently. In addition to cleaning and disinfecting your furniture and belongings as you unpack, wipe down boxes and dispose of all packing materials. Make sure you dust all surfaces such as fans, shelves, blinds, etc. Clean inside cabinets and appliances, wash floors, and deep clean bathrooms. If you placed a security deposit down, cleaning like this will help ensure you get that back; a win-win!

After doing a deep cleaning of your new home, it's time to disinfect all surfaces to kill germs left behind. Disinfecting wipes would work well for this process, but if you can’t find any in stores, make your own disinfecting solution by using white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and any essential oils of your preference. For additional help, here are some CDC recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting your household.

Use New Packing supplies

Typically, people reuse boxes to save money, but for safety purposes, make sure you are only using new boxes for your move. This can be costly, but do your research and call around to see if you can find boxes at cheap prices. Alternatively, you can ask around to see where you can get free boxes from. You can buy boxes and moving kits from Amazon, Uboxes.com, Walmart, Lowe’s, and the list goes on. Check out this link for more information on where to buy boxes. Also, make a list of all the packing materials to buy in one trip to minimize outdoor contact. You should stock up on all cleaning supplies such as antibacterial wipes, sprays, cleaning soaps, and hand sanitizer. Buy anything you need to thoroughly clean your household, but don’t buy too much because there are still others in need of supplies around you.

Last Thoughts

Similar to how you are cautious and more aware of your surroundings and interactions with others in daily life, apply the same level of vigilance to your move. Making a habit of safe practices requires that you follow all CDC recommended protocols and apply them to your move. And, now that states are reopening, make sure you check out this article for additional resources. Hopefully these tips helped you out, and you have a smooth and safe move!