Tips for Moving During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Undoubtedly, the Coronavirus pandemic is unlike anything the world as ever seen. Over the last year, the virus has put a stop to normal daily routines in both the United States and abroad. Although social distancing is recommended, relocations aren’t always something that can be put off for later. How exactly does moving during a global pandemic work? And, more importantly, are professional moving services still available?

In short, yes, moving service providers are still operating, but with additional safety measures in place. Although many states across the country shut down “non-essential” businesses, moving is considered essential. While you may want to consider rescheduling your moving date if it is flexible, this isn’t always possible. If you are planning a move during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll want to consider some additional actions to keep you and your family safe.

Below, we’ve outlined some of the most common questions about moving during the current pandemic in an effort to help make the process as stress-free as possible.

What is Social Distancing?

Sometimes referred to as “physical distancing,” social distancing is considered by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be one of the greatest defenses against the spread of COVID-19. The CDC has defined appropriate social distancing measures as:

• Not congregating in groups.
• Stay six feet away from other people, except for those you live with
• Avoiding crowded areas and mass gatherings

Limiting close contact with people outside of your immediate household has been shown to help reduce the risk of coming in contact with COVID-19 droplets. Social distancing is considered to be especially important due to the fact that many carriers of the virus do not show any symptoms at all. So, how does this pertain to your move?

Continue reading and we’ll explain how moving companies are operating differently to protect their employees and customers.

Are Moving and Storage Services Still Available?

Although the closure of non-essential businesses does vary on a state by state, and sometimes even county, basis, moving companies are considered essential. As a late, many professional moving companies are still in operation. If you’ve already scheduled your move, it’s safe to assume that your moving company is still providing services unless told otherwise. Regardless, you can still call to confirm.

If you need professional moving services right now, you can begin doing research on companies and ask them directly what steps are currently being taken. At this point, most of what has changed has to do with the customer service experience.

Just like moving companies, most storage companies continue to run operations, despite the current situation. However, you may find that some have limited or reduced hours of accessibility. Both moving and storage providers should all be adhering to proper hygiene protocols including increased sanitation, and social distancing between customer and employee and customer and customer.

What Are Professional Moving Companies Doing Differently?

As essential businesses, moving companies are taking the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously. With that being said, these companies, regardless of where they’re located, have put protocals in place that are designed to protect both their employees and their customers. Some of these changes include:

• Following local and federal standards surrounding sanitization and social distancing.
• Frequent sanitization of all trucks and equipment.
• Performing virtual assessments in place of in-home surveys for providing moving estimates.
• Keeping all vehicles stocked with hand sanitizer.
• Wearing a mask and gloves at all times, when in contact with other people.
• Practicing social distancing and staying six feet apart with clients and, wherever possible, among fell employees.

All of these practices help to ensure that moving companies can continue to operate in a safe manner. Although you’ll see most of the same sanitation and physical distancing measure in place, they may vary slightly from company to company. To find out your particular moving company’s COVID-19 policy, visit their website or contact them directly.

Should I Move During COVID-19?

Understandably so, sometimes a move is simply unavoidable. However, if your move does have some flexibility, you may want to consider waiting to relocate until social distancing measures have lifted. If you have a hard and fast moving date, work closely with your moving company to understand what they are doing – and always what you should do – to ensure the safety of all parties involved in your move.

If your move is scheduled and you suddenly aren’t feeling well, contact your moving company immediately. This creates a potential risk to their workforce and they may want to adjust some of their safety measures to keep everyone safe.

How to Prepare for a Move During the COVID-19 Pandemic

If you’re a frequent reader of our blog posts, you know how important the planning process is for a move. This fact goes double when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure that you are fully prepared, you must always be one step ahead.

If you’re planning a move amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, here’s the steps you should take:

1. Contact your moving company. Obtain a virtual quote, confirm your reservation with them and discuss safety measures for moving day. You want to ensure that everyone is on the same page about what is expected.
2. Collect all of your moving supplies in one trip. To maximize safety, you want to grab all of your moving supplies in one trip to the store. This means you’ll need to know exactly what you need based on the size of your home. And, when in doubt, buy more than you think you may need.
3. Clean as you go. If you’re packing your own belongings, use this opportunity to sanitize everything as you pack. Wipe things down with a commercial disinfectant or use a solution of bleach and water.
4. Finish up packing at least 24 hours before your movers arrive. The virus is known to last quite a while on surfaces, including up to 24 hours on cardboard. Because of this, your movers will wear gloves. However, for everyone’s safety, make sure that you finish packing and allow the boxes to sit untouched for at least a day.

Tips for Moving During the COVID-19 Pandemic

If you’re a little unsure about the proper way to handle a move during the Coronavirus pandemic, you’re not alone. However, we’ve put together some helpful tips to make you move as smooth and safe as possible.

• Provide your movers with hygiene products. This includes plenty of hand sanitizer, soap, and paper towels.
• Avoid using free or recycled moving boxes. Since the virus can live on cardboard for 24 hours, now is not the time to be taking advantage of free moving supplies.
• Tell your movers right away if you or anyone in your family is experiencing symptoms. Transparency is crucial to keeping everyone safe. In most cases, your movers will still work with you, but they’ll want to take additional measures to keep their workers safe.
• Cancel your move if you are in a high-risk group. Pandemic or not, health and safety is always a top priority. If you are considered high-risk, such as those with diabetes, asthma, other pre-existing conditions, or over the age of 60, strongly consider postponing your relocation.

Having a successful move during the pandemic requires that you adhere to all of the CDC recommendations and apply them to your relocation. This includes both sanitization and social distancing measures.

If you are in need of moving or storage services during this time, look no further than Three Movers for the job. Contact us today for your FREE, virtual moving estimate and we’ll answer any questions you have about out how we are keeping you and our employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.