COVID-19 has changed the way the world functions since lockdown started in March. Many services and activities that we depended on as constants have been put on hold indefinitely until it is safe for them again. However, moving is not something that can necessarily be postponed. If your lease is ending, then you have no choice but to get to your new place as soon as possible.
Planning a move? Here are a few tips for moving safely during COVID-19.
Plan Ahead
The most important thing to do in any move is to plan ahead. During COVID, that is doubly true. Moving involves organizing a million pieces like what moving company to use, what supplies you will need, and how you are going to manage all your belongings. Planning ahead gives you time to make the best and safest arrangements for you. If coronavirus is spreading in your community rapidly, you will have time to order moving supplies online and schedule a moving company with safe moving practices. You will also have time to get everything packed up before your actual moving date. COVID can live on surfaces, so for everyone’s safety, you should still have your boxes packed and sitting untouched at least a day before your movers arrive.
Planning ahead also allows you to better manage all of your belongings. As Liz Gersh, a professional organizer who specializes in moving services and estate clearing, puts it, “A large part of moving efficiently involves getting rid of stuff you don’t need before the move. Though many donation centers, consignment centers and auction houses have reopened, they have only so much storage space and can be pickier about what they take.” If you plan ahead, you will have time to find a home for everything that you don’t need anymore without just throwing it out. Who knows? Maybe your extra lamp could be just what someone needs to get through the long winter nights.
Keep Your Distance
A critical part of moving safely in this pandemic is social distancing. Health authorities remind us all the time that distance is critical to limiting the spread of the virus. Luckily, many moving companies have found ways to incorporate social distancing into their moving practices. For example, many moving companies have started offering virtual in-home estimates on video chat platforms like Skype or Zoom, as well as making sure they remain distanced from you as they move your belongings. If you are really worried about having people in your home, moving yourself is also an option. Moving truck companies continue to rent out their vehicles and have low-contact pickup and drop-off sites.
Stay Clean
Something easy you can do to make moving safer for everyone is to stay sanitary. Keep cleaning supplies on hand throughout the whole process and disinfect your belongings as you pack them. Wear your mask whenever you run errands, as well as when you have anyone in your home helping you move. Another tip is to open your doors and windows for better air circulation, cycling in clean air just in case anyone is sick.
If you do feel sick or belong to a high-risk group, reschedule if possible. The most important thing, more important than your lease, is that you stay healthy and keep others around you safe. In the end, moving safely during the pandemic is totally possible. Just make smart choices about your health, like planning ahead, maintaining social distancing, and keeping everything clean, and you will be able to stick with your moving plan!