There’s no question that the world as we know it has changed drastically in the past several weeks. Everyday routines are morphing, and that includes your moving process. Moving companies are still considered an essential business, and most are open and fully operational, taking the proper precautions to ensure the safety of all.
All parties involved with helping your move should adapt to any orders given by the government and be able to accommodate you. Let’s discuss the new normal when it comes to moving during COVID-19.
Your New Moving Process
Before you move forward with any part of your moving process, be sure to find out whether you need to travel to or through states or cities with stay-at-home orders in place. If you do, you will need to reroute, and if that’s not a possibility, your move will need to be postponed.
Step 1: Ask your movers how they’re handling safety protocols.
Because movers need to enter homes or offices and usually have direct contact with their customers on several occasions, find out what your movers are doing to encourage safety. Ask about their new policies and what you can do to help them maintain those policies. Maybe you can leave soap or sanitizer throughout the house for easy access or wipe down all of your countertops and appliances before their arrival.
Step 2: Understand that you may not be able to clean your old place or the new one right away.
Usually, when you leave home and head to a new one, there’s quite a bit of cleaning involved. That may not be a possibility right now. Do what you can, but with limited access to basic cleaning supplies and the unwillingness to have cleaning crews in your home when you’re home, you may have some difficulty getting your space as clean as you’d like. Talk with your landlord if you rent and see if there’s a way to avoid a deep cleaning cost being taken out of your deposit. If you’re buying a home, have a discussion with the seller about how to best handle the situation.
Step 3: Update your address
The sooner you do this, the better. You can update your address online and get a new license sent to you. Be sure the IRS has your new address on file as well. The government is planning to supply aid, and they will need your correct and current contact details to get that aid to you successfully. Certain states and counties may have other resources you can use for help or guidance, too, so you’ll want to be able to take advantage of those assets, and more often than not, you’ll need to prove that you live in that specific area.
Step 4: Know where your closest hospital and grocery stores are
Get familiar with the essential businesses that are around you. You never know when an emergency will happen, and you don’t want to waste time trying to figure out where to go. Find hospitals, urgent cares, and grocery stores that are close to your new location. Don’t forget to have any prescriptions sent to your new, local pharmacy.
Step 5: WiFi.
You’re going to want your internet to be in working order, so get that set up before moving in if possible. Staying productive and sane may depend on it. With remote working, remote schooling, saying hi to the grandparents, connecting with friends–you need this. Providers can help you over the phone and, in some areas, are still sending out technicians if necessary. Call now to start the process if there’s a long line of people in front of you.
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Here’s What Can Wait
- No need to make a trip to the post office now. Most things can be done online, and with all those handy payment services, some apps allow you to make payments to people/businesses.
- Keep your stuff, don’t try de declutter now. People are scared of your stuff, so move with it and as you unpack in your new home, make piles of what you want to get rid of in the future.
- Don’t shop for anything new right now; you don’t want to chance going out, and order will put unnecessary burdens on already overworked truckers (and trucks). Your decorating can wait.
- Small repairs aren’t a priority, so don’t take the handyman away from fixing the flood so he can put your closet door back on
The Takeaway
Times are tough, but there is an end in sight, and they will get better. If you need to move during this time, be smart, safe, and realistic. Eden’s Moving Services is open and operating, and we are happy to answer any questions or provide some insights on how to best approach your move during COVID-19.
