Moving tends to be stressful in general, regardless of whether you decide to take on the process on your own or hire a moving company to help you. But if you have to move during the Coronavirus pandemic, things can get even more challenging, especially since you have to constantly keep in mind the protection and safety of both you and your whole family. If you too are in a pickle of a situation and absolutely have to move during the pandemic, keep in mind the following.
Be Cautious and Responsible
The first thing you have to remember is that the move is just like any other situation where you may be near other people. Just like other customers in a supermarket, for instance, you’ll have to be close to people from the moving company, too. And just like you would exercise caution in the supermarket scenario, do the same during the moving process. There’s no need to worry yourself sick. Buy hand sanitiser online so you can always have it within reach, protective masks and gloves are also a must, and remember to avoid close contact as much as possible.
Don’t Ask for Additional Help
Even when they hire a moving company, it’s very common for people who are moving to engage their friends and other family members to help with packing and carrying the boxes to speed up the whole process. When you have to move during the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s best to limit the exposure. That said, rely solely on the workers from the moving company. As essential workers, they have to exercise caution and follow all the safety measures. But you can never be 100% sure that other people you’d normally ask for help would do the same.
Discuss the Situation with the Moving Company
Before you start the whole process of packing, you need to set the moving date and hire the moving company. But you also have to be sure that the moving company in question is aware of the current situation.
In that respect, the company has to go through certain protocols to protect their workers and provide them with the right gear. Chances are that different companies within the same locality will exercise caution in regard to Coronavirus differently, let alone companies in different cities. In that respect, moving labor in Phoenix might have a completely different approach to pandemic safety and protection compared to the labor in LA, and so on. Your duty is to call different moving companies that you’d normally consider working with and get the information about their own approach to the pandemic situation. This will help you choose the company that best aligns with the safety rules you follow.
Take Care of Whatever You Can Online
It should come as no surprise that you have to limit your exposure and practice social distancing during the pandemic even when you have to move. So, instead of checking out the trucks and discussing the essentials in person, make sure to do the hiring process over the phone.
Furthermore, you can ask to look at the available trucks online and even send pictures of your own stuff over online apps to the company so that you can choose the best vehicle for the move. Also, the moving process tends to bring a whole set of paperwork that needs to be signed and looked over. These documents can also be addressed online so that you can minimize exposure as much as possible.
Choose the Ideal Unpacking Option
Moving companies are not only responsible for the load and move of your stuff but they also tend to help you unpack all of your belongings. However, this may not be the best option for you and your family during the Coronavirus pandemic.
There are different options in this case. It’s possible to simply decline the help when it comes to unpacking and do everything on your own. Secondly, you can ask the movers for help with the unloading and then proceed to wipe and sanitize the boxes before unpacking them. Some people even choose the option to place all of their things in a quarantine. For instance, if the new place has a garage or if you don’t have to leave your old home on the same date as the move, you can have the movers unload and unpack your belongings, store them in a garage or one room inside the new place, and then you can leave them there for a while so that the items themselves go through the quarantine.
It’s only natural to feel a bit anxious before the move during the Coronavirus pandemic, but as long as you stick to the safety guidelines, exercise caution, and practice social distancing as much as possible, the entire move should proceed without too many issues or exposure risks. Just make sure that the moving company you hire also follows the CDC’s guidelines surrounding the Coronavirus properly.
