In lieu of President Trump’s announcement about the continued lockdown of businesses through the end of April, we’ve decided to post an article (beyond our initial announcement) on staying safe during your move.
Moving Deemed Essential
Moving companies are an essential business but like every other industry, it was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the warnings to stay at home to #FlattenTheCurve, sometimes you have no choice but to move. Seeing as it was probably planned out months in advance, we have over 600 pre-screened movers who are happy to help every step of the way.
Getting a Quote
The beauty of Unpakt is everything is done accurately online. No need for in-home consultations. Before COVID-19 it was commonplace for people to have a consultant come to their homes to take inventory.
Unpakt has worked around this system and has proven a very useful platform during the pandemic. Unpakt allows you to get an accurate quote from the comfort of your own home cutting out the need for a stranger to come into your home regardless of safety precautions. If you do want to talk to someone or have questions while on the site please feel free to call! One of our consultants will be happy to help.
Canceling and Postponing Moves
In the event, you need to cancel a move, check the cancellation policy or contact your moving company. Many companies, including Unpakt, are waiving policies like this due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Your moving company should not cancel on you. In the event that this happens, however, many companies are happy to fill the space during a time when people are pushing their moves back or canceling altogether.
Unpakt has over 600 pre-screened movers ready with quotes based on your inventory. This makes us a little different, having multiple companies at our disposal you get the choice to pick which company is best for your move based on a rating system on Unpakt and external research.
Social Distancing During the Move
Try as best as you can to stay out of the movers’ way and employ the 6-foot rule when it comes to people in your home. The movers will appreciate the space to work as well as taking health precautions.
Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer around as well. It’s common practice for all movers and helpers to wash their hands/wear sanitized gloves during moving time, but during a global pandemic, it’s better to err on the side of caution for everyone’s sake.
It should be noted, some buildings are extending leases per CDC guidelines. Many major cities have also waived all eviction laws until the pandemic has passed. We recommend speaking with your building management to see if you can postpone your move if at all possible.
During these times, please remember our movers are just as cautious and concerned about getting sick as you are. They have families and elderly relatives just like you. Your movers will be taking every precaution. As a client, you should do the same. Make sure your remotes and other often-used items are wiped down.
Moving into Your New Home
It’s important to deep clean your new home before setting your things up. Take a look at some great tips below:
- Use disinfectant wipes on the areas most touched (ie. doorknobs, handles, sinks, etc.
- Lysol and disinfectant sprays for things that can’t be wiped down.
- For more info on EPA approved substances to kill COVID-19 take a look here and for further CDC guidelines on household cleaning take a look at this press release.
- Remember: Never add ammonia to bleach, wear boots, mask, and gloves and potentially eye protection. Also, make sure you are not inhaling any fumes and are properly mixing your cleaning chemicals.
Questions/Requests for Your Moving Company
If you missed our last article, these are some questions to ask your prospective moving company when you book with Unpakt. Or if you’ve already booked your move and there is no option to cancel or postpone make sure to ask the company the following questions:
- Are all CDC guidelines being followed and what specific precautions are being taken?
- How have daily cleaning procedures for trucks, equipment, and facilities changed since the outbreak?
- Is it possible to outfit movers with protective masks, disposable gloves, disposable shoe covers, and on-the-spot disinfecting supplies?
No masks? No problem. Make your own with this helpful tutorial by Joann.
COVID-19 is unlike anything we’ve seen and has impacted our daily lives in ways no one could imagine. The best advice is to simply stay inside and prevent further spreading of the virus. In the event that you do need to move during these uncertain times, we hope that we could help make the process less stress-inducing.
Thanks for reading. Stay healthy!
