The pandemic adds another layer of stress to already stressful situations, and moving is no exception. The more you know about staying safe, the more prepared you’ll be and the more peace of mind you’ll have.

6 Tips for a Safer Move During Coronavirus

#1. Find the right moving company.

Finding the right moving company is important regardless of whether or not a pandemic is going on, but it’s especially important during a pandemic. Movers will be coming in and out of your home, handling all of your boxes and furniture. You want to know that the moving company you’re working with is taking steps to keep their clients and employees safe.

Here are a few things to look for in a moving company:

• Licensing and insurance – Always make sure that any moving company you work with has the appropriate license for your move — whether it be a local move or a cross-country move. It’s also critical that they are properly insured in case anything goes wrong during your move.
• Paid sick time – The last thing that you want is for a sick mover to be working in your home. Make sure that any company you hire encourages its employees to stay home when they’re sick and offers paid sick time.
• Safety equipment – Your movers should have all of the equipment necessary to keep you and their employees safe and healthy, including masks and hand sanitizer for all of their employees.
• Contactless moving – Many moving companies are offering contactless moving, which includes virtual estimates and taking steps to maintain social distancing during the move.

#2. Learn the options for postponing or rescheduling.

If there’s one thing we can all take away from the coronavirus pandemic it’s that you never know what the future has in store. One day, we were all going about our normal routines, and the next, we’re all trying to navigate the intricacies of homeschooling and working from home.

Life is unpredictable, and you need to know if life gets in the way, you’ve hired a moving company that makes postponing or rescheduling your move easy and painless. Whatever the reason for needing flexibility with your move, it’s important that any mover you hire offers the kind of flexibility you need.

#3. Invest in fresh moving materials.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the primary way the coronavirus spreads is from person to person, and although it’s not transferred easily from a surface, it’s still possible to get infected after encountering the virus living on a surface. That means that it’s probably in your best interest to invest in fresh, new moving materials rather than looking for used ones.

I am normally a proud proponent of looking for free boxes at liquor stores and grocery stores. They often have plenty of great boxes that are perfect for moving. But these are not normal times, and you’ll have more peace of mind knowing where your boxes have come from and who has handled them.

#4. Do the packing and unpacking yourself.

Relying on your movers to pack your belongings is a great way to reduce your stress during the moving process, but again, times are not exactly normal. Packing and unpacking involve close handling of your belongings, which raises your risk of getting infected.

Moving during the middle of a pandemic can be risky, but the more of your move that you can handle yourself, the less of a risk you’ll be taking. Try limiting the jobs that your movers take on to only the ones that you can’t do yourself.

It’s also important to realize that the safety risks are greater inside your home than outside your home. So while it may be acceptable for movers to be in your home for a few minutes carrying a load in, having them hang around for hours to pack and unpack is a different matter.

#5. Follow health and safety guidelines.

Keep in mind all health and safety guidelines regarding coronavirus during your move. That means, when you’re inside with the movers, wear a mask and ask that any movers entering your home wear masks, too. Also, wash your hands frequently and make your sink available to your movers so that they can wash their hands frequently, too.

Most importantly, maintain your distance with the movers. When they come to the door, greet them with a smile instead of a handshake, and request that any forms that need to be filled out can be completed online. Thoroughly label furniture and boxes so that your movers don’t have to ask where things go.

#6. Wipe down anything and everything.

Before your movers start bringing things into your new home, make sure that it’s thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, making sure to put an emphasis on high-touch surfaces, like doorknobs, counters, faucets, etc. You could even consider waiting for 24 hours before unpacking your boxes, giving any virus that may be living on your boxes time to die off before you unpack. As you’re unpacking, it’s also a good time to wipe down your belongings.

Consult the CDC’s guidelines on how household cleaning and disinfecting.

Find the right local moving company near you with Top Rated Local®.

As I said in my first tip, finding the right mover is always important, but it’s especially important right now in the midst of the pandemic. But, finding the right mover is not always easy to do, especially when all of the moving companies in your community claim to be the best.

One of the best things you can do to ensure you’ve found the right company is to learn what their previous clients are saying about them, and you can do that by reading their reviews.

With Top Rated Local, you can read moving company reviews from across every verified review site, including Google, Facebook, and Yelp, and you’ll be able to compare the online reputations of movers in your area virtually instantaneously with the Rating Score™ system.

Start your search for a local mover with Top Rated Local today!