Lockdown has affected just about every aspect of our lives and moving house, a project that provokes anxiety at the best of times, is no exception. Renters and home owners are still allowed to move house under lockdown 2, and moving firms are still at work. The UK government’s official line on moving home can be found on the gov.uk website. But here are the guidelines that apply specifically to a moving day during lockdown 2.
Book ahead for your pandemic move
The logistics of a pandemic move mean that removals firms have fewer slots, and these may get booked up quickly. So as soon as you have a date, book your movers. We’ve got some advice for choosing a removals firm in this blogpost.
Do your own packing
The government recommends that people moving home do their own packing as far as possible. Your removals company can advise on packing any particularly fragile objects – they should be happy to help with this because it will make their job on moving day much easier.
Obviously if packing your own domestic goods is a problem for you then you should agree a way forward with your removals company. If you genuinely need help with packing for your move then of course you should seek it.
The moving staff will definitely appreciate it if you give your possessions a quick clean with normal domestic cleaning products before the move.
Prop internal doors open
On moving day, the government recommends propping all internal doors open. This will save the removals staff from needing to touch internal surfaces. Keep two metres from your removers and anyone helping out who is not from your household.
How to look after your removal team during covid-19 lockdown
Your removals staff will not expect you to offer refreshments during your move, so don’t feel awkward about this. But you should make sure they have access to a toilet and handwashing facilities, including a roll of paper towels for drying hands. You may also want to provide hand sanitiser; and don’t forget to wash your hands as often as you feel it’s needed.
Be flexible and be kind during your lockdown move
It is possible that your move may be held up because you or someone in your property chain falls ill or needs to isolate. You should co-operate as far as possible with requests to delay your move, and support others as they attempt to inhibit the spread of covid-19.
You may find that moving some of your goods into a storage unit will solve the problem of a delayed move. Many storage companies are providing a service during lockdown, and with Store and Insure you can insure your stored domestic goods by the day, so you won’t pay to insure your goods when they are not in storage. Self-storage insurance is usually mandatory, but it pays to shop around, and you don’t have to take your storage company’s offering – so get a quote from Store and Insure today.
Moving house in lockdown is a bit different to normal: but take your time, think things through and you’ll soon be living in your new home.
