We get a lot of questions regarding how Covid-19 has affected the removal industry and what’s the best approach when preparing for a move so we’ve taken the time to write this blog to answer your questions.
The most common question we get asked is ‘Are you still operating during the lockdown?’ and our answer is yes. At the time of writing this blog, the government is allowing removal companies to operate to provide a much-needed service for people who wish to move property whether it’s for a home or an office. This is good news if your planned move has been delayed since the lockdown in March and you can finally get it done.
However, it’s really important to understand how the removal industry has adapted to Covid-19, how it affects you, and what you can do to cut down the chances of spreading the infection and reduce the stress of moving day.
First and foremost is choosing a removal company or man with a van that has good Covid-19 policies to protect yourself, your loved ones, and the removal staff. Below are some essential questions you should ask the removal company before booking a service.
– Can I get a remote quote and what does that involve?
– Will the moving crew practice social distancing (2m apart) when at the property?
– What PPE will the crew employ?
– Has the crew been trained in Covid-19 safety?
– What are you doing to monitor the health of your crews and what happens if one of them becomes sick?
– How do you make sure the vehicles and tools are kept clean?
– What should I do during the move?
The answers you receive should be honest and put your mind at ease but if you’re still unsure, we have the answers on our FAQs page.
How to Get Prepared for Moving
Whilst the window for moving is still open, it’s important to get things done as quickly as possible because the situation is very fluid and could rapidly change. Here are some ideas to help you get the ball rolling.
Remote Property Surveys
Before Covid-19 reached our shores, removal companies would send a surveyor to your property to assess your items, inspect the access routes, discuss the finer details of your move, and offer an exact quote. However, in order to keep the rate of infections down, the preferred method now is to survey a home or office remotely via a video call using Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom or other platforms. Another popular method is to upload photos or videos to a cloud server such as Google photos and send a link to the moving company. This is very easy to achieve and we can help you with this.
The remote method will work in the exact same way as a personal visit but it has the added bonus of helping to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Get At Least 5 Quotes
I’ve written a blog about how to choose a removal company so I won’t go into too much detail here but in a nutshell, never go for the first quote. Shop around!
Book Early
Many people like you will be using this window of opportunity to move and it’s a good idea to confirm the date as soon as possible but bear in mind some removal companies may be operating at a limited capacity. If you don’t have a set date, don’t panic and book any date because most removal companies will need to take a deposit to secure the booking and you could lose some or all of it if you postpone or cancel.
Get Prepared
We’ve written a moving house checklist and office hints and tips blog and this will cover these topics in more detail but I’ll run through the most important aspects of this process and how it relates to Covid-19.
Packing Materials
Some removal companies supply packing materials as part of the moving or packing service and will drop them off to your property. Although any reputable company will disinfect the packing materials before delivering them to you, it’s always a good idea to do it again once they arrive so stock up on disinfectant spray and cloths.
Contact Utility Providers
Just like removal companies operating at a reduced capacity, so will many other businesses across the UK and it’s very important to let your utility providers such as broadband, gas, electricity, and so on know about your intended move as soon as possible. If you work remotely and rely on the internet for communicating with colleagues, this is especially important.
Declutter
As mentioned in our moving house checklist blog, it’s a great time to declutter. Try not to throw anything away because somebodies’ junk is another person’s treasure. Post on social media groups and contact charity shops but make sure you disinfect the items before handing them over.
Create a Floorplan
I’ve stated it before and you’ve no doubt heard it many times that social distancing is essential to reduce the spread of Covid-19 so with this in mind, create a floor plan of your new property and label each box in accordance and this means the removals company can operate without you being at the properties. You don’t need to create a professional CAD design, it can be done on a few pieces of paper and good practice is to colour code or number each room and attach the relevant colours or numbers to each box. Make sure you take a photo of the floorplan and send it to the removals company before the move or leave it on some boxes in your current address for them to find. It will also speed up moving day!
Packing
If you choose to pack yourself, use this opportunity to clean everything you own before you start the packing process. It’s always nice to have clean belongings and the bonus of doing this is to reduce the risk of bringing any infection into your new home. The same applies to plants.
Moving Day
Again, social distancing! You’re probably tired of reading that by now but I can’t empathise its importance and if you’ve created a floorplan for the removal crew, you don’t actually have to be present during the move. They’ll place all boxes and furniture in the relative rooms and it’s done without any personal contact. If for whatever reason, you’d like to be at the properties during the move, you should be wearing your own PPE, carrying a bottle of hand sanitiser, and disinfectant spray.
I really hope this blog has helped you understand the process of moving home or office during the Covid-19 pandemic and please feel free to contact us at Macro Removals if you have any questions or you would like a home, office, man and van or packing service quote. We’re always happy to help.
Government advice on moving home can be found here.
Disclaimer – This blog should only be viewed as a guide. We cannot be held responsible for any injuries, loss of earnings, and death as a result of following this guide.
