12 Tips to Moving Home During Coronavirus

Are you thinking of moving home during the coronavirus?

The international outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has caused a huge shift in the way that our domestic and business lives operate across the United Kingdom.

Adhering to safety practices and the establishment of lockdown procedures across the country has had a huge impact on everyone in the UK.

The housing market has not been spared from these limitations, with thousands of house sales and moves being put on standby during the pandemic.

However, following recent government announcements reducing these imposed constraints, house removals across the country have begun to recommence.

What is the best way to manage moving home during coronavirus?

Whilst moving home in England has been sanctioned since the 13^th May, it is worth considering that the reduction of these constraints does not indicate a return to the norm.

The safety and wellbeing of all those involved in a house move is of central importance, and even though there is now more freedom to move to a new house, Government guidelines and health and safety must always be prioritised.

With government changes in mind, these are our 12 top tips to abide by when moving home during coronavirus.

Buying and Selling Properties During Coronavirus

The outbreak of coronavirus saw the housing marketing become extremely stagnant.

February seemed to be a turning point for the property market in the UK, with thousands of households close to completing moves.

The market was showing drastic improvements following the uncertain years of Brexit and the recent general election that had been limiting its expansion.

However, safety measures and the implementation of lockdown across the UK saw the optimistic housing market grind to a halt.

As the government restrictions are alleviated, moving to a new house is becoming a possibility again.

These are some important things to keep in mind when buying, selling and moving home during coronavirus.

Listing and Viewing Properties

In England, you are currently able to put your home on the market.

Estate agents are permitted to visit your property to collect the required information, photographs, and videos.

It is important to get in touch with estate agents prior to their visit.

You should find out what services they are offering at this time as well as the actions they are taking to ensure your safety.

If you or a member of your household begin to exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus, you should inform the estate agent as soon as possible.

In this instance, they should not visit the property until after the isolation period.

Government advice for property viewings in England was revised on the 13^th May.

The amendments permit physical viewings to take place.

Government health and safety guidelines for house viewings consist of:

• Conduct initial viewings online (where possible). Many estate agents are conducting virtual viewings, ask your estate agent if this service is possible.
• Physical, face to face viewings should be organised by pre-arranged appointment.
• Air out your property prior to a viewing, opening all windows and doors beforehand.
• If possible, leave your home whilst the viewing is in progress.
• All those involved must wash their hands before the viewing.
• Offer handwashing facilities if possible.
• Once the viewing has finished, homeowners should take the time to ensure all surfaces are thoroughly cleansed.
• All physical house viewings must take place with buyers showing genuine interest in purchasing the property.

It is evident that government guidelines rightly place safety above all other considerations.

Your estate agent should be happy to work with you, guaranteeing that listing and viewing properties during the pandemic is made as safe as possible.

Following government advice will certainly help to uphold the highest possible levels of safety.

Offers on Properties

Offers on properties have persisted to be made and agreed upon during the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the introduction of the new government guidelines, buyers who finalised a sale during the lockdown may wish to view the property in person.

The same strict procedures should be followed as a regular house viewing.

Virtual viewings, pre-arranged appointments and social distancing guidelines must be followed.

It is now also permitted for buyers to organise inspections to be performed on properties.

Again, inspections can only be conducted in a household without coronavirus symptoms and must be scheduled in advance.

If a member of the household shows symptoms, inspections should be delayed.

Safety is key when moving home during coronavirus!

Before You Move

Choosing the Right Removals Firm

Whilst the government have given house moves the go ahead, it is still important to establish that all aspects of your move will operate correctly.

Be sure to get in contact with removals firms to ascertain the following:

• Are the removals firm fully operational during the pandemic?
• Are they implementing the required health and safety procedures?
• Do you need to abide by any further safety measures?
• What happens to your move if you or anyone in your household displays symptoms or becomes ill?
• Are they available to conduct new house move immediately or are they fully booked? (Many of removals firms are dealing with a backlog of moves paused due to the lockdown.)

Virtual Video Surveys

When deciding on your removals firm you want to conduct your move it is recommended to ascertain if they are offering virtual video surveys.

Video survey software allows removals firms to perform virtual house surveys, verifying all the information that is needed for your move, all from the security of your home.

Virtual video surveys minimise physical interaction with those from outside of your bubble.

This reduced interaction makes it an essential safety tool.

Observing social distancing procedures remains of paramount importance.

Video surveys, therefore, go a long way to aiding removals companies with your house move during the pandemic.

Be sure to find out if your chosen firm is offering virtual video surveys.

Be Prepared

With so many delayed moves recommencing, there is a huge demand for removals services across the UK.

Guarantee that you stay well organised by either booking early or conditionally booking your move in advance.

This will go a long way to prevent any further delays.

Whilst you are waiting for your moving day, there are lots of tasks you can carry out to make sure you are ready when the day rolls around.

Being in lockdown means many of us have a little more spare time, if you do have some extra moments arranging your items and choosing what you will be taking with you to your new home is  great idea.

Any items you will not be bringing to your new house can be separated.

Put them aside so they are ready to be donated or sold once the lockdown restrictions have been lifted.

Another good idea is to start packing some items, provided your removals company are not providing this service for you.

If your removals firms have supplied you with your removals boxes start packing them!

If not, any suitcases and boxes that you own can begin to be packed ready for the move.

Make sure to keep items you use every day handy.

Box lesser-used items up first.

These can be packed up and stored out of the way prepared for your moving day.

Moving Day

What to Do If You Feel Ill

Although house moves in the UK have been given the green light, appreciating that we are still living in a global pandemic is important to consider.

If you or anyone in your household begins to feel ill or starts to display the symptoms of coronavirus, it is imperative to delay your move and ensure that you self-isolate for two weeks.

Notifying all the appropriate companies as soon as possible, including your removals firm, will help to make sure your move can be rearranged at a more appropriate time.

Whilst this may not the most convenient action for your move, it is essential.

It helps to ensure the safety of all those involved in your move and reduces the spread of the virus.

If you are a medically vulnerable or shielded individual, it is important to carefully consider your situation.

You should seek out medical advice before choosing to move.

Gathering all the required information about what processes are being followed by different removals firms will help with your choice of company.

Maintain Distance

Social distancing guidelines issued by the government recommend remaining at least 2 meters apart from individuals from beyond your household.

Prior to the pandemic, it would have been typical to invite several movers, family members and friends to help with your move.

Whilst this can make sure your move runs quickly, it is now of primary importance to uphold social distancing procedures.

Although this is not an easy task, the framework of the removals industry makes social distancing challenging, there are several steps you can take to ensure that safety is prioritised.

Limit the People in Your Home

Reducing the number of people in the property who are in contact with the movers will help to guarantee the best possible levels of safety.

This suggests that if there are a few residents or children in your household, they should stay removed from the removals firm’s crew members where possible.

Washing Hands

Make sure that you practise good levels of hygiene when interacting with individuals from outside of your household.

Even if you are wearing disposable gloves, it is important to ensure you are regularly washing your hands when you take them off.

It is also important to provide a space for movers to wash their hands.

Wearing PPE

If you anticipate being in close contact with the removals crew, guaranteeing you have access to your own personal PPE is recommended.

This includes wearing face masks and disposable gloves.

PPE should be worn whenever you are near anyone from outside of your household.

By sticking to these suggestions and complying with social distancing measures, your moving day should be completed as efficiently as possible.

For more information, the gov.uk website outlines all of the regulations surrounding coronavirus, including how to stay safe when moving home during coronavirus.

After You Move

Arriving at Your New Home

When you arrive at your new house, make sure you and anyone in your household are wearing PPE.

Not only will your new home need to be thoroughly cleansed, but it will also put your neighbour’s minds at ease.

Neighbours could be concerned about new people moving to the area during the pandemic.

Wearing PPE will give them a good first impression and shows that you take the situation seriously.

Cleaning and Disinfecting New Home

Moving home during coronavirus? Be sure to stock up on cleaning supplies!

When you arrive at your new house be sure to give every room a deep clean.

On top of this, make sure you are cleaning and disinfecting your furniture and belongings as you unpack.

Whilst everyone should have been wearing PPE, cleaning all your belongings will safeguard you and your household.

It is also important to properly dispose of all packing materials.

Store all boxes and materials leftover in a shed, garage or garden where possible.

Once it is safe to dispose of these items make sure to thoroughly clean the space in which they have been stored.

Choosing GoodMove as Your Removals Company

Whether you are keen on moving home during coronavirus or are preparing to move in the future, recognising the impact that the coronavirus has had on moving to a new house is important.

The removals industry has had to adapt to the ever-changing landscape produced by the pandemic.

Being well prepared for your move is more important now than ever!

This emphasises the importance of choosing a dependable removals company to conduct your move.

Whether you decide to move now or in the future, it pays to have an adaptable removals company that can adjust to this unique situation.

GoodMove are here to help you move safely and stress-free.

We have over 35 years’ experience handling removals throughout the UK and Europe.

Our customer-driven approach to removals has earned us critical acclaim. We believe our written testimonials, which can be found on Reference Line, are our testament to the service we deliver.

We also offer flexible self-storage options to our customers.

Either as part of a tailor-made removals package or as a standalone service.

GoodMove are also offering our new video survey service.

Using this new technology, we can gather all the information we require to assist with your move, from the comfort of your home.

Video surveys will help you save valuable time and maintain safety in this unique time.

To find out how GoodMove’s removals service can work for you contact us on the number listed above or use the quick quote form.