Ask a Mover: How can I prepare to move during COVID-19?

Around the world, we’re watching our friends, family and neighbors staying inside of their homes as they social distance in an effort to contain the Coronavirus.

This is a fluid, unprecedented and unplanned-for event, which means many people are scrambling to understand how this affects their day-to-day lives as well as larger life events, like moving. If you’re asking the question, “I’m moving during the COVID-19 – what do I do?” trust that you are not the only one.

Our team is here to get creative and help you answer that question. Suddath^® has over 100 years of home moving experience (as well as moving workplaces and products) which means we’ve seen and experienced a lot and are expert creative problem solvers.

The health and safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority. In accordance with the CDC and local, state and national government, we have taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of everyone involved during a move; our ultimate goal is to continue to safely assist you in this transition.

Among these are the transition of every employee possible into a remote workforce, screening employees and crew who cannot do their job remotely, a rigorous sanitation schedule for offices, safety training for crews and added equipment such as latex gloves and sanitizer.

Our team is devoted to helping our customers through this with a customized plan to help with your specific needs and concerns.

We’ve come up with four helpful tips that anyone can do to make sure their move is safe and efficient:

1. No-touch, germ-free virtual moving survey

Moving is an in-person business. It’s too late to invest in box moving robots, but you can start off your move with a safe, no-touch and germ-free option: a virtual moving survey.

Instead of a Suddath representative coming to a home in-person to survey your home and provide an estimate, they will perform the survey using a FaceTime- or Skype-like service.

During a virtual walkthrough, our Suddath representative will chat about your moving needs while being guided through the home using a mobile device. In our years of using this method, we have perfected it to match the accuracy and customization of our in-person surveys.

Our virtual walkthrough provides local, long-distance and international moving customers with:

Security – proprietary video technology that conforms to U.S. privacy laws
Suddath Expertise – Survey and consultation managed by the same, experienced U.S.-based Suddath team that performs traditional in-home surveys
Convenience – faster than in-home surveys, even after-work and weekend hours available
Accuracy – there is no difference to your quote or service with the video survey versus a typical in-person survey
Simplicity – easy-to-use technology

Watch this brief video to see how it works, or to schedule please email moving@suddath.com or call (888) 903-7695.

2. Designate one person to oversee the move

Normally, moving is a family affair. Everyone is around taking on different tasks, grandma is over watching the kids and neighbors are popping by to check in.

Currently, we advise only having one family member interacting with our movers on move day if possible. That person, after a brief overview of the move with the Suddath moving team leader, should excuse themselves and remain in a different area of the home during the duration of the move.

This is to make sure we maintain proper social distancing during the move to protect you, as well as the Suddath moving team.

3. Make sure you have hand soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes available for yourself and crew members

To protect everyone during a move, yourself, crew and drivers should be washing hands using anti-bacterial soap for 20 seconds and at regular intervals. The crew will be adhering to our CDC-compliant sanitation policies, but in an abundance of caution, please make sure you have some available as well to make it as easy as possible.

Additionally, we ask that you please disinfect commonly touched areas such as doorknobs and handles before the Suddath moving crew arrives to your home. This will help protect you and your family as well as our moving team.

4. Donate food you don’t need to local area charities

While many people are stocking up on food and supplies while social distancing, there are many people and families who cannot.

Since your move is charged by weight, this is a win-win – you are shedding moving weight you don’t need, and you’re able to help supply local area charities with much needed food and other goods.

What about after I move?

You’re going to want to deep clean and sanitize your new home before fully moving in. Here are a few resources and tips to help:

Make sure to have soap, hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol), cleaning solutions and paper towels handy and not packed up.
Follow the CDC’s recommendations on how to clean and sanitize your home
Here are the EPA’s list of disinfectants that meet the criteria to fight COVID-19. When purchasing any product, check if its EPA registration number, which is located on the product label, is included in this list. The products on this list may be marketed and sold under different brand names, but if they have the same EPA registration number, they are the same product.
Use disinfectant wipes for quick cleanings over the most high-touch areas – countertops, doorknobs, sinks, cabinet pulls, refrigerators, etc.
Use disinfectant sprays for areas that can’t be wiped clean. You can use Lysol, for example, on your couches and mattresses.
Use this CDC bleach mixture recommendation on your new tile floors. Use a disinfecting wet mop cloth on your hardwood floors.
Don’t forget to disinfect items that are frequently touched – your phone, computer and accessories (here’s how to clean keyboards), your television remote controls, credit cards, wallet, and more.

Other immediate needs:

Prioritize your internet setup and make an appointment as early in the process as you possibly can. Making sure you can stay connected to news, work, friends and family may be critical during this time.
Delivery is king! Stocking your new kitchen full of groceries will mean trying options like Shipt or Instacart or calling your local grocery store to find out what other delivery options they are offering.
Costco, Target and Sam’s Club all have delivery options and have the essentials you need.
Join NextDoor to get information from your new neighbors about local issues, goings-on, and even restaurants that are still open for delivery or pickup.

Final Thoughts

Through all of this, remember that we will get through this as a community. If you feel uncomfortable or scared to move, ask us about postponement. We are happy to work with you.

Of course, local law enforcement is the determining voice in this discussion – the safest thing we can all do is to make sure we follow the direct orders of local officials and continue to monitor communications.

Suddath is here to help you and ensure that this time is as stress-free as it can possibly be. Again, contact your move coordinator if you have any questions or concerns.