Interested in Your Own Personally Branded Magazine? Click Here!

Want to customize this content for your business?

Learn More

Categories

  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining

  • Printables
  • Videos


General

  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers


Editorial

  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea

American Lifestyle Magazine Logo
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
  • Search
  • Follow
  • 0 Heart
  • |
  • Food & Recipes Categories
    • All Recipes (746)
    • Appetizers (134)
    • Breakfast (59)
    • Cooking Tips (41)
    • Desserts (213)
    • Dinner (227)
    • Drinks (59)
    • Gluten Free (9)
    • Healthy (63)
    • Quick & Easy (56)
    • Vegan (29)
    • Vegetarian (46)
All Recipes | Apr 26, 2022

Simple Spring Alfresco Dining

  • Holiday & Entertaining Categories
    • Christmas (77)
    • Easter (14)
    • Entertaining (40)
    • Father’s Day (6)
    • Halloween (29)
    • Hanukkah (14)
    • July 4th (33)
    • Mother’s Day (8)
    • New Year’s (19)
    • St. Patrick's Day (11)
    • Thanksgiving (33)
    • Valentine’s Day (5)
artistic-easter-eggs
Crafts & DIY Projects | Apr 11, 2022

Earthy Easter Eggs

  • Decor Categories
    • Crafts & DIY Projects (272)
    • Curb Appeal (5)
    • Decorate (62)
    • Interior Design (77)
Decor | May 19, 2022

Maximizing Home Style with Designer Bari J.

Urban Design Associates
Interior Design | Apr 22, 2022

Architects Of the Wild West

artistic-easter-eggs
Crafts & DIY Projects | Apr 11, 2022

Earthy Easter Eggs

  • Real Estate Categories
    • Buying & Selling (195)
    • Home Trends (20)
    • Staging (20)
    • Your First House (31)
landlord-tips
Buying & Selling | Feb 9, 2022

Beginner’s Guide to Being a Landlord

Buying & Selling | Jan 26, 2022

8 Things Not Included in a Home Inspection

virtual-home-tour
Buying & Selling | Jan 19, 2022

The Pros and Cons of a Virtual Home Tour

  • Life & Culture Categories
    • Editorial (272)
    • Family & Pets (193)
    • Finances (22)
    • Health (154)
    • Travel (231)
Canine Stars
Editorial | May 2, 2022

Pup Performances With A Purpose

Hilton Head
Travel | Apr 25, 2022

Lowcountry Life

Anita Yan Wong
Editorial | Apr 20, 2022

Brushstrokes and Progress

  • Home Categories
    • Cleaning (41)
    • Organizing (45)
    • Home Improvement (121)
    • Outdoors & Gardening (83)
Home | May 10, 2022

Prepare Your Patio with the Perfect Accessories

Home | May 4, 2022

How to Stop Bugs from Ruining Your Summer

Outdoors & Gardening | Apr 11, 2022

Never Mow Your Lawn Again

Follow us on social media today!

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Moving Safely in the Age of COVID-19

Buying & Selling | By Christy Murdock Edgar | 0 Likes
SHARE
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More

The real estate industry responded quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic, making much of the buying and selling process virtual, from home tours, to open houses, and completing a home sale. Thanks to these innovations, you might have been able to conduct some or all of your transaction without an in-person consultation or home tour. However, now it’s time for the big move—a totally hands-on experience.

As the COVID pandemic continues, how can you ensure that your move is as safe as possible—not just for your belongings, but for you, your family, and the movers? This guide is designed to help you understand the risk factors and make your move as safe and comfortable as it can be.

couple packing boxes for moving

CDC Guidelines for COVID-19 on Surfaces

According to the CDC, it is rare foe the coronavirus to be transmitted through surface contamination. That’s good news for your COVID-19 move since you can spend more time focusing on air quality. Standard precautions, like frequent handwashing and avoiding touching the eyes, nose, or mouth, should be followed during the packing, moving, and unpacking process.

 

view out open windows

Improving Air Quality During the Move

Since the COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets and through proximity of closer than six feet between parties, your best defenses are time, distance, and sufficient ventilation.

Time

According to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), aerosolized COVID-19 remained viable in the air for three hours. That means that time is your friend when it comes to avoiding exposure. If you are not in a time crunch, consider allowing the movers to bring in the furniture and boxes to the new home, then spend time outside in order to give any respiratory droplets time to dissipate.

Distance

While social distancing guidelines prescribe a distance of six feet between people, the NEJM study found that droplets could travel at least thirteen feet through the air, reinforcing the need for masks in order to avoid transmission. While you will no doubt want to oversee aspects of the move, try to maximize the amount of time you spend further away from where the movers are working.

For example, you may want to ask the movers to load your outdoor furniture last, giving you a place to sit and wait during much of the loading process. Then, at the new home, they can unload that same furniture first, giving you a place to wait during the unloading process. If weather does not permit you to wait outdoors, you may want to designate an out-of-the-way room, like a guest bedroom or home office, to be loaded last and unloaded first.

Ventilation

In order to improve your air quality and reduce your risk of transmission, take steps to improve the ventilation in the home during the time that the movers are working there. Open doors and windows during the loading and unloading processes to let in some fresh air. If you have a central HVAC system, turn on the fan to keep air circulating and filtering throughout the home. Turn on exhaust fans in the bathrooms and turn on the exhaust hood in the kitchen as well.

box labeled stuff

Communication and Organization Matter

One of the most important things you can do during your move is to communicate early and often with your moving company. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need, whether it is additional time, additional precautions, or a clearer idea of the safety measures they put in place.

The name of the game is minimizing the amount of time that the movers have to spend in your space, thus minimizing the risk of transmission in case one of the movers is an asymptomatic carrier. Organization will help you speed up the process so that it takes less time to load and unload, and the movers will spend less time in your space. Here are a few ways to make your move more efficient and organized:

  • Label your boxes as thoroughly as possible to ensure that they end up in the correct room and in order to avoid spending time rifling through one box after another looking for essential items.
  • Consider color-coding your boxes, either with colored labels or with colored markers, then create a map with the corresponding colors so the movers can quickly and easily see which room each box belongs in. You may want to name or number bedrooms and bathrooms in order to ensure that the movers know which is which.
  • As you pack boxes, consider stacking them in your home’s foyer or garage in order to allow the movers to quickly and easily load the truck. If pricing is based on an hourly rate, this strategy will also help you save significantly on the cost of your move.
  • Put together a “first 24-hours” box for each family member before the movers arrive and keep them in your own car. That way, the most essential items that you’ll need right away are easy to access and will never be exposed to anyone else during the move. These boxes should include bed and bath linens, pajamas, a change of clothes, and any other must-have items. For children, include a favorite toy and bedtime book to make your new house feel more like home.

A safer, more organized move requires only a little forethought and patience. It’s worth the extra time and effort to ensure that your socially distanced move is as smooth and healthy as possible for everyone involved.

4253 Views

This article is tagged in:

FinanceFinancial AdviceHome AdviceHome BuyingHome ImprovementHome LoanMaintenanceMovingMoving TipsReal EstateReal Estate AgentRefinancingRepair

Related Posts

Home | Apr 4, 2022

How to Shield Your Home from April Showers

landlord-tips
Real Estate | Feb 9, 2022

Beginner’s Guide to Being a Landlord

Real Estate | Jan 26, 2022

8 Things Not Included in a Home Inspection

virtual-home-tour
Real Estate | Jan 19, 2022

The Pros and Cons of a Virtual Home Tour

Home | Jan 13, 2022

How to Choose a Storage Unit

Popular Posts

can-planters-card
Staying Home | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Plan Your Home Projects | Jul 8, 2021

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

12-Direct | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

Real Estate | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist

home office with white furniture
Life & Culture | Mar 30, 2020

Everyone Is Working From Home—Here’s How to Do It Effectively


You may also like:

can-planters-card
Crafts & DIY Projects | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Outdoors & Gardening | Jul 8, 2021

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

Health | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

Buying & Selling | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist

home office with white furniture
Health | Mar 30, 2020

Everyone Is Working From Home—Here’s How to Do It Effectively

spring-cleaning-countdown
Cleaning | Mar 23, 2021

Spring Cleaning Countdown

decorating-basics
Interior Design | Jun 9, 2020

These Tips Are Your North Star For Home Decorating

Share on Social Media

Our mission is to deliver entertainment that inspires and motivates our readers, encouraging them to follow their passions as they explore new horizons.

© 2022 American Lifestyle Magazine

General
  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers
Editorial
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea
Categories
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
Follow Us
Facebook Pinterest Instagram Youtube

Customize this content for your business!

Learn More

,