Moving to a new home during the pandemic

You have just completed the biggest financial transaction of your life and can now call yourself a homeowner. With the help of a Realtor, you purchased your first home, signed all the necessary paperwork, and are ready to move into your new home. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that these days with a pandemic surging.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends staying home and sheltering in place as the best way to reduce the spread of the virus, so the safest option, if you’re flexible, is to delay your move. For many families, however, a moving date is not flexible, especially if you have timed your move with your lease ending or if the sale and closing date of your previous home coincides with the closing date of your new home,” says Joanne Fraser, president of the Silicon Valley Associations of Realtors. “Your health and safety, as well as the health and safety of your family are the top priority when deciding how and when to move. Planning ahead can ensure that your move will be a safe and smooth.”

The local Realtor association provides the following tips that can help you stay safe when moving during a pandemic:

1. Contact moving companies and inquire about their COVID-19 policy and sanitation and physical distancing protocols they have in place to ensure the safest possible move for their customers, as well as their workers. Many moving companies now offer virtual surveys or walkthroughs of a home instead of in-home walkthroughs in order to estimate a price for your move.

2. If you plan to pack items yourself, which is what health and safety experts recommend, consider purchasing new moving boxes and supplies instead of using boxes from stores or recycled boxes. Purchase more supplies than you think you will need. This will minimize frequent trips to the store.

3. When sorting through your belongings and you find items you no longer want or need, consider donating them. Find out where you can donate them safely.

4. Complete your packing ahead of time. Some movers suggest completing your packing 24 hours before they arrive and keeping most boxes confined to just one or two rooms.

5. On moving day, wear a mask and gloves when greeting the movers and remain outside as much as possible while the movers complete their task.

Below are important items to focus on during the transition into your new home:

1. Consider deep cleaning your new home before unpacking to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

2. Before even moving into your new home, contact local utilities and service providers, like trash pick-up to set-up a new account and avoid disruption. Familiarize yourself with the pick-up schedule for trash and recyclables to avoid garbage stacking up during the first week in your new home. Familiarize yourself with your home’s circuit breakers and water valves.

3. Have the right tools. It is likely you own the basic tools, such as a drill, screwdriver, hammer, and tape measure. Homeownership may require a few new ones, such as a ratchet set for adjusting nuts and bolts in hard-to-reach places and a stud sensor to detect studs, cables, and ducts when hanging pictures and shelves on the wall.

“Moving into a new home can be overwhelming and even more so during a pandemic, but as long as you plan ahead and keep the safety and health of your family a priority, you can be sure to transition into a new home in a smooth and hassle-free fashion,” says Fraser.