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<\/a>Order your moving supplies early<\/h2>\n
Since trips outside the home are discouraged, you\u2019ll want to have a comprehensive list of moving supplies ordered online well before you start packing up. Most services are reporting delayed shipping times between 5-7 business days after the order is placed. Work backwards from move-out day and allow for some padding in between.<\/p>\n
HomeLight\u2019s comprehensive moving supplies checklist<\/a> includes the following:<\/p>\n You can order most of these supplies from Staples<\/a>, U-Haul<\/a>, or Home Depot<\/a> for contactless delivery or pickup. It might be tempting for Prime members to go with Amazon, but the online retailer is giving shipment priority to essential items<\/a>, so it\u2019s hard to know exactly when your stuff will arrive.<\/p>\n Real estate agents and moving experts agree: now is not the time to scour the neighborhood for used boxes. With Craigslist and the liquor store off the table, here\u2019s what you can do instead:<\/p>\n Even if you use all the containers around your home to pack, you\u2019ll probably still need a few moving boxes. The average three-bedroom home will require between 80-100 boxes<\/a> to move. Try these sites to meet your new moving box needs:<\/p>\n You should also avoid renting moving blankets and instead rely on blankets, towels, bedding, or sleeping bags from your own home as padding.<\/p>\n In addition to moving supplies, you\u2019ll want to stock up on disinfectants and sanitizers for your home as you invite movers in, and ensure that boxes have been properly disinfected. Use one of the EPA-registered household disinfectants<\/a> or dilute household bleach<\/a> (5 tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water) for a DIY disinfectant spray. If both are unavailable, solutions with at least 70% alcohol can be used. Alternatively, you can use high-proof spirits, rubbing alcohol, essential oils, and paper towels to create a homemade batch of Lysol wipes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Early studies emerging from Harvard<\/a> show that the risk of being exposed to coronavirus via delivered packaging is low. However, given that the virus was detected on cardboard for up to 24 hours (albeit at low levels)<\/a>, we recommend playing it safe with the following tips as your supplies packages begin to arrive:<\/p>\n Right off the bat, start packing away non-essential items<\/a> in your home, including:<\/p>\n Next, before you start packing anything else, start thinking about your overnight bag<\/a>. Typically, this bag is limited to toiletries and a few sets of clothes to get you through the first few days in a new place. Amid a pandemic, you want to be extra thorough and make sure you set aside items you\u2019re using most right now. Because you\u2019re encouraged not to leave the home unless absolutely necessary, plan for a larger-than-normal overnight bag for everyone in your home and be sure to:<\/p>\n Consult HomeLight\u2019s comprehensive moving checklist to make sure you have everything<\/a>. Label boxes or bags with any of your essentials, and plan to have them travel with you, not with the movers or in the van. This ensures you can access them ASAP when you reach your new home without risk of contamination. (You\u2019ll want to let whatever the movers have touched sit for 24 hours if you can).<\/p>\n Next, with your essentials identified and set aside, consider how your lifestyle has changed over the past few weeks and how it may have drastically altered your packing priorities. You may decide to:<\/p>\n Parkinson\u2019s Law<\/a> states that \u201cwork expands to fill the time available for its completion.\u201d In other words, don\u2019t count all the extra time you\u2019re spending at home leading to extra productivity.<\/p>\n It would take the average person 3-5 days<\/a> to pack a three-bedroom home \u2014\u00a0but that\u2019s if they were theoretically going nonstop without breaks. And that figure also doesn\u2019t factor in the time it takes to wipe down boxes, entertain the out-of-school kids, and cook most meals at home \u2014 aka the joys of quarantine. So try not to leave work until the last minute, even if you feel like you have the time.<\/p>\n Anything you can do to donate what you don\u2019t need will be time well-spent. The more items you can get rid of, the fewer boxes you\u2019ll have that need to be handled by movers. Donate non-perishable food items or unwanted clothing to those who might need it. Many traditional drop-offs, including Goodwill, aren\u2019t accepting donations at this time, but here\u2019s a few ways to get creative:<\/p>\n Top-selling San Antonio real estate agent Reagan Williamson<\/a> has been helping a lot of real estate clients through big moves before and after the pandemic. While he hasn\u2019t seen much change in the time of COVID-19 as far as moving goes, one thing he has noticed is that his seller clients are hypervigilant about cleaning for the new owners. \u201cSellers really want to do a deep clean and leave a spotless home for the buyers coming in,\u201d Williamson says. Probably something you planned to do anyway, but it’s a good reminder!<\/p>\n Following CDC guidelines, Ricardo Ramos-Seyffert, marketing manager of one of America\u2019s most popular moving services, Allied Van Lines<\/a>, encourages customers to do \u201ca deep cleaning of the new home before unpacking, or observation of a quarantine period between the delivery and move-in dates.\u201d If boxes were transported by professional movers, they should be disinfected or kept in the garage or other low traffic area for at least 24 hours before you open them.<\/p>\n\n
Make sure you have enough boxes<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\nPack items in laundry baskets, suitcases, and trusty old IKEA bags<\/a>, which can hold up to 55 pounds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nYou can fit spices and other small kitchen items inside cooking pots<\/a>. Put a dish towel in the pot to avoid clanging, and don\u2019t forget to secure the pot lids with rubber bands or packing tape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nBuy new boxes for an average 20% cheaper than the competition from this discount site<\/a>. While contact and customer service hours are limited, they are still shipping on a regular schedule.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nGrab large \u201cheavy-duty\u201d boxes<\/a> from this retailer for hard to move items, and select curbside delivery at check out for a contactless pickup.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nIf you prefer an assortment of boxes, grab a kit from U-Haul<\/a> customized for the size of your home. The company also provides an assortment of specialty sized boxes perfect for a flatscreen TV or mattress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nIf you\u2019re doing a DIY move with a portable storage container, you can buy moving kits<\/a>, which include boxes and packing materials that perfectly fit into your container size.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nStock up on sanitizer<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Take precautions with your supplies deliveries<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/b>To avoid infection from any traces of the virus that could have made its way onto the packaging, leave your deliveries outside or in a safe remote location<\/a> \u2014 like the garage or mudroom \u2014 for up to 24 hours. After they\u2019ve sat for a bit, bring them in and wipe the packages down with disinfectant. Wash your hands immediately after you handle any packages.<\/li>\n
\n<\/b>If you\u2019re looking to be extra cautious, you can get rid of the outer packaging of a delivery<\/a> before you bring the package inside. Pay attention to which surfaces you touched, or the package touched, and disinfect them immediately.<\/li>\n
\n<\/b>As soon as moving boxes are packed and ready to go, put them in a low-traffic staging area, like a garage. If you\u2019re using professional movers, you can prevent the spread by limiting the trips they need to take into the home.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPacking priorities during quarantine<\/h2>\n
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Don\u2019t underestimate how long it\u2019ll take to pack<\/h3>\n
Use any extra time at home to sort and donate<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Leave your residence spotless for the new owners<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a>How to unpack and move in safely<\/h2>\n
Go ahead and get takeout!<\/h2>\n