Last Updated on December 7, 2020 by Surender Kumar
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various aspects of everyone’s lives.
Everyone, regardless of age, had to follow stricter hygiene practices, which include frequent and proper handwashing, sanitising of hands and high-touch objects, and social distancing, among others.
For a time, employees were asked to work from home to prevent them from going out and minimise their contact with other people.
Travel was restricted as well, with many countries still limiting the entry and exit of both residents and foreigners.
But with travel restrictions easing up, you can now put your plans of relocating overseas to work or set up your business, which may have been delayed by the pandemic, into action. However, with the coronavirus still an active health threat, you can’t expect your move to go about in the usual way.
There are a few steps you have to take to make your overseas move safe and problem-free.
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Best Practices for Relocating During a Pandemic
A trusted international moving company shares below the six important tips you have to follow to have a safe, smooth relocation overseas:
1. Hire the right movers as soon as possible
With no end in sight yet for the current pandemic, you have to expect the unexpected when organizing a move overseas. Early and careful planning can help you deal with the uncertainties that you may experience during your relocation.
Start by looking for a moving company you are happy and confident working with. Aside from checking the track record and online ratings of your shortlisted movers, get in touch with them and find out what measures they are implementing to ensure they can provide you with a safe move during the pandemic.
Ask the representative what precautions the company is taking to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Make sure you have a good idea of how they are protecting their drivers and movers from the disease, as well.
Lastly, you can narrow down your options by asking your movers for tips on how to relocate at this time. The best companies will share with you general advice and additional guidance and steps they have gained from their recent experiences.
2. Understand the process and consequences of rescheduling your move
Travel can still be affected by sudden surges in COVID-19 cases in your current location and your destination. If you have to postpone your move, it will work to your advantage if you book a flexible relocation company that can keep up with these changes and still meets your needs.
Once you get your moving quote, check if the terms and conditions explain what happens to your deposit if you reschedule and the refund you will get. If these are not on the document, get the details from a customer or sales representative.
As long as you choose the right relocation company, you won’t have any difficulty postponing your move because of reasons you have no control over.
3. Pack smartly
Bringing everything you own is never a good idea when moving overseas, even if there is no pandemic. With more things to worry about and deal with, you have to be a bit wiser in choosing which items you have to pack.
To know which items you can and should bring during your move, follow the six-month rule. This means selling, donating, giving, or throwing away things that you and your family have not used in the past six months.
These rules should apply to clothes, electronic devices, bedding, sports gear, hobby items, and important personal, work, or business-related documents.
You can also narrow down your packing list by researching the predominant weather conditions in your destination, your new lifestyle, and the size and type of your new home. Consider the shipping cost, how valuable an item is, and the risk of moving it, particularly the large and bulky things that you want to bring with you.
By keeping your packing list to your essentials and a few of your valuable and sentimental items, you will deal with a less stressful prep and unpacking process.
4. Create an efficient packing checklist
The post-move process involves another step: disinfecting all the boxes and the items inside them. This additional measure is necessary to help reduce the risk of having the coronavirus in your new home.
But since this is a time-consuming process, you can start sanitising all the boxes and the important items you need first. These include a few sets of clothes, cookware and dining ware, toiletries, documents and devices you need for your work or business, and other essentials.
You can have an easier time finding which boxes contain the things you need for the first few days of your stay in your new home if you have a detailed inventory and labelled all the cartons and containers properly.
Moreover, if you pack by room and similar items in the same boxes, the unpacking process will go smoothly and less stressful.
5. Decide on the unpacking process and inform your movers
Many moving companies unpack all of your belongings for you upon their arrival. However, you might want to take care of this on your own.
Whether you want to let your movers unpack for you or do it on your own, make sure they know your preference.
During the pandemic, most relocation companies deliver everything straight to the garage or the customer’s preferred area. The movers will wipe and sanitize all the surfaces before opening them and unpack them, following safe and hygienic practices.
If you want to unpack your belongings, once they are delivered, spray them with a disinfectant and leave them where they are for a few days to let the virus and other germs dissipate.
6. Do some additional research beforehand
Lastly, moving to a different country now means more than knowing the current situation and status of the pandemic. To be prepared fully for your new life, you need to be knowledgeable about the culture, traditions, and way of living in your host country.
Reading about and understanding these things in advance can help you adjust better later on.
This is an important step to take whether you are moving abroad permanently for work or business or to become a digital nomad.
Some moving companies offer settling in and orientation programmes, language, and cultural training for would-be expats. You can take advantage of these services to experience a smooth, successful transition.
During the pandemic, follow these tips to have a safe, smooth move and enjoy your new life overseas.
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Nice Information. Thank You