You took the chance of a lifetime and invested in luxury flats in Chennai. But now you are unsure how to make the move from your old home to the new without risking the exposure to the COVID virus. Here are some life saving tips to safely move during the pandemic, and begin your dream life without delay.
- Confirm that the moving company is open for business
The company that you have shortlisted need not necessarily be open for business. Give them a call or go down to their office with the proper safety precautions. With COVID cases popping up by the dozen in all areas, the local government has quarantined certain areas of the city as hotbeds of COVID cases. There are also rules and regulations in place as to the operations of a moving company. This needs to be verified with the local authorities. Only after this do you render them an advance for booking their services. Make sure that the advance is refundable in case, the area is quarantined before the moving date.
- Check if they adhere to COVID safety regulations
Before you let the people from the moving company into your home, you need to check if they are operating with necessary precautions. This is for both the safety of your family as well as the safety of the workers. If possible opt for a moving company that has a dedicated regular moving team, instead of hiring day labour. This reduces the chances of coming into contact with an infected person. Ask them directly what measures they have taken to ensure the safety of their workers as well as customers. Do the workers come with protective gear like masks, gloves, or full PPE suits? Are they checked periodically for the virus infection? Luxury flats in Chennai require that movers entering their premises stick to the government safety protocol.
- Opt for a contactless move
Like contactless delivery of your favourite dishes, you can ask for contactless moving of your things. Most moving companies have adapted to the situation and require no assistance from the owners. You just need to open the door for them and leave them any pertinent instructions. The movers take care of everything from packing to shifting. You can lock up after them.
However our advice is to pack and label as many things as possible on your own, especially valuables. This leaves the movers to just pick up the boxes and shift them instead of spending too much time in close contact with your belongings. This also keeps the interaction time between you and the movers to the bare minimum. You can also set up payment ahead by paying in advance or using a payment service provider like Gpay, restricting physical interaction for cash transactions.
- Take proper precautions for yourself and your family
To ensure maximum protection for your family and you, keep at risk members as far away as possible on the moving day. You can opt to take them out to a relative’s home or restrict them to a room that has been emptied. You can also send your family ahead to the new home and have them sanitise and prep the space beforehand. Even your new home has been under exposure to a big group of people. Thus your new home needs to be cleaned and wiped down thoroughly before you move in.
Always wear masks and gloves around the moving team. Keep physical distance of 3 feet or more while interacting with them. Keep sanitising wipes or sanitiser spray handy to keep cleaning your extremities.
- Choose plastic over cardboard packaging
Plastic packaging, while not an environmentally conscious choice, is a safer alternative to cardboard. Cardboard has a higher risk of contamination and harbors the virus longer than plastic. Plastic on the other hand can be sprayed over with sanitiser and wiped down before handling. Wipe down with sanitiser before the objects are moved and wipe down again on receiving them at your new home. This considerably brings down the chances of infection.
- Pack an overnight bag of essentials
Pack a bag ahead of the move with basic essentials that includes an overnight stay kit. Keep snacks and bottled water as you would have packed up all the kitchen and utilities. This also keep you from touching your belongings before the moving crew comes in. Keep plenty of masks, hand sanitiser and gloves in the bag. Avoid touching your face entirely. Restrict your movement to a particular room in the house instead of walking about, possibly contaminating all the surfaces.
- Try to stay at a different place for a few days
Even after the movers have shifted all your belongings to the new home, you are not safe from the risk of infection. It is wise to keep away for a few days, before you move in and start unpacking. You can leave instructions on paper or over phone for the movers as to what goes where, so the boxes are ready to be unpacked when you get there eventually. This breathing time should count for the incubation period of the virus. Have the movers close up and deliver the key to you in a contactless delivery, limiting your mutual exposure. Some luxury flats in Chennai have the option to rent an apartment in the same building before you move in properly.
- Do your pre moving work perfectly:
Since you wouldn’t be around to supervise the move, you can shift your smaller valuables by yourself. The rest of the stuff can be boxed ahead or covered in plastic with the help of your family members or reliable friends. This way all the movers need to do is pick up the boxes and transport them. Since you did most of the packing anyway, the unpacking is so much easier as you know what items are in each box.
You need not put your life on pause for the pandemic. As long as you take the proper precautions and safety measures, you can still shit to your new home and new life easily. For those of you looking for a new home to invest in, Lifestyle Housing has 4 BHK apartments in TNagar. Check out our other prime real estate options on www.lifestlyehousing.com.
