It might seem that life has been turned upside down by the pandemic. Moving home is one part of life that has managed to keep going, regardless of lockdown status. Part of this has been because of the housing sector’s importance to the economy, things like development and building have continued throughout the pandemic as well. Moving home is one part of life that has managed to keep going, regardless of lockdown status.
However, moving house has not been entirely unaffected. What changes can you expect? Like everything else, you can expect more to be done online. While you wouldn’t be expected to buy a home without seeing it. You’re likely to do more virtual viewings to help eliminate unnecessary viewings.
When attending a viewing, you should minimise the number of people going where possible. A maximum of 2 households should be in the house, which should also be well ventilated. You should also observe social distancing.
Moving home does provide an exemption from several lockdown rules. If you are moving house beyond Sheffield or Rotherham you can travel outside the area for a viewing. And you can have an overnight stay if you are unable to return on the same day.
Throughout the process you should respect the rules around bubbles, no inviting friends for their opinions, on your new home. You should also stick to your bubble when it comes to moving house in Sheffield & Rotherham, so you cannot ask friends for help unless absolutely necessary.
Other processes related to home moves have remained largely the same, other than the shift to moving online. However, it is sensible to expect delays. Although the housing market has remained largely open and buoyant during the pandemic people this has not granted immunity to Covid-19 to people involved in it.
This means that many of those involved in house-moves, like estate agents, solicitors and your local removal firm have to operate differently, and this can cause delays. Perhaps most obviously the need to self-isolate because someone’s been exposed to or has caught Covid-19 can have an impact. If that’s someone in a chain or a conveyancer it might delay affect lots of moves.
It makes sense to keep everything in order and to handle all your paperwork as soon as you can. While you cannot prevent delays because of self-isolation or quarantine, by attending to all the processes as quickly as possible you can help to minimise delays.
Finally, expect changes on moving day itself. Everyone will have to observe the restrictions in force at the time. This will mean that people will need to maintain social distance and wear masks. Meanwhile you will have to keep your old and new homes well ventilated while people are working in them. The usual flurry of activity by your local removal company will seem a little slower because they will have to wait to ensure spaces and hallways are clear.
Moving during the pandemic is still possible, and everyone in the process will work to make it as easy and safe as it can be. Perhaps the biggest problem will be for your local removal company. You won’t be able to provide refreshments, so there’s no rewarding cuppa any more!
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