Guidance on Moving Home Safely

General Guidance

• Please try to minimise any physical meetings
• Use your phone, email or online video links whenever possible

Identification

• Most companies are able to verify your indentity electronically
• Contracts may still need to be signed and some legal documents also need to be witnessed
  • Consider social distancing (2m)
  • Don't share pens
  • Wash you hands before and after to minimise any risk

Where possible property professionals can:

• Use their own transport
• Use hand sanitiser before and after any visit
• Maintain social distancing
• Consider whether anyone in the property is in a high-risk category
• Minimise the time spent in your property

• Ideally, you want to have no more than 1 professional and 2 adults visiting your property
• If possible, avoid small children visiting your home.
  • If they have to come then ensure that the professional hosting the viewing asks them not to touch anything.
• Try to arrange to leave your property during the viewing e.g. go for a walk.
• Consider social distancing.

• Bear in mind that some visits e.g. energy performance, property surveys and removal company assessments may take more time to complete than a viewing.
• Where possible, anyone coming to assess your home or property will contact you to ask for more details to try to minimise any time spent there.

• When handing over the keys to your property to any professional please ensure that they have been properly sanatised, if anyone in your household has been ill.

Please advise us or any other professional prior to any visits to your home if:

• Anyone in the property is ill.
• There is anyone in the property who is considered to be vulnerable.

If you are viewing a property:

• Estate agents will be aiming to arrive 10 minutes before any viewing is due to start.
• Please try to be on time.
  • If you are running late then advise the agent as soon as possible.
• It is recommended that only one professional and up to two adults attend any viewings.
• Where viewers need to be accompanied by small children they should be kept from touching any surfaces.
• Physical viewings should be limited to members of the same household.
• Ideally the estate agent will show you around the property.
• Some vulnerable visitors and occupants may ask people present to wear non-surgical face masks.
• Any feedback relating to the property should be discussed outside or on the phone after the visit.

A lot of the stress of moving day can be reduced dramatically by preparing as much as possible beforehand.

Removals:

• Boxes and packing equipment will be available via your removal company or online suppliers.
  • Always check what is included in the overall cost.
• Check what services are being offered to save you time e.g.:
  • Paintings.
  • China.
  • Glass.
  • Other breakables.
• Pack as much as possible ahead of the move:
  • We recommend doing this over a number of weeks or days to minimise injuring yourself.
  • Start with the things that you rarely use or need to access.
  • Clearly label all boxes and containers.
    • What is in the box?
    • What room will it need to be taken to in the new property?
• Clean any white goods that you are taking with you e.g. fridge, freezer, cooker.
• Co-ordinate your move with anybody living in the property so they have time to move out before the removal company arrives.
• Try to have everything packed and ready the night before you move.
• Check if there is an agreed time for the property that you are moving to to become vacant.
• If it is possible, allow 72 hours between a householder moving out and a new one moving in.
  • This may be easier to organise where one or more party is renting.

Banking:

• If you need to transfer any money to us please check any limits with your bank or building society well ahead of time.
  • If possible arrange any transfers via your online banking.
• Be alert to fraud:
  • Don't share your account details via email.
  • Remember email communications are not secure.
  • Always contact us if you receive an email stating we have changed our account details.
  • Don't announce your move on social media.

Deep-clean:

• A deep-clean is always recommended when moving in or out or a property.
• If you can't manage to give your property a good clean before moving out, then many cleaning companies offer this service at a reasonable cost.
• It's always worth checking if the house you are moving to will have been given a thorough clean. It doesn't always happen!

PLEASE NOTE:

If you are vulnerable then please seek medical advice on whether you should be moving house.

On moving day and before the removal company arrives:

• If possible, leave the property while the removal team are working.
• Try to ensure that pets and children are not in the property, if you can.