How professional movers are keeping people safe amid COVID-19

Every year, around 35 million Americans pack up their possessions and move into a new home.

While exciting, the moving process is also considered one of the most stressful life events — and when dealing with a global pandemic at the same time, that stress can be amplified.

Professional moving companies are one way to lighten the literal and metaphorical load of moving, but many people may be wary about hiring outside help in the current climate. At Miracle Movers, managing partner Larry Hinnant and his team of professional movers are taking the necessary steps to keep their clients safe and healthy.

"As professional movers, we're considered an essential business, so we're still working every day," said Hinnant. "We've been following all of the state and local regulations, but in addition to that, we've also been regularly temperature checking our employees and providing them with things like hand sanitizers and masks. We want to make sure that both our employees and our clients feel safe throughout the moving process."

In addition to making sure each employee is healthy, Hinnant and his team also keep their clients' possessions as sanitized as possible. Since viruses can live on surfaces anywhere from several hours to several days, Hinnant's team takes care to carefully clean surfaces they come in contact with. That means before loading and unloading the truck with boxes, the interior is scrubbed to make it as germ-free as possible before any new items are placed inside.

Clients who are curious about pricing, but don't feel comfortable exposing themself with the typical in-person estimate, can also request to have the process done remotely— a particularly useful service for those in more vulnerable groups.

"We like to do on-site estimates, but we absolutely offer virtual versions of that. We typically do a lot of moves for elderly people, and that's key for them," said Hinnant. "They want to make sure they're taking the steps they need to in order to stay healthy, and we're prepared to accommodate them in whatever ways we can."

While the safety risks of COVID-19 are at the forefront of everyone's minds, it's only a piece of the potential risks movers face. In addition to the health and safety standards companies like Miracle Movers are observing, they also observe policies that keep their customers financially safe, as well.

Not all moving companies recommend buying insurance, but in Hinnant's opinion, it's always better to be safe rather than sorry. Basic protection is a cheaper option, but offers minimal coverage when compared to full value protection.

"Basic protection says that if an item is lost or broken, you will get 60 cents per pound. Say your TV is a Samsung, and you just paid $2,000 for it, but it only weighs a hundred pounds. If you don't have full value protection, you're only going to get a check for $60 — that's it," said Hinnant. "The cost of full value insurance depends on the size of a home, so say for a 1,500 square foot house, it might cost you $180, but then everything in your home has full replacement value. In the end, it isn't that much extra to pay for that peace of mind, just in case."

Not all moving companies operate like Miracle Movers, which always takes necessary precautions to ensure client items won't be damaged in the move, however, full value protection acts as an extra safeguard.

Not all moving companies are created equal, and Hinnant recommends making sure the company you choose to work with goes the extra mile to keep your items safe. At Miracle Movers, for example, the moving team wraps everything in shrink wrap, breaks down large furniture like beds, and rolls out runners to prevent scratches and stains on floors and carpets.

In doing so, they're able to go the extra mile in keeping their clients and their clients' possessions safe.

"When we get to the new house, we put everything exactly where you want it. We're a full-service moving company, because we don't just unload everything, drop it and go —everything is set up and organized exactly how you want it," said Hinnant. "We tailor every move to whatever that specific client needs, whether that's help every step of the way, extra health and safety precautions, or anything in between."