The COVID-19 coronavirus affects people all over the world, both in a private and professional context. It causes a lot of anxiety. Many people are worried about their work or health. That is why in our country, but also globally, governments take various actions to stop the spread of the epidemic as effectively as possible. In order for life to return to normal as soon as possible. However, it is not known how long this situation will last.

How does it relate to your situation, when you sold a flat a month ago, you are currently running out of office renting or have planned a dream home or office renovation and you paid an advance to a renovation company? You wonder what to do next and how during a coronavirus pandemic you should do when you still don’t want to retreat your decisions.

Therefore, if you also plan to store private or office items and furniture, or you to move and you are looking for an advice, you are in the right place. We realize that you can have a lot of doubts whether it is better not to wait. We will give you some helpful tips that will calm you down a bit, help you make the right decision and increase your safety in such situations by taking appropriate precautions.

TIP 1. Settle all formal matters remotely

You should make all possible arrangements regarding the collection of things and furniture for storage or moving by phone and then confirm them by email – this applies especially to the getting an offer. Instead of inviting representatives of storage of moving company to your apartment of office, make a list and photos of the items and furniture, send them by e-mail and discuss by phone.

If you need to sign a contract, it’s best in an electronic version – Więcej Miejsca offers this form of an agreement, when placing an order for a storage service by company’s website. Avoid paying cash for the order. It’s best to arrange an advance payment by bank transfer before the collection of items or moving, so that you can book the date. The rest of the payment should also be done electronically after the work is done. If you have to sign any documentation, ask an external company mover to put them aside and to leave at least for 2 meters. In the meantime, wash your hands beforehand, put on protective gloves and use your pen.

During the visit of movers, avoid greeting by shaking hands – instead, just raise your hand or nod and just say the usual “Good morning” and “Goodbye”.

TIP 2. Don’t ask people who are in high-risk group of coronavirus for help

During an epidemic, most people follow the instructions and stay at home to protect themselves and their loved ones. Therefore, it is difficult to get help from friends in anything, as it was until recently. If you think of people who would nevertheless decide to offer you support, your list should not include those who are most at risk of COVID-19 because of their health (especially those with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions) or age (over 60). Generally, the “task” of such people should now be to rest and avoid exhausting work, especially doing heavy lifting or carrying things up or down the stairs.

In addition, if you use a storage or moving company, such as Więcej Miejsca, after the initial walk-through is completed with the crew, you may want to consider leaving your home or office for the time of collection or move (in the event of a possible check from the uniformed services, you can explain the situation). If this is not possible, vulnerable persons should be in a separate room from which items or furniture will not be removed. If this cannot be organized, please ask the movers for calm execution of the order.

TIP 3. Take care of communication with the storage or moving company

It doesn’t matter if you use the help of storage or moving company, friends or even family members. If you currently want to store things and furniture (doesn’t matter if in such warehouse offered by Więcej Miejsca with door-to-door service or self storage) or move, you should remember about the risk of COVID-19. Transparent communication and getting answers to the most important issues are so important for your health and safety now. Questions you should ask people that will help you, should relate to:

• recent symptoms of a disease (remember that in the case of coronavirus, these include breathing problems, fever, cough, persistent chest pain or pressure),
• serious illness,
• health and safety precautions that will be taken in connection with collection of items or removal.

TIP 4. Keep cleanliness and sanitize things as much as possible

When you want to put things into storage or move, you should take care of your own hygiene as well as the cleanliness of things. How?

• Wash your hands often with warm water and soap (at least 20 seconds – it’s best to count the time).
• Wear protective gloves and face masks when packing or unpacking things (ask other people who help you to do the same).
• Ask movers to cover furniture and other bulky items with stretch or bubble wrap. We know that everyone counts money at the time of coronavirus, but in this case, securing furniture with the right materials is a must! After using, utilize the materials in the outer basket.
• Bags or cartons in which your private or office items will be packed should be sealed during storage or when moving. Dispose of them after use. Więcej Miejsca offers also solid and safe plastic boxes for storage or moving purpose. If you decide on our support and would like to use them, we will collect them from you after the service is done (then clean them with a sanitizer).

Additionally, after the moving, it is best to wait some time before unpacking the items. You can use a garage or storage room for this. If you do not have such space, you can use one of the rooms.

TIP 5. Keep a safe distance from other people

During activities such as move or when putting things and furniture into storage, you should keep a safe distance from other people, as you do while shopping or even walking with a dog. We do not suggest that people who support you have a coronavirus, but sticking to at least 2 meters distance, especially when talking to another person, is now widely practiced and natural behavior.

TIP 6. Use safe packaging materials

Storing private or office items or moving during coronavirus is not the time when you should use free cartons – available in some stores or borrowed from friends. You can use the ones you have in your home or office or buy some new, if you don’t have enough. Make sure that the storage or moving company that provides them to you has not used them before for another customer.

Więcej Miejsca offers also special sturdy plastic boxes for moving and storage. They are very convenient to use, thanks to their construction and save time needed to pack such things as books, clothes, kitchen items, documents and small electronics. Our plastic boxes, unlike cartons (often used by different customers) offered by most removal companies, are always cleaned before delivery to a new customer. After use, they are laid in a designated area in the warehouse in safe distance from other items and after a few days they are cleaned with gloves and sanitizers.

If you need other protective materials (e.g. bubble wrap, tapes, wrapping paper), it’s best to order them online for a few days before the collection of your items for storage or moving and put them in a secluded place where they can lie for a while before you start to use them. You can also ask us for a delivery of packaging materials together with plastic boxes or cartons (those last – not used by other customer before).

Summing up

We recommend using common sense if you plan to give your private or office items or furniture for storage or are planning to move. We hope you find the above tips helpful. We are sure that compliance with at least some of them will increase your safety.

Many people are now wondering if giving away things or furniture for storage to an external warehouse is safe during coronavirus. Or, if you can and should now organize private or office removals.

As Więcej Miejsca, we value the health and safety of our employees, partners and customers who plan to move or store things or furniture in the near future. Therefore, we decided to calm you down a bit in this topic.

The good news is that the coronavirus doesn’t have to completely paralyze our lives and that you can move or store your belongings safely. If you decide to do so, however, you should take special precautions to protect the health of yours and your loved ones.

Więcej Miejsca – a storage room for things and furniture is still in operation. Moving with us is also possible.

We understand your situation. You did the apartment project a month ago and were planning to start the renovation soon. This involved storing things and furniture so that the work went smoothly and that you could return to your renovated “four corners” as soon as possible. Or you sold the apartment and a next step was a moving. Maybe you’re out of your current office lease, and with most people going to work remotely wherever possible, you don’t want to move anywhere now and the only option is office and furniture storage, offered by companies such as Więcej Miejsca.

In such and similar situations, you are wondering if it is worth it and if you can move anywhere from home or invite anybody to your space.

Yes you can. If you want to start renovation and you use the help of architects, you can use them to remotely check using electronic tools how the work is progressing. Or ask a member of the renovation team to make progress videos for you. You don’t have to go to this apartment every day, just set a day for yourself on the weekend when nobody is there. Thus, you also have the opportunity to put your belongings for storage. You can also move your stuff to a new apartment or office (even if you won’t work there immediately). The good news is that there is no need to cancel all the plans that took you so much time (and probably stress), which was related to conducting the necessary arrangements related to finding the right companies, such as Więcej Miejsca, to carry out orders!

If you decide on such a move, you should especially take care of hygiene and cleanliness of yourself and the environment. Below are some basic tips that will increase your safety during scheduled collection of your items for storage or removals during coronavirus.

Keep a safe distance

Regardless of the current situation with coronavirus, keeping a distance from other people is always an important issue for your health. Of course, you should not go to extremes, but be aware of the danger and keep at least 1.5m safe distance from other people.

Wash your hands often

When packing your things, which you plan to give for storage, or in connection with moving, you will frequently need to wash your hands with warm water and soap. Regardless of whether you do it yourself or use the help of movers of a company such as ours, you should still care about hygiene.

Remember not to touch your face or mouth when packing or disassembling furniture. Soap and water will not always be at hand, but you must be aware of your movements.

Wear gloves and face mask

If you go outside, you can see people wearing gloves and masks nowadays, for example, when they go to a shop. So when packing your belongings it is also worth to practice that behavior. Also, when moving, if you use the help of an external company, it will not look strange, if you wear a face mask. Ask the movers of the company that helps you to do the same.

Wearing gloves and face masks is a great way to prevent the spread of viruses and germs. When you move or store your belongings, you will touch many different things and interact with people outside your everyday environment. Thus, protection with gloves and masks is a very good idea to protect yourself, your relatives but also employees of an moving or storage company, against the COVID-19 coronavirus. And also not to transfer any germs to the new apartment or office.

Find out if the movers carrying out the order for you are healthy

You may be moving only some furniture and not all your belongings, because you want to donate some or get rid of some. You may also want to give for storage just a few things from your apartment and not immediately each furniture with wardrobe contents. Doesn’t matter – you should ask about the state of health of movers who will participate in the order.

Coronavirus is a very contagious disease, especially since it also has an incubation period. The health consciousness of the team that will help you is very important.

Resign from the order, if you don’t feel well

If you don’t feel well, contact a company that is to help you with moving or storage service and tell about it. The sooner the better. The most important thing for you is to be healthy and safe. You can always set a different date for picking up your belongings for storage or private or office removals. Let the company know if you or anyone in your family has recently experienced coronavirus symptoms. Transparency is very important for ensuring the security of all parties.

Summing up

As a responsible company offering door-to-door storage of things and furniture and comprehensive private or office removals, Więcej Miejsca is aware of the seriousness of the COVID-19 coronavirus threat. However, we know that by following special procedures and precautions that we implement ourselves, we can help you with moving or storing belongings, if you have such a need and you are not able to postpone the date. During an epidemic, however, common sense is important, so that all parties involved can go through the process as comfortably and safely as possible.