Millions Moved During Covid, Here’s How That’s Working Out

Publish Date: July 7, 2021

Last Modified Date: September 15, 2021

Tags: Tags: covid, covid statistics, covid stories, covid vaccine, hireahelper, migration, migration patterns, movers, moving, moving during covid, moving stories, pandemic, pandemic moving, stimulus check, vaccination rates, vaccine

While lockdowns kept us in one place during the COVID pandemic, many Americans still moved during this global crisis—many, because of it.

Among those surveyed who moved in 2020, 25% report their move was due in some part to the pandemic, per the HireAHelper American Migration Report. Respondents say their reasons for moving varied, from financial hardships, to downsizing their living arrangements, to a growing need to look after their families.

While we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, the U.S. appears to be on a path to recovery. Many Americans are choosing to get vaccinated (though the percentages remain alarmingly skewed by political affiliation), lockdowns and mask mandates have lifted in many communities, and employees are returning to previously closed worksites.

Looking back over the span of the pandemic thus far, how have so-called “pandemic moves” worked out for those who made them?

To find out, HireAHelper spoke to people who moved during the pandemic to get a closer look at the unique obstacles and opportunities that drove their decisions to move.

The Challenges of Deciding to Move During COVID

A pandemic hardly creates the ideal circumstances for a dream move. Those who moved due to situations caused by COVID were slightly more likely to have regrets about their move (31%) compared to those who moved for other reasons (30%). (See the data here.)

But while there were many reported negatives to moving in 2020, it’s not all regrets, either. People reported many ways the pandemic changed the landscape of their lives overnight, including ways that introduced new pressures, challenges, and obstacles—as well as rare and fortuitous opportunities.

The Tense Household Relationships

As lockdowns took effect, many households reported their living arrangements were thrown into chaos and upheaval.

College students and adult children moved back in with their parents. Parents of young children struggled without child care. Couples who were now working from home together suddenly had to navigate being officemates, as well as roommates and partners.

“Among those surveyed who moved in 2020, 25% report their move was due in some part to the pandemic.”

“I wasn’t doing well at home in quarantine,” admits Darlena Phan, a 26-year-old accountant. She and her fiance were living with her parents in order to save money. This placed them in Huntington Beach, CA when the government COVID lockdowns began. “Not sure why, but the family dynamics really deteriorated and I couldn’t stand being around my parents 24/7 anymore.”

Darlena and her fiance had been saving towards a down payment to buy a home in 2022. But these new family conflicts pushed the couple to consider sliding their move date up, despite their unreadiness.

Others found their partnerships were struggling to bear the new pressures of pandemic living. Dating site Dating.com reports that two-thirds of its current users experienced a breakup in 2020.

Dannie Fountain, an HR professional living in Chicago, began the lockdowns living with her then-partner. But the mounting pressures and stress associated with the pandemic led the romantic partnership to “implode,” Dannie says. By May 2020, the relationship was over, and Dannie was forced into actively searching for her own place.

Reported Uncertainty Around Work Arrangements

Moving during the COVID-19 pandemic also meant making big work decisions—without the usual information needed to do so.

Those considering a move reported having to navigate unclear remote work policies, worries about furloughs and layoffs, and even uncertainties around unemployment benefits.

With work and living arrangements disrupted and thrown up in the air, people considering a move were left to make that decision based on nothing more than guesswork.

Maxwell and Steph Miller had long wanted to move out of Utah to a more progressive state, where they hoped to also buy a home. When Maxwell’s job as a web developer transitioned into a work-from-home position, they saw an opportunity to finally make the move of their dreams: relocating to the northwest, to Vancouver, WA.

“Her breaking point came after a ‘huge’ Halloween party another tenant held in the courtyard, with no masks and counter to citywide safety precautions.

‘I needed to leave the apartment to go grocery shopping, and literally had to walk by at least 20 people in close-body contact,’ she says.”

But while Maxwell’s employer committed to remaining remote through summer 2021, the work-from-home policy was still temporary with no permanent exceptions. This complicated the home buying process for the Millers when their loan was outright denied due to the company’s unclear policy.

“Everything about this move has been out on a limb,” Maxwell says. “There have been no guarantees.” Though the couple was able to secure lending to buy their townhome shortly thereafter, there remains a chance Maxwell’s employer could end its remote policy—leaving him looking for a new job in a new city.

Fountain faced similar frustrations when shopping for an apartment after her breakup. Her employer now operated remotely, and originally planned to be back in-office by July 2020. Because of the open-ended remote work policy, Dannie prioritized commutability when searching for an apartment—even though she has not been required to return to the office since.

COVID Safety Concerns and Measures

Of course, much of the impact of the pandemic was related to the virus itself, and the safety concerns it introduced. Among those surveyed who moved due to COVID in 2020, 13% reported being spurred on by feeling unsafe in their current locations due to the spread of COVID.

It was this feeling of unsafety that led Fountain to her second Covid-related move—just six months after her first. As a young professional, she had chosen a cohabitated apartment complex with a private room, yet shared common spaces.

Within a few weeks of moving in, however, Dannie realized her complex was not enforcing COVID safety regulations. Due to this, she often felt uncomfortable leaving her room to use the shared living spaces, unsure if she could maintain a safe distance from roommates, or if the rooms were being properly sanitized.

Her breaking point came after a “huge” Halloween party another tenant held in the courtyard, with no masks and counter to citywide safety precautions. “I needed to leave the apartment to go grocery shopping, and literally had to walk by at least 20 people in close-body contact,” she says.

Dannie complained to the property managers and was told there was nothing they could do. She decided it was time to look for a new, safer situation—she found a new apartment by November 2020, months later.

The Hidden Opportunities of Moving During COVID-19

Dannie, Darlena and Maxwell all expressed that moving during COVID was more stressful. But this crisis also opened up rare opportunities to achieve their goals, including moving to their dream locations, or buying their first homes.

While the economy as a whole struggled in 2020, many individual households reported being financially healthy during the pandemic. Stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits boosted some households’ cash savings. On top of that, historically low interest rates on homeownership in America made this a prime time to get a mortgage, while many housing markets offered previously unheard-of deals on rental rates.

Fountain dreamed of living in a specific, well-located, higher-end apartment complex in Chicago. But with studio apartments leasing for $3,000 per month within this complex, it was simply outside her budget, pre-pandemic.

After her first COVID move, however, Dannie decided to check again and discovered the rental rates of this apartment complex had dropped 60% to just $1,200 a month. Thrilled, Dannie signed a lease—and her dream apartment became her reality.

For Darlena Phan and her fiance, low mortgage rates made it possible to buy their first home in Riverside, CA earlier than planned. “We only had 10% down, but we calculated that we would save more money with the lower interest rate than (by) avoiding (private mortgage insurance),” she points out.

Government stimulus checks helped boost Maxwell and Steph’s savings, and new remote work policies made it possible for them to qualify for a mortgage without switching jobs. Combined, these unique circumstances gave the Millers room to plan and pay for their move across state lines, a situation not possible before COVID-related policies.

The relocators we spoke to largely agreed that their decisions to move, even during COVID, were worth it. People moving by and large report that their COVID-timed move was a net positive; among those surveyed who moved during the past year, 82% say it improved their life for the better.

“It was 100% worth it because the cost of everything has simply gone up,” Maxwell admits. “If we hadn’t done it then, it would never have happened.”

Illustrations by Tara Jacoby

7 Embarrassing Lessons I Learned While Moving People

Author: Kevin The Mover

Publish Date: June 30, 2017

Last Modified Date: November 2, 2017

Category: Mover Stories

Tags: Tags: accidents, bubble wrap, cabinets, claims, dogs, furniture, insurance, movers, moving, moving stories, pressboard, professional movers, ratchet, uhaul, united, woodwork

Learning to be a good mover is not something you can get from a book. Like riding a bike, playing the piano and getting your black belt – like so many things, really – we all have to learn how to move stuff by going out to the job and getting to it.

And as with just about anything, it involves making mistakes.

This month I want to share with you seven lessons I learned during my earliest days on the job. Lessons learned both through the mistakes of others and through my own errors. They made me feel stupid and embarrassed, but nevertheless taught me things I needed to know if I wanted to stay on in this business.

#1. The nicer the furniture, the more likely you’ll damage it.

This isn’t some sort of karmic law. This is pure woodworking and physics.

The finest dressers and desks have drawers that slide out nice and smoothly – meaning you only need to tip that piece so far before gravity grabs hold of those drawers and start pulling them out and onto the floor. Quality furniture also (usually) means good, solid wood. And it’s heavy. Drawers will gain speed fast and hit the floor hard. Armoire doors, once they start to swing open, can come down so hard they put cracks in themselves; if they don’t bang against the floor, they can end up playing “irresistible force meets immovable object” with their hinges.

Yes, I’ve seen all this firsthand. A lot of it happened on a local move during my first week as a mover. I don’t know about the other guys on that crew, but that was the first and last time I let something like that happen.

Protip: Pad-wrapping items like dressers and armoires can obviously keep all those drawers and doors in place. So can a layer of shrink wrap. But if you prefer not to pad-wrap or shrink wrap those big pieces until you get them out the front door another option is using those big movers’ rubber bands, which are easy to put on, easy to adjust (by knotting up and tying off any slack) and totally economical since you can use them for years.

Extra advice: Gravity works on all kinds of furniture, not just the most expensive stuff!

#2. Sitting in the passenger seat does not mean you get to take a break from helping.

Unfortunately, one guy I worked with didn’t seem to understand this. “Watch that side,” I told him as I began backing half-blind into a slot between two other box trucks. “Aw-right,” he said, glancing lazily at the side view mirror before letting his eyes glaze back over.

I suppose it was my fault. I shouldn’t have taken it for granted that he was going to keep watching that side for me and warn me when I was about to sideswipe the truck parked on his side. Which, of course, he didn’t. And he didn’t get socked with a bill for the damage either.

Protip: This “help your driver” rule is always in effect on the road, because so are blind spots. When your driver is pulling up to the curb along a tree-lined residential street, pay attention not only to how close the tires are getting to the curb, but also how close the top of the truck might be coming to any big fat tree branches. Trust me, tree branches can do some serious damage.

#3. Don’t blindly trust a dog or its owner.

“He’s real friendly,” the customer with the mixed-breed said. “But I’ll put him out back so he doesn’t get in your way.” That seemed fair enough to all of us.

He was a quiet pup, actually, and after a while, I’d totally forgotten about him. I figure so did one of the other guys by the time he went out back to take care of the patio chairs. From the living room was where I heard the barking and the shouting, and I was walking through the kitchen when my fellow mover busted through the back door, cussing and bleeding in three places.

Protip: Quiet dogs are still dogs. With teeth.

#4. If you put things out of the way, remember where you put them.

After moving non-stop for six hours, our three-man crew was finally done with the unload. All we had to do was have the customer sign off on the inventory sheets.

“Looks like we’re missing something, fellas,” he said, showing us the lone unchecked box on his bingo sheet.

On the inventory, it just said “screw box” – which was exactly what I wanted to do. But the four of us – the crew plus the customer – spent the next half an hour looking for a screw box, not sure what one was even supposed to look like. Walking through the garage a fourth time, I looked over at the customer’s big old rolling tool chest and the sliding compartment doors at the bottom. Inside, to everyone’s relief, was a small PBO half-filled with nuts and bolts and washers and flanges and… yup. Screws.

Protip: Keep sticky notes and a marker in your pocket for anything that needs special denotation. That way, an out of the way item will be clearly visible and explained. A lot can be forgotten during a five-hour move, trust me.

#5. Pressboards can’t really be pressed.

During my first week as a mover, I was introduced to a pressboard entertainment unit in the customer’s living room. It held a big TV, stereo equipment, a VCR (this was 1996). When we got it cleared off and picked it up, it immediately started to wobble. I could feel the thing getting progressively looser as the lead guy and I eased it as best we could down the apartment building’s stairwell.

Out on the truck, the lead guy pulled out something called a ratchet strap. There I learned that when you introduce a ratchet strap to a piece of pressboard furniture, the ratchet strap will waste no time crushing that piece of pressboard furniture to pieces.

Protip: When confronted with a piece of pressboard furniture, give the customer two choices: a piece of paper called a Pressboard (Particle Board) Waiver that releases the moving company from liability for damage to a piece of furniture that shouldn’t be moved, or a piece of paper that says “FREE”. Read this discussion on MovingScam.com for more on particle/pressboard waivers.

#6. You know that the name is painted on the side of the truck, right?

One day, one of my fellow crew guys and I were asked to go help another van line agency handle a job in Manhattan. My buddy and I sat in the cramped space behind them, our knees pinned against our chests for the 90-minute ride into the city.

Granted, driving in Manhattan can suck. Driving a 26’ box truck around Manhattan is brutal. It takes patience. It takes nerves of steel. Our driver for the day had neither.

At one point there were three lanes being squeezed into two. New Yorkers generally have a grasp of the concept of merging though evidently, they don’t seem to like it. And, well, the driver let everybody on that ride know from out the window.

Protip: Most people on the road can both hear you AND read the name on the side of your truck.

#7. Shrink wrap comes in rolls, but you can’t reroll it.

“Hand me that shrink wrap, Kevin,” my buddy said from the back door of the box truck. Hands full (with what I don’t remember) I gave the shrink wrap at my feet a push with my boot and sent it rolling across the floor of the truck toward my buddy – and the boss, who had just materialized out of nowhere.

“Don’t EVER do that!” he barked in his usual intimidating way.” You know how much a roll of that stuff costs? You get one little rock in that plastic and the entire roll is shot! Where’s your head?!”

I wouldn’t say the whole entire roll would be shot. I wouldn’t say anything – not to that guy’s face. But he was right. Get even a small nick or cut or bit of debris in that plastic and it’ll drive you nuts the way it comes apart next time you try to use it. Money down the drain.

Protip: When someone asks you to hand them the shrink wrap, do just that.

Got any of your own lessons to share?

We know some of you have been around a while – long enough to have some good stories of your own about the hard lessons you’ve learned. We’d love for you to share them, so all of us can learn the easy way what you guys have learned the hard way.

Which brings me to one final tip.

Admit your mistakes. Spell them out to your team when they happen. This way you’ll be helping people avoid doing the same thing down the road.

Illustrations by Marlowe Dobbe

Inventory Sheets Legally Keep You From Losing Your Stuff on a Move. Here’s How to Use Them

Author: Kevin The Mover

Publish Date: June 20, 2017

Last Modified Date: June 20, 2017

Category: Moving Checklists & Planning

Tags: Tags: claims, cp, damages, diy, hybrid move, insurance, inventory, inventory sheets, lost stuff, mcu, mover stories, movers, moving, Moving Checklist, moving claims, moving stories, packing, pbo, professional movers

Among the many pieces of paperwork that a full-service mover will ask you to sign is a piece of paper called a “Household Goods Descriptive Inventory”. It’s more commonly known as an Inventory Sheet, and it’s basically an itemized list of everything the movers are transporting for you, from your furniture to your boxes to every last golf club, garden tool and garbage can in the shed.

We know, you hardly have time to search for a coffee filter, let alone make a list of every single thing you own. But why is writing all that stuff down so important before the movers haul it away?

You Probably Want Your Stuff Back

On move day, before the rest of the crew starts carrying your stuff out the door, the lead person or someone else who knows the drill will be going around putting numbered stickers on everything and writing a description of each item on the corresponding numbered line on the “IS”. So if you make one, you’ll get a copy of that inventory sheet – or more likely several inventory sheets – and when your stuff is delivered you’ll check off each numbered item as it comes off the truck. Armed with your inventory sheets, you can make sure everything is there.

Here’s what happens on a move with completed paperwork.

Example #1: Your movers have emptied the truck, everything is moved in and accounted for according to the inventories. You and the mover both sign each IS as documentation that all items have been received.

Example #2: Once the movers have emptied the truck, you find that one item on your inventory sheets has not been checked off. You and your movers search high and low for the item (because you both want to find it!), but it is nowhere to be found. Near the bottom of the IS you will write very clearly which item is missing, then you and the mover both sign off on the paperwork. (Make sure to keep a copy!) This is your documentation for filing a claim for your missing item.

Inventory Sheets Also Keep Track of the Condition of Your Stuff

Nobody wants to end up with a scratched and dinged up dining room table. Likewise, your movers don’t want to be held responsible for any scratches and dings that were already in that table. A special column on the inventory sheet, where your movers can record any existing damage, serves as a safeguard for both of you.

Example #1: If your dining room table is all scratched up upon delivery, but those scratches are documented on the inventory sheet as already existing when the movers came to move you, you cannot hold your mover falsely accountable.

Example #2: If there is any discrepancy between the condition of your dining room table as recorded on the IS with the condition of that table when it gets delivered, you’ll have the legal evidence and documentation you need to get reimbursed for the damage. Describe clearly the new damage in the “Remarks/Exceptions” box, then take pictures of the damage as further proof. (These pictures can also help your moving company determine whether to repair or replace the item.)

It’s Important to Prepare Ahead of Your Move

It’s hardly practical to follow your mover around to witness every notation they make on every inventory sheet and to check every box, every piece of furniture and every loose item in your garage. Go ahead and try if you like, but I bet you’ll drive both yourself and your mover crazy.

Instead, be proactive before the move. On the day of your relocation, check your furniture, your appliances, your bookcases and your bicycle. The actual paper itself is pretty straight forward: Just plainly denote any significant scratches, gouges and dings. Then point them out to your inventory taker. Seeing how you are paying attention, they’ll be inclined to do more of the same.

On packing: If you’re doing your own packing, keep track of how many boxes you have. Number them as you label them with what is inside. Make a rough list of your boxes if you like, noting what size or kind each box is. Such a list may not amount to a legal document but you can use it to make sure your mover has the same number of boxes listed on their official inventory sheets.

Finally, familiarize yourself with a typical IS, including the most common abbreviations movers use when taking inventory:

PBO – a box that was packed by the owner, i.e., you
CP – a box that was packed by the mover, i.e., the carrier
MCU – Mechanical Condition Unknown, to prevent false claims by the customer that something “was working before I moved.”

For a good example, take a good look at this standard Household Goods Descriptive Inventory form:

The inventory sheet is your best (and perhaps only) friend if something gets lost or damaged. Make sure you are well-acquainted – both before and after your mover fills it out – before it’s finally time to sign off at the bottom.