Moving Trends 2020: The Viral Impact of COVID-19 on the Moving Industry

The year of 2020 started very promising for the U.S. moving industry, with an ever increasing number of people looking for high-quality moving services, both local and cross-country. 

Moving experts were filled with a healthy dose of optimism that 2020 was going to be a strong year for the relocation industry. And yet, nobody could have possibly predicted what was about to happen next.

And then, out of the blue, there came COVID-19 – unexpected, uninvited, and unwanted.

On 21 January, the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the United States appeared in Washington State where a man in his 30s developed COVID-19 symptoms after getting back from a trip to Wuhan – the capital of Hubei Province in China. 

Later, on February 6 and February 17, officials in Santa Clara County, California discovered the earliest known victims of the coronavirus in the U.S.

Now months later, the novel coronavirus is still a mournful part of our lives and there’s no telling how long it will continue to affect us and the world around us. 

There’s no doubt that 2020 – the Year of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac cycle – has compelled us all to make radical changes in our everyday lives in order to adapt to the newly-created environment. 

But it isn’t just us, the people. In reality, every industry has also had to change the way they conduct their business in order to survive. And the moving industry is no exception. 

How Covid-19 has changed the moving industry in 2020: Adaptation

Moving companies had to adapt to the new reality, and do it QUICKLY as a means to stay alive – that is, to stay in business. Effectively, they had to introduce a new set of safety measures to keep their staff and their customers safe without lowering the quality of the moving services they offer.   

As the great Charles Darwin once said,

“It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.”

Find below some of the measures that professional moving companies have adopted in 2020 in order to fight the coronavirus pandemic:

Social distancing

Health authorities have urged people to keep a minimal distance of 6 feet from anyone else to minimize the risk of getting infected with Covid-19 via virus droplets. This is known as social distancing (aka physical distancing) and it’s affected our daily routine in a big way.

As a safety measure, moving companies are now asking their customers NOT to take part in the move itself. On Moving day, all non-professionals are requested to either stay isolated in a room away from the packing and moving action, or leave the home altogether during the move. 

But why? It’s close to impossible for people to respect the social distancing rule when there are movers in their house, especially when their precious belongings are being handled by strangers at that same moment. 

Either way, clients are to keep their mobile phones with them at all times in case the movers wish to contact them for additional information or want to ask them any important questions. 

Also, whenever clients choose to pack their things by themselves, moving companies are urging those individuals to be 100% ready by Moving day, with everything packed up and ready for transport. That way, when professional movers arrive in a home, they won’t need to stay in close contact with folks who are just about to pack their last boxes. 

Virtual cost estimates

Before COVID-19 appeared on the scene and took center stage, moving companies had a set way of doing things – they would visit a client’s home for an on-site survey of the things to be packed and move, as well as of the possible risks on Moving day itself – risks and dangers such as steep and narrow staircases, sharp corners, tight hallways, small doorways, etc. 

Moving experts would also provide their customers with a cost estimate, in writing, and then end the in-home visit with a friendly handshake. 

Now, due to the requirement for minimizing the contact between movers and clients, most moving companies have started providing virtual quotes – cost estimates done over the Internet without the need for moving companies representatives to be present in the flesh at the location for the moving cost estimation process. 

To ensure that their moving cost estimates are precise, the best moving companies in the country request that their customers give them a virtual tour of the home with the help of specialized video communication tools. 

All move-related paperwork can now be signed virtually too, without any risk of COVID-19 contamination by touching contaminated paper and pens. 

Better to be safe than sorry

The pandemic has pressured moving companies to be extra-vigilant in the fight to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Now they must clean and sanitize their trucks and moving equipment regularly, both before loading and after unloading.

Also, movers are required to wear protective masks and gloves at all times during their work.

The main focus when moving house in 2020 is safety, safety for clients and movers alike. After all, people who are looking for professional moving services have to be confident that the movers they hire know how to create a safe working environment and will take all necessary precautions to minimize the risk of infection with COVID-19. 

How to move home during the coronavirus outbreak

How COVID-19 is changing the moving industry in 2020: Stats

It’s obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the U.S. moving industry in a big way. Here’s how that is being done:

Decreased demand for moving services: LOCKDOWN

It was around the middle of March when U.S. citizens were ordered to stay indoors as statewide stay-at-home orders started being issued by the authorities. There’s little surprise then that during that month, the number of people looking for professional moving services has dropped by 31.48% compared to the same period in 2019.

Throughout April the situation has remained relatively the same, with fewer Americans searching for reputable moving companies than in April 2019 – a drop of 27.1% that reflects the precariously complicated situation that people have faced during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic. And that’s perfectly understandable as you can’t really move places when you’re in lockdown.

Renewed demand for moving services: OUT OF LOCKDOWN

Once the imposed statewide restrictions have started to ease in late April and May, many Americans have felt compelled to get away from the big and densely-populated cities and move to the suburbs or move to the country where it’s easier to practice social distancing. Safety has become the top priority for everyone and many people have concluded that the big city lifestyle is not safe enough for them and their children.

Following the huge percentage drop of people wanting to hire professional movers in March and April, May and June saw Americans searching for moving services with renewed vigor and determination, thus catching up with last year’s move percentage.

Interestingly enough, during that period of gradually easing the COVID-19 restrictions, the visits to MyMovingReviews – one of the most trusted moving reviews websites and online portals for finding, researching, and booking the best moving companies in the country – spiked by more than 130%, thus mirroring the eager desire of many to relocate to a safer place.

The BLOG section of MyMovingReviews, full to the brim with useful packing tips, practical moving advice, and detailed moving checklists – has experienced an unprecedented rise in the number of visits as well. It all goes to show that many Americans have been preparing to move out – gathering useful move-related information and researching movers – as soon as they are allowed to do so.

Moves by size: Commercial moves on the rise

When it comes to the number of moves per home size for 2020, the statistical data show that things remain quite similar to the previous year. Still, it’s obvious that studio moves have been on the rise this year, possibly due to the fact that more and more people decide to move out of their studio apartments, thus leaving the big cities and relocating to the suburbs or moving to the country where they can get a larger home for the same money.

2020 has seen a drastic rise in commercial moves – an increase of 94.47% compared to 2019. The logic behind this seemingly surprising piece of statistics is this: due to the pandemic, many companies have had to let their employees work remotely from their homes in order to minimize the risk of infection with COVID-19 (social distancing).

And so, with fewer or no people in the offices, many corporations have chosen to either downsize their office spaces or relocate their business activities away from the big cities in an attempt to cut costs (cheaper rent and less corporate expenses) and create a safer environment for their workers (less densely populated areas).

Bye, bye, Big-City Life

There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has made a huge impact on the U.S. moving and storage industry in 2020 and there are strong indicators that it will continue to be a major factor in 2021 as well. One of the most obvious moving trends in 2020 is the mass exodus from big cities to smaller towns and communities where it’s believed to be safer to live in, and hopefully, work from.

Many people are no longer confined to the big city where their job is, and many companies are reassessing their view on working from home.

That’s right, big cities have experienced the largest outmigration – the top outbound city in 2020 is New York City, followed by Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C, and Philadelphia.

Due to the lockdown period that has forced people to stay indoors with minimum interaction with other individuals outside their household, the number of interstate moves has dropped by 11.58% compared to 2019. Similarly, the number of local moves has decreased by 13.63% but it’s gradually gaining up ground on the 2019 numbers.

Pros and Cons of Moving to the Country

Where’s everybody moving to?

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 has been an exceptional year, setting up unprecedented moving industry trends that may never replicate again in the future. However, the stats that have remained fairly unchanged throughout the year are the top destination states Americans have chosen to move to.

Just like in 2019, the top U.S. states that have attracted the most people this year are Florida, Texas, and California. In a surprising move, Georgia has managed to snatch the 4th place from New York, with North Carolina, Arizona, Illinois, Washington, and Colorado completing the top 10 U.S. destinations in 2020.

California – Texas still dominates all state-to-state moving routes within the country, followed closely by New York – Florida and New York – California. So, despite the novel population migration patterns that have emerged this year, the top 3 moving routes remain unchanged for a second year in a row.

Top 3 moving dates in 2020

Earlier this year, the COVID-19 lockdown has slowed down the moving industry to a halt. And because of that temporary safety measure, the busiest dates of the year in terms of household moves have been pushed forward by a few months.

And here’s exactly how that happened:

• In 2019, the busiest day of the year for the moving industry was June 1. In 2020, this prestigious title goes to August 1. As you can see, that’s a shift forward with exactly 2 months!
• In 2019, the second-busiest day of the year was May 31. This year, the second place goes to… September 1. Now that’s 3 entire months off the charted course.
• In 2019, the third-busiest day for moving house was July 1. In 2020, the honorable third place goes to September 30, which is way off the beaten relocation track.

Moving trends 2020, 2021, and beyond: A leap into the unknown

No one knows with any degree of certainty what will happen next – COVID-19 has turned things upside down and has made it impossible to make accurate predictions about how the coronavirus pandemic will affect the U.S. moving industry in the final few months of 2020 and at the start of 2021.

Nevertheless, the moving statistics of 2020 have indeed revealed some unique trends and unusual tendencies that should continue to blaze the relocation trail.  

• Unless they find themselves in temporary lockdowns, Americans will continue to move places as the pursuit of happiness cannot and should not be stopped.
• Responsible individuals will continue to practice social distancing when moving to another home until the novel coronavirus crisis is over.
• Most people will only trust moving companies that have implemented all COVID-19 safety measures: virtual estimates, physical distancing, frequent disinfection of moving trucks and moving equipment, protective face masks and gloves, and so on.
• Safety will continue to be the number one priority during each and every move, regardless of whether that move is residential or commercial. The best moving companies in the country will do whatever it takes to guarantee the physical and mental wellbeing of both their moving personnel and their clients.
• Moving companies will have to show an unusual degree of flexibility when working during a pandemic: having backup plans in place, adjusting their budgets, and modifying their practices as an adequate response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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