Moving COVID guide: Is moving house essential travel?
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- 02nd Feb 21
Moving house is stressful enough at the best of times, so moving house in lockdown becomes an even scarier prospect. With the situation changing from day to day, and the government’s use of a tier system, you wouldn’t be blamed for being confused about whether moving house counts as essential travel, and who can move house during lockdown? The good news is that moving house during lockdown is possible across all tiers, and you can find out how the process has changed using our guide below.
Is moving house allowed during lockdown?
Moving house is viewed as a valid excuse to travel. However, moving house during lockdown does mean that you will have to adhere to the relevant safety measures in your area. This covers obvious measures like wearing a face mask and keeping socially distanced, but also affects the moving process in other specific ways.
Moving house is much more virtual than before. With open house viewings ruled out, you are encouraged to instead have virtual viewings to narrow down options before visiting favorites in person. For example, you can take video tours of our developments near Greater London, giving you an in-depth look at the property you are buying. Once you are confident about buying a home and want to arrange a visit, it is crucial that you wash your hands regularly and maintain social distancing inside the property. If you are selling your own home before moving out, you should also leave this as clean as possible, while potentially vacating the premises for interested homebuyers.
Who can move during lockdown?
With the country split into different tiers, it is key that you know how moving house will be affected during lockdown, whether you are moving house in tier 3 or 4. Fortunately, if you are in the process of moving house, lockdown will not prevent your move. The government line on moving home actually remains similar across all tiers - it is still possible to complete a move, albeit with slight differences depending on where you live:
- If you are moving house in tier 2 or 3, you can mix with another household as long as you are in the same social bubble. This means that it is possible to view a house with someone outside of your household, albeit while keeping your distance.
- If you are moving house in tier 4, where there is no household mixing permitted indoors. In this case, you should not seek help from someone outside of your household - unless absolutely necessary EG if you are from a vulnerable group
The rules with the biggest implications for moving house are those regarding travel and household mixing. Moving home is deemed an essential reason for travel in any tier, which makes it possible for you to hire a removal firm to help out. You are also advised to refrain from using the same vehicle as an estate agent or removals worker, and making your own way to and from a property. Need help with your move? Our ‘MOVE’ area has all the information to ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible.
Ultimately, as long as you are happy to adhere to safety measures throughout the process, moving house during COVID-19 doesn’t have to be a difficult experience. It may not feel like the move-in you expected, but it is still possible to move into your dream home while staying safe.