With some restrictions lifting and travel opening up, people are beginning to look at moving again, some even out-of-state. However navigating the move can be incredibly challenging, especially as there are still restrictions in place in many states. We’re going to outline a few guidelines today to help navigate moving through states.
Moving Into Maine
The State of Maine has a great FAQ for visitors that can be applied to people moving or planning to move. A basic breakdown of the current restrictions/allowances are:
- Visitors and Maine residences coming in from most states must either:
- Getting a recent negative COVID-19 test. -or-
- Maintaining Compliance with a 14-Day self-quarantine upon arrival in Maine.
- Visitors from New Hampshire and Vermont or Mainers returning from these states are exempt from these requirements.
- These restrictions may change as potential outbreaks may affect these. Everyone is highly encouraged to get a test before traveling and check for updates whether or not you are required to do so.
With these things in mind, if you are planning to move into Maine (or other states with similar restrictions), you want to keep these things in mind as far as travel goes.
Remote Viewing
With many states adopting similar restrictions to the ones listed above, you will want to consider how this might affect your moving process. If you are planning on moving to state with an extended self-quarantine upon arrival, you might want to consider using remote viewing options when house shopping. You can reach out to a local real estate agent to start curating some homes based on your needs and desires, as they can give you expert advice on the area. An agent can also preview homes for you to help answer any questions pictures and videos can’t.
Quarantine Lodging
You can also look into short-term/medium-term rentals to give you the time to quarantine in the area before shopping for homes. Many short-term rentals and hotels that are normally geared towards tourist season and resort locations are offering special rates and services during these times to accommodate people staying in quarantine. Some are even offering reduced rates for medium-term and long-term limits if you want to give you and your family more time to settle in and find the right home in your new area.
Moving Storage & Other Considerations
If you need to utilize a moving company, check out the tips we offer in this blog , and also take a look at what storage options they have to offer. With quarantines in place, it may take more time to officially move into a new home, so consider the costs of monthly storage rates along with lodging in a new area. Make sure to do some research into having meals and groceries delivered during the quarantine, and make sure you have plenty of safety supplies on hand like hand sanitizers and masks. Transferring of utilities is generally handled without anyone having to come on site, but internet/ tv/ phone may require an installer to come out. Try to schedule this well in advance of your arrival to avoid having someone need to enter your home while you self-quarantine.
Reminder: Be Flexible
As much as planning ahead can help mitigate many issues, it’s important to understand that at any point in your home buying and selling process, someone may fall ill or be inadvertently exposed to COVID-19. This not only includes people in your own family, but your buyers and sellers as well during this process. Timelines can easily be moved out, which is why having all parties signing the new COVID-19 Addendum to any contract can be incredibly helpful to protect all parties and handle it extensions automatically.
You can always each out to the experts at the Real Estate Store to find out more about real estate!
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