COVID-19 Influencing Our Reasons For Moving

COVID-19 has changed our daily routines and influenced decisions on lifestyle. We are re-evaluating who we want to live and who we want to spend time with.

Reasons for Moving During COVID-19

We asked our customers in a post-move survey if the pandemic affected their decision to move. Of those customers who moved, since COVID began, 15% cited COVID-19 as a contributing factor in their decision to move. The top reasons for deciding to move included:

• To move closer to family
• Personal and family health and well-being
• Change in employment status or work arrangement
• Lifestyle change/quality of life

Many customers see the pandemic as an opportunity to make a significant life change.  Customers shared interesting insights as they reflected on their reasons to move: 

COVID made us realize that living closer to family outweighs weather and the cost of living. Working from home for an extended period of time allowed us to make the move.

Kristen T. Moved from Tampa, FL, to New Haven, CT 

COVID-19 expedited a goal of ours to find a healthier work/life balance and to co-locate between complimentary cities.

Ryan B. moving from Boston, MA, to Washington, D.C. 

Being alone, away from family made me realize how much I miss them and need to be near them in times of crisis.

Julie B. moving from New Orleans, LA, to Mountain View, CO 

People also appear to be reevaluating their work environment since the onset of COVID-19. Now more than ever, the opportunity to work remotely, (and we mean from anywhere!) is a viable, sustainable option for companies and their employees.

Consequently, the freedom to work remotely may be inspiring commuters to redefine where “home” is. Employees may no longer be required to seek housing in the cities where the cost of living is so significant and not sustainable. In addition, advanced video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Skype have made it easy and affordable for companies to continue to conduct business on a global scale. 

Living expenses in a high-rise condo, homeowner association fees, real estate taxes, and other ‘big city expenses’ were not giving us value due to COVID. We moved back to Michigan where there is a lower cost of living.

Bill & Carol B. Moving from Chicago, IL, to Grand Haven, MI 

Given the remote environment and projected vision of remote working conditions, our family opted to move out of the city to a beach location with a smaller footprint and less stressful/busy community.

Sam D. moving from Dallas, TX, to Pass Christian, MS 

To that, the ever-evolving employment landscape played a substantial role in our customers’ COVID-related moves with many claiming that a change in employment status or work arrangement influenced their decision to move.

I could not find a job where I was because many places were not hiring due to COVID. I had to expand my search to out of state.

Karen W. moving from Denver, CO, to Tucson, AZ

“Now that my husband and I are both remote, we had the flexibility to finally leave New York City. We also needed more space for our toddler.”

Jaime G. moving from Brooklyn, NY, to Hartford, CT 

What are You Waiting for? Make Your Move.

Since the onset of COVID-19, have you considered moving closer to family or to a place that offers you a healthier, more relaxed lifestyle?

If you are planning a move during the COVID-19 outbreak or have already secured a move date with a professional moving company, you may want to consider some additional actions to help support a safe move.

Find out more with our Top 10 Tips for Moving Safely During COVID-19.