In principle, there hasn’t been a ban on house moves at any point during the lockdown in Germany. Removal companies are working more or less “normally”, whilst adhering to the social-distancing and hygiene rules. As you would expect, their employees wear gloves and a face covering; where possible, they use several vehicles to reduce the risk of infection; and the removal trucks are disinfected at regular intervals.
Restrictions on moving home during lockdown
However, there are some rules that can have a major impact. One such example is the 15-kilometre radius imposed on 11.01.2021 for regions with case rates of 200 or more per 100,000 people. Even though every German city and district has now dropped below this case rate, it is impossible to know if things will stay this way in future. If your new place of residence should then lie outside the 15-kilometre radius, you may require an official permit for your move. However, it is safe to assume that moving home will always represent “reasonable grounds” for an exception to the restrictions on movement.
Another factor to consider – especially if you are in a clinically vulnerable group but have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 – is the risk of infection you face by coming into contact with the employees of the removal company. Ultimately, the risk is neither greater nor lesser than when coming into contact with other people. And you can minimise the risk by adhering to the usual social-distancing and hygiene measures as far as possible.
What would make your move impossible, however, is if you were actually to become infected with coronavirus, or were placed in quarantine by the health authorities. Given that you are not allowed to leave your home under those circumstances, you would generally have no other choice but to postpone your move.
It is better to move now than wait for the end of the pandemic
If you are unhappy with your current living situation, there is little point in delaying making a change. Instead, you would be better off making use of this time, which you may have more of now than later. Tackle the sale of your current property, the search for a new home and your move as speedily as possible! As at any other point in time, the best thing to do here is to seek out the support of an experienced estate agent. They will ensure that every stage of the process runs smoothly, without you having to take care of everything yourself.
Are you considering selling your current property and moving into a larger or smaller place? Get in touch with us! We are happy to advise you.
Not found what you are looking for:
https://www.antenne.com/niedersachsen/tipps_und_service/verbrauchertipps/Umzug-w%C3%A4hrend-Corona-id490116.html
https://www.merkur.de/leben/wohnen/corona-massnahmen-lockdown-umzug-helfer-freunde-verwandte-kontaktbeschraenkungen-umzugsunternehmen-zr-90088670.html
Legal note: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice in individual cases. Please have the facts of your specific individual case clarified by a lawyer and/or tax advisor.
