“As the number of coronavirus cases grows, we are watching our friends and neighbors around the world practice social distancing, self-monitoring, and quarantining themselves, in an effort to contain the virus.

In various countries and cities, residents are sheltering in place and under mandatory lockdown. With the closure of many non-essential public places and businesses and shutdowns across many industries, we are receiving lots of questions about moving – is it essential or not? Should I still move?

This practical guide is designed to help you ask the right questions about your upcoming move and will be updated regularly with new information.

It is important to recognize that Updater is not a health care company and we are not health care professionals. While we are moving experts, the CDC and other qualified health officials should be your primary source of current information and guidance.

Here are a few things to consider as you plan to move during an emergency situation:

Is moving considered “essential”?

Essential reasons to leave your home during a lockdown, as defined by many local and state officials, include: getting health care, shopping for groceries or supplies, caring for family members, and exercising outside.

Since moving inevitably cuts against social distancing best practices, we encourage you not to move at this time unless local officials deem your specific move as essential, or your business is deemed essential and you must move for work. Stay where you are, if you can.

If you have not signed the home contract yet, but plan to, request an addendum for additional flexibility should the parties be quarantined or unable to complete the transaction (here’s an example from the Texas Association of REALTORS).

If you are not required to leave your current home, you should stay right where you are. Staying home can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, sick or not.

If possible, try to reschedule your move for a later time when we have more information on the spread of the virus and all parties involved in the move (you, the new home-owner or management company, the moving company, etc.) can implement best practices and comply with the instructions of local authorities.

Due to the need to safely “shelter in place” in compliance with the current COVID-19 directives, moving is considered essential in many cities. However, we still recommend checking with your local authorities beforehand, as local law enforcement is the determining voice in this discussion. Be sure to comply with the direct orders of your local officials and continue to monitor their communications. Feel free to call your officials to ask if no guidance has been provided.

If you do have to move, your moving company should put health and safety first

Your health and safety and the moving company’s employees’ health and safety will be the moving company’s highest priority.

We suggest you call your moving company to discuss your options.

If your move is necessary, and your moving company plans to move you, they should help you plan as safe (and seamless) a move as possible. This may include:

• A virtual survey instead of an in-home survey to provide a price estimate

• Screening their crew for symptoms to ensure health and safety

• Adding hand sanitizer to all trucks

• Movers wearing gloves and masks

• Heightened daily cleaning procedures for shared, high-touch surfaces in your homes, on the trucks, on the equipment, and their dispatch/office areas

• Free storage from your moving company. Some companies will offer to hold your belongings for free if you need to leave your old home, but your new home is not ready yet

Bonus tip: do not pack the soap! Give your moving crew access to wash their hands with hot water frequently.

If you choose to postpone your move with a professional moving company

If you have made the decision to postpone your move and need to cancel your moving company: do not fret. In most cases, booking a moving company is non-binding, allowing you the freedom to cancel at any point prior to your move, without penalty.

However, if your moving company collected a deposit prior to your move, it may be non-refundable. Contact your moving company about your deposit, as many reputable moving companies will make an exception considering the pandemic and either refund the deposit or provide credit for a future move.

If your professional moving company cancels on you

Do not worry, you have options:

• You can move yourself, in your own vehicle: this is the safest option

• You can rent a truck: you can contact Evolve Mobility for some tips, but please be aware of the law in Vietnam to drive by yourself

• You can move in with friends or family members and put your belongings in temporary storage: Evolve Mobility can provide you a storage for the time you may need

• You can move into temporary, furnished housing and put your belongings in storage: please check with Evolve Mobility and its relocation partner

If you are concerned about paying rent or being evicted

Also, if you are a tenant, be sure to check with your property management company and local officials on rent payment flexibility, eviction proceedings and eviction orders.

Evolve Mobility’s comment: please, contact your consulate and information from your own contry about renting a house or an apartment in your country for further details. You can also contact us for more information.

If you have an extra minute, here are some additional things to consider

• Prioritize your internet setup. Scheduling an internet installation date at your new home is critical for staying connected to friends and family. There are 1-2 hour call wait times at cable and internet providers right now, as more and more people call to increase speeds and bandwidth. You can not bank on getting an appointment as easily as you have in the past. Additionally, consider a high bandwidth plan to account for changes in working from home, video calls, multi-device streaming, etc.

• Stocking your kitchen full of groceries will feel a bit different this time around. Grab in Vietnam is still deliverying food, no worries, as well as Mega Market and other supermarkets!

We understand your concerns: this is a scary time and certainly takes moving stress to the next level. We encourage you to visit the CDC website and your local authority’s website for updated information and safety precaution tips.

Remember: this is a rare time where your actions are about something bigger than you. Your actions protect people you may never meet. We are all part of a much larger community and together we can make a huge impact on the lives of others.”

Credit and all information on Everything you need to know about moving during COVID-19. Thanks for their precious advice! If you need any further information about Vietnam and moves in this country, please feel free to contact us!

Moving during coronavirus is possible, but it’s going to take a lot of planning.

CORONAVIRUS – You can go shopping, go for a pretend jog, go to the pharmacy… but first of all you have to stay at home to avoid the coronavirus, at least until the end of March.

But what to do when you have planned to change accommodation a few days or weeks after the introduction of the containment measures against Covid-19? Is a change of residence part of the essential journeys?

According to the French government, in principle, moving is not forbidden on the condition that it is motivated by an imperative. “Removals are allowed, but must be limited to strict needs. For example, the end of your lease,” says the French Ministry of Transport. “It is advisable to postpone your move if possible. Otherwise, you must have the certificate of derogatory move”, the authorities detail.

If there is no fallback solution, you can proceed with your correctly completed proof. However, you will have to organise yourself into a small committee, as groups of more than five people are not allowed.

Moving during coronavirus from Vietnam to France – Logistical difficulties

This means that you are officially allowed to move, but in practice it can be much more complicated if you use a moving company. The professional organisations in the sector have called for an “urgent” ban on moving involving direct contact between movers and clients.

“The moving industry unanimously notes that the working conditions of the employees do not make it possible to permanently guarantee the respect of barrier gestures”, affirmed the president of the “Chambre Syndicale du Déménagement” (Moving Union Chamber).

If several organisations have already called on “companies to suspend the part of their activity that puts their staff in direct contact with customers”, they fear that this will not be enough and want “to avoid any unnecessary competition from companies that would seize the opportunity to reclaim outstanding contracts in disregard of the health safety of their own employees”.

Faced with the situation, the Federation of Transport and Logistics – the third largest among road hauliers – called on Friday 20 March on employees in the sector who work in non-essential transport to declare their right of withdrawal from Monday. “Transport and logistics employees are asking themselves a lot of questions, but most of them are completely confused,” wrote its secretary general, Patrice Clos.

Moving during coronavirus from Vietnam to France – Staying in your rental

As Le Parisien, a French newspaper, explains: if you are tenants and you think you are stuck because you have filed your notice, nothing forces you to leave. You will obviously have to continue paying the rent, but it is possible to stay in your accommodation.

A real estate lawyer outlines that the government’s containment measures predominate the private law, and therefore take precedence over the rules governing a lease.

Leaving a dwelling can be even more complicated when real estate agencies have been forced to close. It has become almost impossible to make an inventory of fixtures and fittings.

For further information, please feel free to contact us!

The Mid-Autumn Festival has become the second largest celebration after the Lunar New Year. On the first day of the eighth lunar month the country turns into a festive mood celebrating the clearest and fullest moon of year.

As well as joyful street parties, many would release lotus lanterns on streams and rivers both to make individual wishes and add to the celebratory atmosphere at night.

However, this year, the practice of using plastic lanterns will come to an end.

Joining the rest of the country in the fight against plastic waste, the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha sent a circular to its chapters nationwide asking Buddhist followers to help in reducing plastic waste. The letter asked each and every Buddhist community to persuade followers and citizens to avoid using plastic lanterns if they wish to release them during the Full Moon festival.

“If we don’t put forward solutions, the effects of plastic waste will become severe,” reads the letter signed by Most Venerable Thích Đức Thiện.

This is the first time the Buddhist Sangha has sent a letter calling on its congregation to act on reducing plastic waste, in accordance with earlier efforts by the public, then led by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

When Buddhists set lanterns alight, it is a philosophical yet religious act to remind oneself that he or she exists for the time being. You are enlightened, meaning your existence matters – it’s not buried in darkness.

“I set a light, meaning my mind lives in the moment,” said a Buddhist monk who declined to provide his name because he said it means the same for everyone, citing him would not make a difference.

He said he had been to several Vesaks, or World Buddhist Conference, where releasing the lanterns in the sky had taken place. But this year at the Vesak in Tam Chúc, in Hà Nam Province, the organisers decided not to do so. The participating Buddhists decided to light candles and release some lanterns into the lake.

“Enlighten the existence,” is both a form and a means for a person to be aware of his or her existence.

“Enlighten one’s existence is a prerequisite starting point for a path to ultimate relief.”

He further cited other writers and philosophers saying if you are not aware of your existence, it means you’re dead.

Lighting the lanterns is just a means. But if that means polluting the environment, then you can change to do something else that can send the same message.

First of all, you need to enlighten yourself from overthinking and forgetfulness.

Earlier this month, a student wrote to the President asking not to use balloons during the school opening day nationwide on September 5.

So no balloons were set free, and some schools even went farther by declaring this academic year to be the School Year for the Environment, with the school canteen stopping the use of plastic straws, bowls, cups, spoons and forks.

In the letter sent by the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha, it states clearly that you are advised not to release plastic lanterns to pollute the water resources.

So the Full Moon celebrations will be less sparkling by the lakes or the rivers, but our water resources day by day, little by little get less polluted, therefore, people get to “exist” in a cleaner environment, which is the direct result from their self-awareness.

“Act now, it depends on you, nobody else but you!” reads the lyrics from a popular song children sing during the Opening Day of this school year.

Source: Nguyễn Mỹ Hà, on Vietnam News

When planning a trip, there are tons of facts to care about. Whether you’re traveling for fun or relocating, that doesn’t mean you have to leave your lovable pets behind.

Here are some tips you can use to keep yourself and your pet quiet and relaxed, regardless of the distance or method you travel. These tips are helpful from preparation and packing to boarding and feeding. You can save yourself and your pet ample distress or even anxiety by carefully planning. Here are some vital things you should do before you set out:

• Practice with Your Pet: Taking your pet on short drives will let them get used to travelling. Make sure you put them in their crate every time. Take them for a walk where there are vehicles so they will be familiar with the sounds and noise. Don’t forget to reward your pet for good behavior and talk comfortingly to them.
• Organize the Crate for Ease: Put some absorbent bedding, like torn bits of paper or cloth. Before leaving, freeze a small bowl of water, slowly it will melt for your pet when it gets thirsty and won’t spill. Securely close the crate but do not lock it for feeding or in case of emergencies. Make sure there is a bag of dry food for your pet for easier feeding. And lastly, attach your pet’s identification.
• No Crate, No Problem: If you have no intention of using a crate in the car, make sure your pet rides securely with its head inside the window at all times. Keep pets in the back seat using a harness which you can attach right to the seat belt buckle.

Still worried, well you can always contact a specialist. Try a Pet Relocation Company and they will be able to help you with all the details and requirements. Check out https://www.evolvemobilityintl.com/

So, are you ready to move with us?

Vietnam is situated in both a tropical and a moderate zone. It is categorized by strong monsoon influences and has a substantial amount of sunshine, a great rate of rainfall, and high humidity. Areas located near the tropics and in the mountainous provinces are gifted with a comfortable climate.

The weather in Vietnam varies greatly between north and south, however both regions experience monsoons. From November to April, the north is cool and dry, while May to October is warm and rainy. The central coast has a similar type of weather with cool, wet weather between December and February in the winter monsoon period. The seasons tend to begin a bit later in the south, which is warm and damp all year round, mostly from February to May, while the rainy season persists from May to November. The Central Highlands have a comparable climate to the south, but is slightly cooler and temperatures can range to freezing in winter.

Vietnam’s weather is as multifaceted as its landscape. Though the country lies completely within the tropics, its various range of latitude, altitude, and weather patterns produce massive climatic variation. North Vietnam like other Asian countries such as the Philippines, has two basic seasons: a cold, humid winter from November to April, and a warm, wet summer for the remainder of the year.

So if you are not really a fan of the snow and would rather enjoy a relaxing hot weather to go places, then Vietnam is a place to relocate. If you want some help on relocating try checking Evolve Mobility for some travel and moving advice. Just check them at https://www.evolvemobilityintl.com/

So are you ready to move with us?