As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and its effects permeate in myriad ways, we have noticed some trends in the Kenyan moving industry over the past few months. The few outlined in this article were obtained from discussions with our clients as well as our observations. If you have been considering making one of these changes, you are not alone.
1. Downsizing homes
With the current cash crunch, saving money and cutting costs are major priorities for most people. A lot of people are feeling (and rightly so) that moving to smaller houses or to cheaper neighbourhoods will reduce their monthly expenses. We have observed an increase in move requests from Kilimani/Westlands to Kikuyu & Ruaka have become increasingly common over the past few months (we’re sure they will come back after the crisis).
For families with older kids, our clients have expressed the wish to move to houses/neighbourhoods which are relatively cheaper and offer more space. Apparently, even a 1,500-square-foot apartment feels crowded when both parents are working from home and you have 2 teenagers and a young adult.
In a similar vein, some folks are opting to move upcountry. Why spend any money on rent at all when there’s plenty of free ancestral land with plenty of space for the kids to play?
2. Putting goods into storage
A lot of households contain items that don’t get much use (1 use per year or less), or that are simply kept for their sentimental value. If you’re moving to a smaller house, they tend to take up a lot of valuable space, and selling them is not always a viable option. But there’s plan B: storage.
For a monthly rate, Nellions™ is able to store your goods in a safe and secure storage facility, and we are able to retrieve any item(s) quickly at your request. This way, whether you temporarily move upcountry or abroad, your items will be safe and ready for you when you need them.
3. Moving in with friends
Turning the guest bedroom to an Airbnb has been a solid strategy that served many well for the last few years, but since the pandemic began and global travel slowed Airbnb isn’t doing so hot. A lot of people in this boat find themselves asking a simple question: why maintain an empty guest bedroom when you could move in with a friend/relative who’ll split the rent?
The math backs this logic: move in with your sister and cut up to 40% of household costs without having to make any other drastic lifestyle changes.
4. Expatriates leaving Kenya
Since the pandemic began, some expatriates living in Kenya opted to go back to their home countries instead of seeing their contracts through. Some of those who remained are moving back now as Kenya records increasing cases while some foreign countries record reducing cases. For some of these expats, returning home means offloading some of their goods, and putting others in storage until we can deliver them through our international moving service at a later date.
5. People don’t want strangers in their homes
This is honestly one of the toughest times for the spirit of African hospitality. While folks have traditionally been welcoming to guests and service people, the fear of others bringing the virus to their homes has a lot of people wary of letting strangers through their doors. An unfortunate effect of this is that lots of people have lost their livelihoods, from cleaning ladies to caterers.
As for movers, we’re taking precautions such as constant hand washing/sanitizing, wearing masks and more, but some extra-cautious clients are going a step further as to insisting we use gloves, packing some items themselves, and even not spending the first few nights after a move at home.
At Nellions™, we understand that this is a sensitive time for our business, and we’re taking multiple measures to ensure the safety of our clients and staff. We completely understand that safety is perceived differently by every individual, and vow to uphold the highest hygiene standards as well as accommodate any extra measures that clients may request.
