Once you are out of college it is not really a great idea to ask people to help you move. Friends and family are busy these days as they aren’t carefree college students anymore. Asking them to help move is something of a big deal.
In most cases, we would recommend that when moving houses you hire a moving company. However, there are times when that isn’t feasible. It could be for economic reasons, a last-minute move, or anything else that prevents you from hiring professionals.
Whatever the reason for asking friends and family to help move, there is a right way to go about it. In this article, we will go over some tips to make it as smooth as possible.
Give them a reward
A few beers and some pizza may be appreciated, but that shouldn’t be the reward for helping move on its own. You should put some thought into what to do for the people that are helping you. After all, they are saving you hundreds of dollars at a minimum and that should be reflected in the reward.
You should absolutely have food and drinks provided. Maybe pizza and beer are enough but try to go the extra mile and provide snacks and water for during the move. Then have a moment to sit down and eat. It can even be a restaurant meal that you offer as a way to finally take a break at the end of the day or for break time.
In addition, get them some gifts. Something small is totally acceptable like coasters or a flask or something similar. However, they should either be personalized or something that is unique to the person.
Be organized
You should be thinking ahead well before moving day about how to make the process as easy as possible for all involved. The idea is to make things as grab-and-go as possible. Where people can load a box and fill a truck and then go and unload. There shouldn’t be any type of organizing that has to be done by anybody at the time the move happens.
This means that all your stuff should be boxed and organized in a logical way. Label all of the boxes so everybody knows what it is at a glance. Not only that but things should be grouped together. All the kitchen boxes should be in one place and all the bedroom boxes in another.
Furniture that can be disassembled for easier moving should be done ahead of time. Make sure to have all the extras that will help make the move easier like blankets for sliding the furniture into the truck. Extra tape always comes in handy so have a few rolls on hand.
Have a schedule
Know how long things are going to take by creating a schedule to work with. This is so you can be on time but also so people aren’t stuck longer than they expect. Having everything working on a tight schedule will be appreciated by your friends who also have their own lives to live and responsibilities.
