How to Organize a Packing Session
How to Organize a Packing Session
You’re planning a big move, but before you can get your stuff moved to your new place you need to pack it all up. It’s a pretty big job and you may need to call in help. Organize a packing session so you can get a few extra hands to help you out. Check out these tips!
Set a Time
Pick a date and time for your packing session. Pick a weekend if possible so you can have a block of time with several hours. The friends and family members you recruit to help you may not be available for several hours or all day, but they might be able to pitch in an hour here or there. With that in mind, schedule your packing session for all day so helpers can just drop in anytime and leave as they need to. You should plan for your packing session to go on until everything is packed up, or plan more than one session.
Gather All Your Supplies
You will need plenty of boxes, newspapers and other packing materials, and packing tape. Don’t forget markers so you can mark every box. It may take some time to gather up all of the packing supplies so start early. Scour grocery stores, hardware stores, and other local businesses to find boxes. Ask friends and family to save newspapers for you and make a stop at your local newspaper office to ask about old papers you can have.
Call in Your Helpers
When you pick your packing session date, call in your helpers to see if they’re available and willing to help out. Use text messaging, Facebook, email, phone calls, and of course in-person visits to recruit your packing session helpers. Remind helpers that you would appreciate any help they can provide. If they can stop in for even just an hour to pack, that will certainly help you out.
Provide Food for Packers
What can you do to show your helpers that you appreciate their assistance? You can feed them of course! Plan to provide plenty of food to aid the packing work. Provide pizzas, nachos, chips, and plenty of snacks so your packing session won’t just be all work. Use disposable cups, plates, and utensils (since you should be packing up all your dishes!) but make sure there is plenty of good stuff to eat. Your helpers will appreciate some yummy munchies in exchange for the help they are providing to you.
You may not be able to get everything packed up in one session so you can schedule more than one packing session. Keep packing until everything is finished and remind your helpers that you don’t expect them to help out the whole time. They can drop in as they have a little time, pack and eat and you will appreciate whatever help you can get to tackle and finish this big job.
If you are in need of better organization skills in general, then we have some things here that will be sure yo help you out! Check out our guide to Getting Organized! If you find that you are still having organization problems, then you might want to try this book on organizing inside and out!
