When you imagine helping a friend or family member with their move, you might picture carrying boxes down steep flights of stairs or moving heavy furniture. While that might be the case, heavy lifting isn’t the only way you can help out your loved ones when they’re in the middle of a move!
There are plenty of ways to support a family member or friend during the moving process, whether it’s before, after, or on the big day. From gathering supplies and helping with packing to keeping kids and pets safe or handling errands, there are many practical ways to make moving day easier. Here are seven ways you can make someone’s move easier than ever.
How You Can Help Someone to Move
Helping someone relocate doesn’t always mean spending the entire day lifting boxes. Even small acts of support can make the process much smoother and less stressful for the person who is moving. The best help often starts before moving day, when there is still time to prepare, organize, and take care of smaller tasks.
Ask what they need most before jumping in. They may need packing supplies, help with a specific room, someone to watch their children or pets, help deciding what to keep, or an extra person to run errands.
1. Bring Them Supplies and Handle Errands
You can never have enough packing supplies. At some point, your friend will probably run out of something, whether it’s moving boxes or packing tape. If you’re nearby or planning on stopping by, consider calling them to ask whether they need anything.
While this might not seem like the most effective way to help someone move, it does more than you might think. Having to make that extra trip to purchase supplies can be a major hassle, so having a friend buy them and drop them off makes all the difference.
You can also help by handling simple moving-related errands. Picking up supplies, dropping off donations, returning borrowed items, or taking a load of belongings somewhere can free up your friend’s time for more important moving tasks.
2. Help Pack Without Taking Over
Helping someone pack is the most traditional way to help them out when they’re moving and for a good reason. Packing is one of the more challenging parts of moving, and the stress can be greatly reduced when you have a friend helping you out.
This doesn’t mean you have to do a big portion of the work, even just stopping by for an hour or two to help pack can be beneficial. Plus, having someone else there while you pack can be a great morale boost and makes the process a lot less lonely.
The person moving should establish their own packing and labeling system first. That way, they remain in control of where everything goes and how boxes are identified. As the helper, you can then focus on a specific room, gather supplies, wrap items, sort belongings, or take care of another packing-related task without changing their system.
Instead of deciding where things should go yourself, ask what needs to be packed next and follow their instructions. This keeps the process organized while still taking a significant amount of work off their hands.
3. Watch Their Kids or Pets
Moving can be much harder when your loved one or friend has kids or pets they need to look after. Whether you babysit at their place or take them out, your friends and family will be grateful. Taking care of their little ones for a few hours can be incredibly helpful and will make your family member or friend’s day far easier.
Keeping children or pets occupied before moving day can also give the person moving uninterrupted time to pack, organize, or prepare the home.
4. Help Them Downsize
Moving almost always involves downsizing and purging the items you no longer need, but this can be difficult to do on your own. Not only is it a lot of work, but you likely have sentimental attachments to many of these possessions, making them a lot harder to let go.
Being present and helping your loved ones downsize is helpful by lessening their workload and being the voice of reason. Is that object actually useful, or are they just emotionally attached to it? You can help them discern whether or not they actually need something, making the downsizing process easier.
The final decision should still belong to the person moving. Your role is to help sort, organize, carry donations, or provide another perspective when they ask for it.
How to Help on Moving Day
Moving day can quickly become hectic, even when everything has been planned in advance. Practical help with the physical setup, food, communication, and safety can make the day much easier to manage.
5. Help With Loading, Unloading, and Moving-Day Tasks
If you are helping with the physical move, focus on practical tasks that keep everything moving efficiently. Help load or unload boxes as directed, keep pathways and doorways clear, and make sure frequently used areas are not blocked by furniture or boxes.
Keep essential items separate so they do not get buried in the moving truck. A bag or box with medications, chargers, documents, toiletries, a change of clothes, pet supplies, and other immediate necessities should remain easy to access.
If several friends or family members are helping, one person can coordinate where boxes and furniture should go while others handle the carrying. This reduces confusion and prevents everyone from trying to do the same task at once.
You do not necessarily need to lift heavy furniture to be useful. You can direct people, carry lighter boxes, open doors, clear pathways, gather supplies, or help organize items as they arrive.
How to Help After the Move
Your help does not have to end when the last box comes off the truck. The first few hours and days in a new home can be just as overwhelming, and a little practical support can help your friend settle in faster.
6. Help Unpack the Priority Rooms
Rather than trying to unpack the entire home at once, help get the rooms and items they need most into working order first. This might include the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, or another room they need immediately.
You can unpack boxes, sort belongings, break down empty packaging, or help organize items according to the system the person moving has already established.
7. Help Them Settle In
Once the essentials are unpacked, there are plenty of smaller tasks that can make the new home feel more manageable. Help assemble basic furniture, remove empty moving boxes, run an errand, or pick up something they need for the new home.
Even simple help can make the transition easier. Instead of trying to finish everything for them, ask what would make the next few hours or days easier and take one or two tasks off their list.
Bring Food or Handle a Meal on Moving Day
This could be done before moving day, but it’s most effective on the big day or soon after they have moved in. When you’re struggling with the stress of moving, there’s no better way to give support than with a delicious meal.
On the day of the move, you might want to consider easy meals like take-out or fast food (and don’t forget the coffee!). But after they’ve moved into the home, cooking might not be their first priority. You could bring them a home-cooked meal as they’re getting settled.
Food and drinks can also be one of the easiest ways to help without adding more work to the moving process. Bring coffee, snacks, bottled water, or another easy-to-serve option that does not require dishes or cooking. If the kitchen is already packed, you can arrange a meal delivery so the person moving does not have to stop what they’re doing to prepare food.
If children or pets are present on moving day, helping keep them safely away from active loading and unloading areas can also give everyone more room to work.
Why You Should Help Someone Move
Moving can be both physically demanding and emotionally overwhelming. When friends or family members offer help, it can significantly reduce the stress that often comes with packing, organizing, and settling into a new home.
Offering support during a move also strengthens relationships. Simple gestures like bringing supplies, helping pack a few boxes, or watching children for a few hours show that you care and are willing to lend a hand during an important life transition.
Even if your help seems small, it can make a meaningful difference and turn a stressful moving day into a more manageable and positive experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to help someone move?
The best way to help someone move is to ask what they need and take specific tasks off their plate. Before moving day, this could mean bringing supplies, helping pack, watching children or pets, downsizing, or running errands. On moving day, you can help with loading, organization, food, and keeping pathways clear. Afterward, you can help unpack priority rooms and handle small settling-in tasks.
What should you bring when helping a friend move?
Useful items include moving boxes, packing tape, wrapping materials, coffee, snacks, and water. If they already have enough supplies, bringing a ready-to-eat meal or arranging delivery can be just as helpful.
Should you help someone pack or just move boxes?
Either can be helpful, depending on what the person needs. If you help pack, let the person moving establish the labeling and organization system first, then focus on a specific room, wrapping, sorting, or gathering supplies. If packing is already handled, helping carry boxes or organize the loading and unloading process can be more useful.
How can I help someone move without lifting heavy furniture?
You can still make a major difference without heavy lifting. Help with packing, supplies, errands, food, organizing boxes, keeping pathways clear, coordinating other helpers, watching children or pets, or unpacking after the move.
What can I do to help after someone moves?
Help unpack priority rooms, assemble basic furniture, remove empty boxes, run errands, or pick up items they need for the new home. You can also simply ask what task would make settling in easier and take care of it.
Expert Moving Company in Edmonton
Recruiting friends and family to help move can be helpful, but it’s not always the most effective way to get your move done. For high-quality, stress-free moving services in and around Edmonton, contact Eager Beaver Moving. Our family-owned and operated business has aided Albertans in the moving process for many years. Contact us or get your free moving estimate today.
