Female holding a large cardboard moving box

Getting Help Moving to Oakland

While moving to Oakland is definitely a decision you won’t regret, it might not feel like that right away when you’re first packing up everything. Moves are notoriously difficult tasks, which is why practically no one attempts them on their own. However, instead of spending a lot of money on paying a professional service to help move you, why not ask your friends and family? Just be sure to utilize the following tips.

Ask Them Early

You should ask your friends and family to help the minute you know you’re moving to Oakland. Give them a firm date as soon as possible, so they can schedule their own plans around this day. If you ask people the last minute, you can hardly be disappointed when they already have things planned.

Expect to Return the Favor

Never ask people for help if you’re not willing to help them back. If someone is going to volunteer their time because you need assistance moving to Oakland, then at some point, expect that they may ask you to do the same. Like many of us, you may have people in your extended family or social circle you’re not wild about. Don’t ask them for help if you wouldn’t want to spend a day around them doing the same.

Make It Easy

Respect these people’s time by making the job as easy as possible. For example, anyone moving to Oakland is going to need a number of boxes for all their things. Handle this step beforehand, as there is no reason you should need help there. Consider calling Boxbee to cut down on the time and money it will cost you to do this. Then, when your friends arrive to help, all they have to do is move the boxes you already have waiting. For the most part, your friends and family should only be there to help with things you otherwise couldn’t lift or move on your own. There’s no point in wasting their time with smaller matters.

Plan out the Move in Detail

You can also respect people’s time by having the move planned out in detail beforehand. This means having things as organized as possible so people aren’t stuck in a holding pattern or becoming confused while you figure things out. If you’re close enough that you’ll be moving to Oakland in one day, it’s even more important that you know which room all your things are going to go in so those helping you can drop them off as soon as they arrive. Otherwise, you may end up having to ask them for more help again later.

Have Food and Beverages Ready

Along those lines, your friends and family are going to work up quite the appetite from all the lifting and carrying they’ll be doing, especially if stairs are involved. At some point, they’re definitely going to get hungry, which is where you can help show your gratitude. Have food and beverages waiting for them or order them early enough that they arrive around lunchtime and, of course, foot the bill. It’s a good idea, though, to have water and other liquids on hand right from the beginning.

Show Lots of Gratitude

Food and drinks are always welcomed, but make sure you show your gratitude in other ways too. It’s understandable that you’re going to be very busy during this move. However, it only takes a few seconds to say “thanks” or otherwise show your appreciation. Moving to Oakland is always going to be a lot of work, though it’s 100% worth it. Nonetheless, you should look to cut down on this work as much as possible by getting others to help. Observe the above tips and you’ll have a much easier time in this regard.