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The Right Type Of Helpers Needed

Few people are physically capable of relocating by him or herself. Helpers are indeed needed. When asking around for friends, relatives and neighbours willing to help you relocate, bear in mind, that you don't only need people, i.e. quantity, but the right people - that would be quality. Here is a list of the proper types of helpers to make your move possible.

I have an officer background, so I know the basics of commanding troops. And trust me on this, moving chaos can be easily compared with a small-scale military operation. Read below to find out every type of volunteer needed to carry out a decent relocation. Of course, sometimes outnumbering can decide the outcome of the operation, so have at least several people of each type mobilized.
 
1. Iron men
You need several of them to carry the heavy furniture out and in and up and down. Get an even number, so they can be paired together to distribute the load by two or four. Note that the heaviest items should be loaded first in the van or lorry, so the iron men have to start to carry things out before everybody else.

2. Handymen
Those few men, or women, are the people carrying out the disassembling and assembling of the furniture, plus every small or large repair needed in the new place. It would be better if they are not only good with tools and wood, but also with plumbing, so they would be able to disconnect and then properly connect the washing machine, the dishwasher, the boiler and so on. It is also good to have an electrician of two to check the electric switchboard and the fuses at your new residence and connect the big electric appliances to the right cable and fuse.

3. Tech geeks
Someone has to take care of properly disconnecting, disassembling and packing of every piece of electronic equipment in your previous home, and then do it again in reverse order in the new place. Even if you are one thousand per cent sure how all this has to be done, you should find someone else to do it because you probably won't have the necessary time at your disposal. So research your circle of friends and family for a few people able to handle your computer, printer, TV, home cinema system, DVD player and so on, along with the Internet router, the home network and the phone connection.  

4. Packers
Entrust at least five people with packing everything you own, room by room. Just make sure they have plenty of different-sized moving boxes and other packing materials.

5. Pickers
The pickers are five to ten people, who carry around the lighter boxes and pieces of furniture. The more there are, the better; just give them specific instructions on the order things should be carried in and out, because otherwise you will find yourself in a mess.

6. Universal soldiers
No matter how good everyone is in his or her designated task, always have at least three or four of them ready to jump in and help where help is most needed at any given moment.

7. Detail-people
Find someone, or better two or three someones, who you now have organisation engraved upon their hearts. Equip every one of them with a copy of the moving plan, of the furniture layout plan and with coloured sticky notes. The detail-people have to take care of everything that needs to be labelled properly, and placed in the right place. If they are good, you will forget they are there, but if something is misplaced, or forgotten, or mislabelled - well, next time find someone else for the job.

8. Rear detachments
This little squad is vital for the success. My granny, for instance, is great for the job. You cannot imagine how miraculous it is for everyone on moving day to have a cold soda or a hot coffee plus a few words of encouragement, cheese and ham sandwiches or a slice of homemade pie and a good moving story and of course, and a nice dinner on paper dishes with beer and wine in plastic cups at the end of the day. Plus there is someone to bandage small injuries, a shoulder to cry on, a sympathetic ear to complain to of being misunderstood. And so much more. Like I said, having such people around is vital.

9. Strategic reserve
There is no such thing as overplanning, my strategy instructor loved to say. So no matter how many people promised to come, have a back-up plan. What if someone gets sick, or his place is flooded? Prepare a short list of back-ups who can come and substitute when a few people cannot come and you find out at the last minute.

10. On-Scene-Coordinators
The OSCs are the people who make everything run as planned. Usually you are one of them, but it's better have at least one more person - your partner perhaps, or another person close to you, who not only knows the moving plan by heart, but also someone who knows exactly what you want. Make absolutely clear to everybody involved that you are the leader, but the OSC, or OSCs are the other people to be heard. Everybody else has the right of opinion, but nothing more.

Nota bene: As I stated above, the more people you gather to help, the better. But remember that everyone has to know in advance what to do and when to do it. Even if they all do so, don't forget to have them all arrive early on moving day for a last run-through of the tasks. But don't engage too many helpers, either. If you are wondering, the basic formula of the number of helpers needed holds that a relocation needs no more than 4 helpers per room. Bear it in mind! If there are more, they will probably obstruct each other more than help you move because the manoeuvring will be next to impossible. And one last thing: no matter what happens around you, keep the spirit up! Motivation is the hidden key to success when dealing with people.