Moving Day Help Sign-Up Sheet
Asking friends to help you move goes better when you can tell them exactly what you need and for how long. "Can you help Saturday?" gets a vague yes. "Can you load the truck from 8 to 11?" gets someone at your door at 8 with work gloves.
This template breaks a weekend move into specific jobs with time windows: packing the night before, picking up the truck, loading, kid and pet duty, the pizza run, unloading, setting up beds and cleaning the old place. Change the times to match your truck rental, share the link, and let friends pick the job that suits them. Nobody needs an account or email.
What's on the sheet
This is the starting point. Rename, add or remove anything before you share it.
Thank you for helping us move! Pick a job and a time window that works for you.
Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dusty. Pizza and drinks are on us.
If your plans change, use the private link you get after signing up to drop or switch your spot.
- Pack kitchen and breakables (Fri 6–9 pm)2 spots
- Pack books, closets and garage (Fri 6–9 pm)2 spots
- Load the truck (Sat 8–11 am)4 spots
- Kid duty (Sat 8 am–2 pm)1 spot
- Pet duty: walks and a quiet room (Sat 8 am–2 pm)1 spot
- Unload at the new place (Sat 12–3 pm)4 spots
- Bring boxes, tape and markers (by Fri)1 spot
- Bring a dolly or hand truck1 spot
- Bring moving blankets or old quilts1 spot
- Pizza and drinks pickup (Sat 11:30 am)1 spot
- Pick up the rental truck (Sat 7:30 am)1 spot
- Set up beds and unpack the kitchen (Sat 2–5 pm)2 spots
- Clean the old place (Sat 3–6 pm)2 spots
- Return the truck (Sat by 7 pm)1 spot
Build the day around the truck
Most moving days run backward from the truck: when you pick it up, how long you have it, and when it has to be back. Start there, then set the time window on each job.
- Loading crew: as a rough guide, four people make a comfortable crew for an apartment; a full house needs more hands or more hours. Put two people on every heavy piece, plus one person inside the truck stacking.
- Unloading crew: it doesn't have to be the same people. Fresh arms who meet the truck at the new place make the second half of the day go faster.
- Kids and pets: open doors and people carrying dressers don't mix with toddlers and dogs. A friend who takes them for the day can be the most valuable helper you have.
- Food: schedule the pizza run for right after loading, when everyone is hungry and the hardest lifting is done.
Tapping "Add to calendar" puts moving day on each helper's own calendar with a reminder they choose, and the sheet always shows their job and time window.
Before your helpers arrive
- Have everything packed and taped before loading starts. Half-packed rooms slow a crew down more than anything else.
- Label boxes by room on the top and one side, and tape a matching sign to each door at the new place so unloaders know where things go.
- Take apart beds and tables the night before, and bag the screws with the furniture they came from.
- Pack a "first night" box with sheets, towels, toilet paper, phone chargers, medications and the coffee maker, and keep it in your car.
- Reserve the elevator or loading zone if your building requires it, and save a parking spot for the truck at both ends.
- Leave pianos, gun safes and other very heavy items to professional movers. They aren't worth a friend's back.
- Keep water, work gloves and a box cutter where everyone can find them.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I send the sign-up?
Two to three weeks gives friends time to keep the day open. Weekends at the end of the month book up quickly, since that is when many leases end.
Can someone sign up for more than one job?
Yes. A friend can pack on Friday night and load on Saturday morning by signing up for both. Each job shows how many people you need and stops taking sign-ups once it's full.
What if a helper has to cancel?
Helpers each get a private link to their sign-up, so they can drop or switch jobs from their phone and the spot opens up for someone else. Check the sheet the night before so there's time to ask for a replacement.
How do helpers find the new place?
Put both addresses in the description, then post an update the night before with parking instructions, gate codes or which entrance to use.
Can I use this to help a parent downsize?
Yes. Moving a parent to a smaller home or a senior community usually means sorting, donating and setting up the new space as well as moving. Rename the lines — "sort the garage", "donation drop-off", "hang pictures in the new room" — to fit.
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Ready when you are
Set it up in about a minute, share one link, and let people sign themselves up.
Use the Moving Day Help template