What is a packing party? And how do you throw one?
A packing party is a unique type of informal get-together of close friends where, ideally, business and pleasure will co-exist for the duration of the fun-filled event.
You organize a packing party when you don’t have enough time to throw a farewell party but you still want to see your good friends one last time before you move out. And, accidentally, you also need help getting your stuff packed up in time.
Full-service movers do offer packing services but you may not like the idea of having to pay extra for something you can manage on your own – well, not entirely on your own, it seems. Also, you may cringe at the thought of having complete strangers going through your stuff with no direct control from you.
So, the time has come for you to organize a packing party when moving and invite your friends to join the fun. Who could possibly say NO to that, right?
Here are some great tips for throwing a successful packing party when moving to another home.
Step 1. Get rid of anything that’s not worth packing
To make packing less stressful, you’re going to have to declutter your home even before you send out those packing party invitations. The thing is that it won’t make much sense to waste hours of valuable time in packing things that you don’t like enough to move them across the country. And don’t forget that you’re going to have to pay good money for transporting those no longer needed items as well.
It’s a fact that stuff can accumulate really fast when you live under one roof for several years. So, instead of complaining about how packing for a move takes FOREVER, do something about it. Go through your items, one by one, and be ruthless about what you’ll take to the new home and what you’ll leave behind.
Sell, gift or recycle all unwanted items to reduce the overall home packing time. Make things much faster when you start packing for real and you’ll have an awesome packing party to remember for years to come.
Read also: How to get rid of things when moving house
Step 2. Send out the packing party invitations
Now you’re left only with household items that you’d love to bring with you to the new residence.
The only problem? You don’t have enough time to do it by yourself and you can’t afford to hire professional packers. Or maybe you can only trust close friends to touch your things. Either way, since you’ve already made up your mind to throw a packing party, now it’s time to make it happen.
The second step to organizing a packing party is to ask your pals for assistance – after all, you can’t expect them to show up to your packing get-together when they have no idea you’re having one. And of course, the best way to organize a party, any party, is to send out invitations.
You can send out those invitations electronically to save time (e-mail, social media). Be considerate and give your friends plenty of notice so that they can reserve that day for you. Let your pals know that you will appreciate any help they can provide. Also, assure them that they can stay for as long as they want.
Make it clear on the invitations that you’re organizing a packing party, not a moving-heavy-furniture party. And then keep your promise – don’t ruin the party by having them do any heavy lifting.
Good advice: How to tell your friends you’re moving away
Step 3. Prepare the packing supplies
It’s important to keep in mind that although you’re organizing a party, the main idea of contacting your pals in the first place is to get them to help you pack your home faster than you could ever do it alone.
And once the packing part of the party gets underway, it’ll be a huge setback if you happen to run out of essential packing materials such as cardboard boxes, packing paper (blank newsprint), bubble wrap, stretch wrap, packing tape, and even color markers.
Make sure the packing momentum of your friendly get-together doesn’t come to a halt by securing enough moving supplies in advance. As you can imagine, it’s much better and safer to prepare more packing supplies than you’ll need than to run short of any packing materials in the middle of the fun.
Arguably, your biggest packing expense will be the moving boxes as you’ll need a large number of assorted cardboard containers to fit all the household items you’re taking with you. Save good money by getting free moving boxes ahead of the scheduled start of the packing party.
Useful info: What packing supplies you will need when packing for a move
Step 4. Have a packing strategy that’ll work
Your packing party will be successful only when you’ve got a good plan before your helpers show up.
Be absolutely clear what needs to be done – for better clarity, you can create a checklist of all packing tasks on a large piece of paper and attach that list to a place where everyone can see it. This way, your friends will know what is being done at the moment and can just cross off each task as it is completed for increased efficiency and greater satisfaction.
By assigning specific packing jobs to your party guests, you’ll be able to create a good packing strategy that will help you finish the job faster. Consider creating several packing stations throughout your home so that the entire packing process gets spread out and can be worked on simultaneously on multiple fronts.
Remember that your friends are doing you a big favor, so roll up your sleeves and work together with them. In short, become an example to follow rather than a bossy packing supervisor.
Must-read: How to pack for a move QUICKLY
Step 5. Make your packing party FUN
Your friends will know there will be work to be done at your packing party but they will also expect to have fun at it as well. In the best case scenario, your event will be equal parts productivity and entertainment.
Here are some good ways to make your own party fun, entertaining and enjoyable:
- Snacks. Prepare some snacks to keep up your friends’ energy levels and spirits. It’s the last thing you can do for them, really. If you’ve got enough time, you can prepare some delicious home-made delicacies for them to enjoy. If not, order the best pizza in town or some other tasty take-out food.
- Drinks. Stock up on various beverages and refreshments. Beer is a popular choice by maybe you’ll want to serve it after the bulk of the packing job has already been done.
- Music. Play good music to keep up the mood. It’s a good idea to prepare some upbeat music to energize your friends. Also, don’t forget to play some songs and tunes that bring out some great memories you’ve shared with your pals through the years. Welcome playlist requests to keep everyone satisfied.
- Games. Everybody loves playing games so keep in mind that a few fun games can easily save your packing party from being labeled as boring. You can organize a karaoke contest to break the monotonous rhythm of packing or think of some frenzied packing competitions with rewards for the winners.
- Goodbyes. If your packing party coincides with your moving away party, then it’s bound to get pretty emotional by the end. Give your pals your new address and promise them that you’ll keep in touch. Also, don’t forget to thank your friends for their valuable help and assure them that you’re ready to return the favor whenever needed.
See also: How to throw a moving away party
As hinted above, your packing party should remain just that – a packing party. So, don’t ruin the fun by making your pals lift and move heavy furniture.
For the actual move, hire professional movers. You can rest assured that they will gladly accept your moving invitation and will do the heavy lifting without any complaints whatsoever.
