Interested in adding the Help Moving or Full Service Help Moving skills to your Tasker profile? Top Taskers have put together some important information to help you get started!
Help Moving vs. Full Service Help Moving
You might wonder what differentiates the Help Moving category from our newer Full Service Help Moving category. A client who books a Help Moving task may need just a few hours of your time or a straightforward move out/move in. A client who books a Full Service Help Moving task can expect Taskers to disassemble furniture, pack, move, unpack, and reassemble furniture. The task scope will be larger and may take more than one day.
What’s the difference between Help Moving and Full Service Help Moving?
| Task invitation includes: | Help Moving | Full Service Help Moving |
| Move boxes and furniture from one location to another | Yes | Yes |
| Pack and unpack boxes | Yes | Yes |
| Disassemble furniture before the move | No | Yes |
| Assemble furniture after the move | No | Yes |
Visit our article on packing and unpacking for additional guidance from top Taskers!
The below information is intended to help any Tasker who plans to do moving-related tasks.
Knowledge & Skills
- You should have prior moving experience or skills such as the ability to lift and shift heavy items, carry items up and down stairs, load vehicles, and be detail-orientated.
- Use logic when packing moving vehicles; for example, don’t stack heavy items on top of light items.
- If you have a system for labelling that can help you and your clients feel organised, such as colour coding or numbering boxes and inventorying items on a clipboard, this is the kind of workmanship that will lead to client referrals!
- Be respectful–treat your client’s belongings as you would your own–and recognise that this may be an emotional experience for your client.
Skills & Experience pitch tips
- State how much weight you are able to lift.
- State if you have a van or are able to coordinate a van rental for which your client can reimburse you.
- Avoid stating minimum hours because clients may be choosing to hire you rather than a different moving service for the very reason that Taskers can be more flexible on time.
Client communication
While you should always prioritise client communication, this is especially true in the Help Moving category. Not only are clients busy during a move, they’re trusting you to handle and transport their possessions and support them through what might be an emotional experience.
Setting expectations in advance with your client is the secret sauce for moving tasks.
Consider these sample scoping questions:
- Where are you moving from? Where are you moving to?
- What is your estimated start time and end time?
- Will you need a van for this task? (Clearly state any additional charges for renting one.)
- How large are your items? Is this a two-person task? Have you hired any other Taskers to help?
- Are there any stairs I’ll have to navigate? Is there an lift?
- Are you looking for help packing and unpacking, or with disassembling and reassembling your furniture? (If yes, you can suggest the client hire you in the Full Service Help Moving category.)
- Do you live in an apartment building that requires a Certificate of Insurance?
If your client’s apartment building requires a Certificate of Insurance (COI) before permitting a moving task, click here.
In addition to properly scoping a moving task, keep your client updated throughout the process so they can rest assured that their belongings are in good hands.
Must-have equipment
To make the move successful, you’re also going to want certain tools and equipment on hand. Below are some must-haves:
- Furniture dolly: This will be the best investment you make in the Help Moving category. A dolly will enable you to move large, bulky, and heavy items for your clients.
- Ratchet straps: Use these to make sure all furniture is securely placed in the moving van and on the dolly.
- Moving blankets: Use these to wrap furniture, dressers, TVs and more.
- Moving gloves: Wear specialty gloves to get a better grip on furniture and to prevent injury.
Nice-to-have equipment
In addition to the ‘must-have’ equipment, top Movers bring a variation of the following supplies:
- Stair climbing dolly: This tool can be used to move large pieces of furniture up or down stairs easily.
- Moving van: Having a van is extremely useful to be successful in the Moving category, especially in large cities where most people do not own their own cars.
- Tool kit: Bringing along basic tools to help disassemble furniture is an easy way to ‘wow’ clients. Taking legs off of sofas and tables will make clearing doorways much easier!
- Measuring tape: You can measure the dimensions of the doorway/hallways prior to lifting furniture to know what will and will not fit.
- Box cutter: This can be a useful tool, particularly when unloading furniture. Use it to cut through cardboard, plastic wrap, etc. Just be careful not to cut into any of the items you have moved!
- Tarps: These are incredibly useful to keep furniture dry if you’re moving in the rain.
- Plastic wrap: This is a multifunctional tool that can be used to wrap dressers and prevent drawers from opening while moving.
Did you know? Taskrabbit offers a number of categories that support clients through moving. Check out our blog post on other categories you can add to your profile that represent various stages of the moving process, such as Room Measurement, Interior Design, Smart Home Installation, and more!
