Aren't there already a million ads on CL with people *offering* this kind of thing? (At least there are in Seattle.) I'd be worried about random weirdos answering it and showing up and knowing where you live.

There are, but for movers + van and I'm not officially moving until next weekend plus I need packers most of all.

It's for June and not July. . .you need to have time travel skills as one of the prerequisite skills.

Other than that, no opinion.

Heh. Fixed.

Ugh, packing's the worst. I'm such a last-minute-lucy that I'm inevitably up all night packing the night before a move. I'm even worse when it comes to unpacking (hence, the stacks of boxes around our place after, yikes, three years).

Do you really need packers, though? Seems like you might be the best one to sort through your stuff and get it ready for the move. My best advice would be to start now, do a little each day (advice, of course, which I never followed). Maybe get the movers/van to handle the heavy lifting/transport? It's worth it not to have to do the lifting.

(Jon and I packed, loaded, and drove the Penske truck ourselves, with the help of Rob-the-EMT, when we moved down to Miami from CT, which was, well, an experience... I felt like a bit of a schmuck when I found out that pack-it-yourself movers would have cost about the same as the truck rental for that many miles...)

(sorry I'm not volunteering, by the by... I just hate packing... but I will offer a destressing Mojito for after... : )

I agree with matildaben in regard to strangers knowing where you live and about your life. PLEASE be cautious. oh, never mind...I think you are a smart cookie and will check references, et cetera.

If I were considering replying to your ad I would want to know: When you say help packing, do you mean just throwing stuff in boxes or do you want each individual item bubble wrapped and hermetically sealed first? Will you trust their judgement or will you be, LIKE ME - watching every move like a hawk and saying OH DON'T DO IT LIKE THAT, DO IT LIKE THIS....Will there be any disassembling of furniture or moving of heavy objects? If you decide to move the boxes that day, would I be expected to make the trip also, on my own or would you provide transportation if I do not have the moving van you are looking for? How many hours are you expecting? What time do you want to start? I've got more...

My suggestions would be to be a little more settled about whether you're going to need them to be packing or moving. I know your ad says mostly packing, maybe moving, but as someone who would be an awesome packer, but just an "eh" mover, I might not drop you an email. I also know you may not know. You might just want to pick something and try to stick to it, or play that part by ear and not make it part of what you are looking for.

It's unclear if you NEED them to have a van or if that's optional and I'd think in the city it might be easier to get one motivated packing person than a person who wanted to help pack while their van was parked someplace. I have no idea where you live, so this may just be nitpicking.

Also, you did not ask but I am offering... when I packed the best and smartest thing I did was bought WAY more boxes than I needed (yes bought, just paid for, not loitered around the liquor store) of three kinds: U-Haul cardboard boxes, Home Depot tubs with lids, Home Depot flip top plastic bins with lids. As I filled them I'd keep a clipboard by with a loose list of what was in each and just stick a huge letter on the actual box. The ones I didn't need, I returned. I think I spent maybe $75-100 on boxes but I think it saved me a ton of hassle and a lot of the bins are useful in my basement storing camping junk.

Two Men and a Truck will also help you pack. The site does say give them 2-4 weeks' notice, but it wouldn't hurt to call.