move In the United States, 43 million people move every year. Approximately 18% of these moves are due to military relocation, 40% are because of work, and 42% are due to personal choices. Whatever the case may be for you, it’s important to be prepared to ensure that your move goes as smoothly as possible.

Yet moving can be difficult if you’re the only person available for the job. It happens. Your family made plans for the weekend you’re supposed to move into a new apartment, your friends are working and aren’t available. So how can you successfully move on your own? Don’t worry — we figured it out for you.

Use rental trucks
Typically, one of the most important things that you lose when no one is available to help you move is the presence of a large vehicle. Everyone has that one friend or family member that has The Truck. Without them, you’ll be forced to make a thousand trips back and forth from your old and new apartment. Or will you? By using a rental truck, you’ll be saving yourself the gas money and the elbow grease it’ll take to squeeze as many couch cushions and appliances you can into your car.

Load things in your vehicle correctly
Use proper loading techniques if it turns out that you’re the family member that owns The Truck. Don’t leave room for things to move around and be sure to tie things down that are especially important to tie down like couches and dressers that could otherwise go flying off onto the interstate. As you stack things into your vehicle, place the heavier items on the bottom and the lighter things on top to keep everything balanced and to prevent any delicate objects from being crushed.

Use a storage facility
If you really can’t move everything by yourself during the weekend or day you officially need to be out, consider holding your things in a secure storage facility until you can get the help you need. Move the general necessities to your new apartment and wait until your friends or family are available to move the lesser important things into your new place.

Hire a residential moving service
It can be difficult for your friends and family to help you move if you’re already living far away from them. Fortunately, during a time of relocation, movers can be like your temporary family and can easily pack your things up into their own rental vehicles and then help you unload them into your new place.

A move can mean a lot of sweat, but it doesn’t have to mean stress. With these tips in mind, even if no one else is available to help you out with your move, you’ll be able to make to your new apartment safe and sound.

How To Successfully Move — By Yourself