Moving by yourself: all you need to do it right

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You had everything planned out to the last detail, and as if by magic, all your friends suddenly had something super important to do on the day of your move?

We've all been in that situation: “Yeah, don't worry, I'll be there” when discussing the move over a glass of wine. 

Full of confidence, you thought you'd secured the necessary manpower with promises of pizza and a pack of beers, but no one showed up on the big day!

No worries, there are solutions for those of us who find ourselves alone and in need of some muscle to move heavy furniture or to find a moving truck... and I'll share them with you in this guide.

Step 1 what to prepare beforehand

That's the thing when you’re doing everything yourself: you can't afford to forget anything because no one is going to do it for you!

It's crucial here that I take the bull by the horns and start by writing down all the tasks to complete on a piece of paper. Here is a list to help get organised:

1. Complete all the administrative formalities

2. Start sorting what you want to keep

3. Calculate the volume of your move

4. Buy or find boxes

5. Buy the necessary moving equipment

6. Start packing your boxes (or have someone do it for you)

7. Find a moving truck

8. Dismantle the furniture

9. Pack the last boxes

10. Clean up to hand over the keys

11. Move!

12. Settle into the new home

At this stage, you should be well on top of your organisation. Now you just need to roll up your sleeves!

The essential equipment to move by yourself

Since you're not calling on a professional mover, you'll need to equip yourself with the bare minimum required for a move. You can buy, borrow, or rent these… it's up to you.

You'll need:

• A dolly: absolutely essential for not breaking your back with the big boxes

• Moving boxes: since you're doing this alone, you'll mostly go for small boxes. Everything is explained in our article “how to calculate your moving volume”

• Tape: I often forget this crucial element. Plan for at least 2-3 rolls

• Protective materials: gloves, sheets, blankets, and bubble wrap to protect fragile items

Boxes packed? Organisation down to a tee? Still need help for the big day?

The next section will explain how to find a little help to move your heavy items and find a transport solution.

Step 2: ideas to find help so you're not moving alone

Even though you can do a lot on my own before the move, on the big day it’ll be really hard to do everything without anyone’s help... moving a washing machine or moving a sofa all alone feels like mission impossible!

But don’t worry, I’m here to help you find solutions that won’t break the bank.

How to move a fridge, washing machine, and sofa when you’re alone?

This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge you’ll face if you're on your own: how do I move bulky furniture?

For all your heavy furniture and items, here's how to find some muscular  help:

Ask family

Yes, it's obvious, but if you're really in a bind, you shouldn't hesitate to use your family card to ask for help. It almost always works!

Does your family live far away? No worries, here’s another idea:

Ask friends

You’ve probably helped them out in the past. Now it’s time to ask them to return the favour!

Of course, you could always use the promise of pizza and beers at the end of the day… though I’m not sure if that’ll work!

If your friends are the kind who avoid all responsibilities, there's still a solution.

Hire someone to help move your furniture

This is a solution that will cost a little, but it's still affordable. 

By using a helper, you can drastically reduce the cost of your move. They’ll take care of moving your furniture, and they can also load all your boxes into the truck… you decide and adjust the price!

Find someone to help you move

Transport solutions for moving by yourself

Maybe you have a car, which is already a good start, but for a typical flat, you’ll need to do several trips, which will add a lot of work to an already busy day. And if you have any bulky furniture, using a car is out of the question!

Here are the best solutions to solve this problem:

Hire a professional mover

This is an effective solution if you don't want to do anything and let someone else handle the move, but with an average cost of £870, it can be quite pricey.

Rent a moving truck

If I don’t have much furniture to move, the solution might be renting your own truck. For £45-65, you can rent a 11m³ van that you’ll need to return at the end of the day.

If you're moving far and don't want to return the truck, I recommend one-way moving truck rental with a driver.

⚠️ Warning, you still need to be well-organised and plan ahead to avoid last-minute shortages!

You'll still need to load everything yourself and then drive to the destination… it’s a lot for one person.

Ask someone to do the move for you

Yes, you know, the person who helps move your furniture? They can also deliver it to your new address!

The concept is quite simple. You just need to  submit a moving help request  and describe what you need on Yoojo, the specialist in personal services:

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