There is no one single question in the world that can make a room full of friends scatter faster than asking for help moving in the apartment. It is the ultimate test of your friendship and it can be the ultimate friendship breaker, too. No one likes moving, but you can help to make the experience a little nicer for everyone involved by following these tips.

Be honest

The worst thing a person can do is trick friends into helping them move. It is a low down, dirty thing to do and it can instantly spell the end of your friendship. When you ask your friends, be up front and honest about it. Make sure you lay out the whole plan, including how much you have to move, where you are moving it to and what comes afterwards. Don’t do it in pieces.

Reward them

Expecting friends to help you move out of the kindness of their heart is unrealistic. You are asking friends to give up an entire day off of work lugging furniture and heavy boxes for no reward. That just isn’t going to cut it. It is up to you to reward your friends with something they are really going to like. A good way to figure out a reward is to sit down and calculate how much you would spend on professional movers and then spend half that on your friends. It could be a night out to a club or bar, a fully catered Sunday of football or a trip to a pro game of some sort. Make it worth their while and you will find willing helpers everywhere.

Have a plan

Sit down with a pad of paper and map out a plan of attack. Don’t get stuck waiting on someone to show up with a truck and someone else to show up with moving pads. Be prepared and make the day as quick and painless as possible for everyone involved.