Moving to Chicago – How to do it with ease?

Ah, the Big Apple. The opportunities, the interesting people, and the culture. It is quite understandable that you want to relocate here. But, there are things you should know if you want to make your move to Chicago as easy as possible. When it comes to moving to Chicago there are some errors in judgment and rookie mistakes that you can make that will cost you both time and money. Here is how to approach your move, if you want to make it smooth and efficient.

Discover Chicago

What you need to realize when moving to Chicago is that its big. Really big. So when you start exploring it, you will spend a lot of time experiencing its culture, people, and history. Here are some things to know before you start.

Facts about Chicago

When talking about Chicago, we are talking about the most populous city in the U.S. with an estimated population of 8,622,698. That population is distributed over an area of about 302.6 square miles. This makes it the most densely populated major city in the U.S. It is made up of five boroughs: Staten Island, suburbs, Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. They were all consolidated into a single city in 1898. People from all around the world come to Chicago to make their American dream into a reality. That is why in Chicago there are over 800 languages spoken making it the most linguistically and culturally diverse city in the world. Whatever culture you are trying to explore, you’ll be sure to find it in one of many distinct Chicago neighborhoods.

How much will it cost for you to live there?

One of the bad things that you should be aware of, regarding Chicago, is the cost of living. It is anything but cheap. Having so many people live there means that there is a lot of demand, and therefore the prices tend to be high. For a single person living in Chicago, you are looking at monthly expenses of $1,250. And that is without rent. Depending on the neighborhood, rent prices can drastically vary. But, you will be probably looking at around $1,900 outside of city center and $3,200 for the inside of the city center.

So you will have to figure out how to make between $3150 and $4450 each month if you are keen on living in Chicago. Luckily there are many big companies that have their headquarters situated in Chicago, like Pepsi and IBM, so there are jobs to be found. But, having so many people living in Chicago makes it a very competitive environment. A study posted in the Chicago Times found that Chicago is the most competitive city in the world.

Prepare for moving to Chicago

Before you start chasing after your American dream in Chicago, you should take care of the moving itself. Here is where most rookie mistakes happen, and if you are careless they can cost you a lot. But, with some guidelines, you can make your move as easy as pie.

Packing

When you decide that you are going to move to Chicago, you should start planning for your packing. Notice we didn’t say you should start packing, just start planning your packing. If you pack too soon, you will just stress yourself needlessly. Forcing yourself to live in a warehouse and going through packed boxes when you need something is a hassle that you want to avoid. Start off with sorting your items and coming to terms with moving. Moving to Chicago can be expensive and the less stuff you have the more money you will save. What you are certain that you will need, you should pack. What you don’t need to consider giving away, or throwing away. For everything in between that you are not sure of, a good rule of thumb is to throw it away.

Getting rid of unnecessary clutter will make your move much easier. Once you know what you want to move, you should find boxes. Visit your local supermarkets, bookstores etc. to find free packing boxes. Do all of this in advance so the people that work in the supermarket will have time to save you the boxes. Start packing two weeks before your moving date. Pack with care, and label everything clearly. People that help you move will need to know if something is fragile and it’s up to you to inform them.

Finding and organizing movers

You will need someone to help you move to Chicago. Depending on the neighborhood movers in Bronx, or movers in suburbs NY can be excellent. The first thing that the moving company will do is to send to a representative to give you an estimate. Giving estimates if often free so you should shy away from getting multiple. By having at least three estimates you will have a better idea on how much you will need to pay. Depending on the day of the move the price can vary. The cheapest time to move is outside moving season (summer and early autumn) and during weekdays.

Picking the right day can drastically lower the price of your move, especially if you are moving cross country. Talk with your cross country movers Chicago so that you know how much you can save by having the right timing. There will be many things to plan and many segments to your move, so it is wise to hire locally. By having local movers, you can easily check their credentials and make sure that they are legit. Unfortunately, scams are not unknown in the moving industry, and you want to avoid them as much as you can. Moving to Chicago is stressful enough without dishonest movers taking your stuff hostage.

Final advice

Take your time. Chicago will try to speed you up, but if you want to keep your head on your shoulders you need to take your time and think. Good luck!