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3 Tips for Moving in Chicago During Labor Day

August 28, 2017

Back in late spring, we discussed some of the lessons we’ve learned for moving in spring and summer and part of those suggestions was to avoid holiday weekends, in particular Memorial Day and July Fourth. During those two weekends, everyone is seemingly either leaving town or coming into town, making the roads near-impossible to navigate in a time-efficient manner. Simply put, moving during a holiday weekend often means delays, closed businesses, and heavy traffic.

However, in our experience Labor Day is a bit different. Held the first Monday in September, the three-day weekend afforded by the holiday isn’t just a time to celebrate the end of the summer at an all-white party. Labor Day is about labor after all and namely giving workers a break. That said, not everyone has the luxury of taking a break and if you have a move planned for Labor Day weekend, here are some three steps to take to ensure your move is easy to handle and you don’t make any of the common mistakes associated with moving over the holiday weekend.

Table of Contents

Moving in Chicago: 3 Tips for Labor Day Weekend

1. Choose Your Team

Believe it or not, but Labor Day is actually one of the few times that we will recommend trying to do the move yourself, if that’s what you want of course. The reason is due to the fact that since most of your friends will have the weekend and Monday off work and likely no major obligations outside of a few BBQs, they might be willing to lend a helping hand and help you save the money you’d typically spend on Chicago professional movers.

However, as we’ve noted before in discussing the differences between moving in your twenties as opposed to moving in your thirties, the older one becomes, the less appealing this all-hands-on-deck approach can become. Thus, if you can’t get a team together or simply would prefer professionals to handle the move, start looking for those Chicago professional movers who work on Labor Day and find out if they charge more for working on a holiday.

2. Accomplish More Faster

With many businesses closed on Labor Day, traffic for a Monday in September tends to be unusually light. We mention this because while we will typically advise against moving during the other summer holidays due to seemingly everyone choosing to drive somewhere, Labor Day is traditionally treated as a day of rest. That moment to catch your breath before plunging into the hectic pace of fall in Chicago.

Additionally, while we can’t say this for our team, some have found that movers can actually be quicker on a holiday like Labor Day as they are often in a rush to get home to their loved ones and enjoy the rest of the day in peace. Thus, you can benefit from that without having to pay extra. Just be sure your movers aren’t in too much of a rush that they disregard basic safety precautions or fail to protect and handle your valuables with the proper care and respect.

3. Plan for the Inconveniences

As we mentioned above, many businesses including all government agencies have Labor Day as a paid holiday off work, which can mean less traffic and a quicker move for you. However, keep in mind that businesses will be closed and thus setting up your internet and getting all of your packed electronics out and set up might be for nought if you have no power and the internet company is closed.

However, many of these issues can be avoided by simply planning ahead and being aware of possible setback in advance. Make sure the home or apartment you’re moving into will have hot water and electricity working so you won’t be stuck until Tuesday waiting for the utilities companies to come. In all, moving in Chicago on Labor Day has quite a few benefits alongside some disadvantages that can be largely avoided through proper planning.