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Tips For Moving In Chicago In Your 20s

July 12, 2017

Being a twenty-something living in a major metropolis like Chicago can be pretty daunting, whether it’s figuring out how to realize your professional goals or deciding out what they even are–transitioning to life after college or moving in and out of apartments throughout the decade. Of course, if you are a millennial twenty-something, then we likely don’t have to tell you how tricky the prospect of moving and finding an apartment that suits your budget can be. While some people find love early on or are fortunate to have the money to live in their dream apartment, many spend their twenties moving from one multiple-roommate living situation to another. And that’s totally fine. Plus, in Chicago, apartments are often swept up within 24 hours, so you have to act fast!

But over the years we’ve seen both some good ideas and bad ones as well that have helped us to come up with….

Table of Contents

Moving In Chicago In Your 20s

1. Scout Out Your Area

Location tends to be one of the primary deciding factors for many young twenty somethings finding an apartment. We’ve provided in-depth looks into many of the top areas young people tend to live, from University Village (for University of Illinois students) to Lakeview and Lincoln Park (where many DePaul students often live). Of course, whether an area is trendy or not should not be a deciding factor, though it can be nice to walk down the street to your local bar or restaurant. But that’s living in your twenties….

Look beyond the cool haircuts and good coffeeshops to see if this new area can support all of your needs. Does it offer an easy or reasonable commute time? Is it close to your gym or is it home to a different branch of your gym?

Of course, having friends close by doesn’t hurt either, but make sure the area has what you need most before anything else, such as a washer and dryer at least within the building unit, appliances, central AC and heat, a closet that you can manage to squeeze your belongings into, and a rent that your budget can handle. If you have a car, you’re going to want to explore parking options as well.

2. Check Up On Your Management Company or Landlord

While we may have grown up watching lovable (yet loath-able) landlords on sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld, today many buildings old and new are owned by management company. Ultimately that means the management company has far more properties than most independent landlords, but that can also mean they lack the personal touch and attentiveness a good landlord can provide.

Of course, great property managers are just as common and they’re are plenty of fine ones out there, alongside some not so great ones. As always, do your homework in advance and search online to see if any past complaints have been lodged about the management company or landlord. If you’re really crafty, heading down to the Better Business Bureau can also kick up some dirt that may not be online. But at the end of the day, asking around and talking to current tenants is a great way to figure out which apartment is right for your.

3. Take Moving VERY Seriously

OK, we don’t mean to sound like your parents, but if you’ve ever been to our blog, you’ll know we’ve covered everything from packing your valuable electronics such as your video games systems and TV to putting together a moving-day checklist to guide you through the big move to how much to tip a professional mover.

The fact of the matter is, not every young adult has their parents to help them out or friends to give them a hand. And while we believe in paying it forward and helping out your friends however you can, sometimes it’s safer to call moving professionals. After all, whether it’s by yourself or with three friends, moving can get messy fast and it pays to have a moving professional there to help guarantee everything goes smoothly.

Of course, this is your twenties. Nothing goes smoothly. But by focusing on what you want from a move, doing your homework on it, and then handling the move itself like an pro yourself while pulling all nighters, that’s how we grow and start moving on to the next exciting stage of our lives…our thirties.