Written by: Madeline Blake
Date:

When the time comes to move to a new home, there is a lot of heavy weightlifting coming your way. Organizing a move of practically any scale is a complex task, no matter how much experience you may have. From hiring a Verified moving company to packing all of your belongings and saying goodbye to your old place and maybe some people that are staying behind, there is a lot to wrap your mind around. However, not every move is the same and each has its own specificities that you will have to navigate. Moving from one part of your town to another is not exactly the same as moving from one city to another. This means that no matter the experience you may have, you will have to adapt to the move at hand. That is why moving from Iowa City to Chicago is a story of its own.

Meet your new home city – Chicago

Even though it represents a fresh start, moving to a new city can feel a bit overwhelming. Chicago is one of the largest cities in the States and as such, it can feel quite imposing. However, Chicago is one warm, nice city. Just wait until you walk down the Magnificient Mile and the Chicago Riverwalk. You will fall in love with it quite quickly. One of the things that make Chicago so welcoming is that it is an old city with a rich history from which jazz was born into existence. It is a city that has a lot to offer to anyone. People here are as hardworking and as dependable as any, so hiring one of the long distance moving companies Chicago offers is guaranteed to save you a lot of stress during your move.

A monument and trees

Chicago is a rich city with a lot to offer

There is something for everyone here. If you love spending your time in nature, then Chicago is definitely one of the best places in the world. When you need to get away from the city crowd, the Chicago River and Lake Michigan are right there for you to savor them. To add to that, as a city of rich historical and cultural heritage, Chicago is full of interesting places such as Adler Planetarium and Skydeck Chicago. So, while Chicago is definitely a big bite, it truly has something for everyone and the more time you spend here, the more you will love it. And that brings us to our next point.

Before you are done moving from Iowa City to Chicago, get to know your new home

By this, we don’t just think that you should do research of the city. Before you move here, you will first have to find a place to live and that in itself means that you will do all sorts of research about the city. And that is all necessary and great, but there is something else you should do. Moving to a new home in a new city can be quite a stressful change even if you are completely excited about what is happening. Going to bed on your first night or waking up on your first morning there, you can feel displaced. And that is a normal feeling, but one that can be, at least partially,  bypassed pretty easily.

wallet, watch, headphones and other items

A tourist trip is a great way to test what belongings on your “essentials” list

Before you start the entire process of moving from Iowa City to Chicago, you should organize a tourist trip to Chicago. Go with your family or a couple of close friends and be a tourist in Chicago for a few days. Go see Millenium Park and walk along the Magnificent Mile. If you have kids, take them to their new schools and perhaps organize a meeting with their new teacher. Then maybe you can go for a picnic at Lake Michigan. Seeing your new neighborhood and getting to know it will also be super helpful when you do actually move there. You will have already made some connections with Chicago by then, and the fitting-in process will be a lot smoother.

Choose your movers wisely

Hiring a moving company to help you with moving from Iowa City to Chicago is a must. Do not listen to people that may see that you can do that on your own. Unless you have a big moving truck and a really reliable group of friends that will be ready for the more than 3-hour ride in one direction several times over the course of a few days or weekends, you really need to hire one of the long distance movers Iowa City offers.

Moving companies can make moving from Iowa City to Chicago a lot easier

Movers are incredibly useful and especially when moving to a different city

It is not just about them being able to load and unload your belongings to their trucks. Hiring a moving company to deal with your belongings is going to save you so much time and spare you a lot of stress while allowing you to spend your time more productively, doing things that only you can such as signing the lease and dealing with other paperwork that requires specifically your presence. Moving companies also offer other services, so do not hesitate to call and find out how your move can be made even easier.

Create an “essentials kit”

Moving can be tricky in quite a few ways. One of them is the duration. Some moves can start in the morning and in the evening you are already half unpacked in your new home. Some moves can last two, or three days, while others can last quite a bit longer. For such moves, you need to be extra prepared. That is why you need an “essentials kit“. The essentials kit can be a box or a bag of the things that you know you will need during the first night and day in your new home. So, make a list of things such as clothes, a personal hygiene kit, chargers for your phone and laptop, etc, and then put them aside in a specially marked box.