When you and your family decide that it’s time to ditch your city lifestyle for a house in the suburbs, you probably have a lot of concerns and endless aspects to consider ahead of your big move. No matter how long you’ve been in the city for, you’ve established your routines there, and now you will need to get used to a new routine in a new place. Before you feel ready to take the leap, there are a few steps you should take to make sure you’re properly prepared for suburban life after your time in the city. Interested in finding out how to make the move from the city to the suburbs? Keep reading to discover our five top tips!

How To Move From the City to the Suburbs?

1. Research the area
   Before you commit to the new town you’ll be calling home, be sure to do thorough research to make sure it’s the right choice for you. There are plenty of suburbs to choose from, so giving yourself some time to look through areas of interest and determine your best fit is ideal. First, it’s best to determine how different you want your new area to be from your current home. Are you looking for a small, quiet town? Would you rather be in a place that still has some hustle and bustle? Not every suburb is the same, so deciding on the qualities you’re seeking can be extremely helpful.

   There is a wide variety of other elements to consider as well. Do you need a place that has public transport? How will your commute to work change moving forward? If applicable, how close are the schools? Is there a well-regarded school system in your new town? On top of work and school, you also want to be aware of what’s available in your town and the surrounding areas. If you love spending time outdoors, find out about local parks. If you’re a foodie, look into the restaurants in the area. Where will you shop? What is available around you? These are important aspects to think about.

   Of course, another element to research is the area’s housing market. Understandably, you want to make sure that what you’re looking for is available to you. If you want to live in an apartment, you’ll want to check about the availability of any apartment buildings in the area. If you’re looking to buy a house, you will have a different set of circumstances. Knowing what you’re seeking is the first part of the process, and then starting the search is the next aspect to tackle.

2. Consider the lifestyle changes
   When you move to the suburbs from the city, your lifestyle will change in a lot of ways, and some of those ways may be very unexpected. First, the way you get around will likely shift. In the city, you have different options to get where you need to go. Perhaps you walk most of the time, maybe you rely on public transport – or you could get around with a mix of both. No matter what you do now in the city, driving will probably become an integral part of your life in the suburbs. Even if your new town has public transport options or is walkable, it’s still likely that you will need to rely on a car more often than you would in the city. This is a big shift that can often feel inconvenient.

   Additionally, if you’re in a house in the suburbs, you will probably need to start focusing on lawn care. This is a far cry from what you’re probably doing now in the city. To go from not having a lawn at all to needing to be consistent about mowing the lawn and trimming the bushes can feel like an overwhelming responsibility to take on. Plus, if you’re moving from an apartment complex to a single-family home, you no longer have a handyman available to you through your landlord or property manager. Instead, you have to deal with those repairs on your own, whether you do it yourself or seek outside help on your own. These are added tasks in your routine that may seem small but actually take up a good amount of time and energy.

3. Prepare for more space
   Although moving to the suburbs isn’t an absolute guarantee that you’ll acquire more space, it’s highly likely that your new home will be more spacious than an apartment in the city. You may have the luxury of more closet space, a basement, or a garage where you can now store your items. Perhaps your yard even has a shed. There is often much more space to keep things in comparison to the way you were innovating to store all your items in an apartment or townhome previously. Another aspect of this, however, is that you may also have more floor space to furnish. This can be a welcome change for many people, but it also needs to be factored in to remember that you now require more furniture so your rooms don’t feel empty. Especially if you’re upsizing, your larger rooms may call for a good chunk of change spent on furniture.
4. Keep your budget in mind
   As with any move, having a budget and keeping to it is crucial. Before you even get started on your home search, you should have a good idea of what your budget looks like. The more specific you can be, the better. Being prepared in this way is very valuable and helps a lot in the long run as you can have a better handle on your finances. Although the suburbs are typically cheaper than the city, charging less money per square foot, you need to consider what the size of your new place will be, as well as the new costs you may incur. For instance, you may need to invest in a car and car insurance to sustain your new suburban lifestyle, so being aware of these new aspects of your finances is critical. Simply seeing it as being a cheaper housing market in the suburbs doesn’t paint the full picture. Considering the many facets of your budget and the way your finances will change moving forward is crucial.
5. The city can still be part of your life
   Finally, don’t forget – the city will always be there. If you move to a suburb nearby the city you called home, you can still enjoy all the perks of the city while living your life in the suburbs. Trips to the city to visit all your favorite spots can be a great part of your new routine. Who knows? Absence may just make the heart grow fonder, and you can appreciate these places even more now.

Simplify your move to the suburbs

When it’s time for you to relocate to the suburbs, you need a moving company you can trust to make this process simple and easy. Trust Hollander Storage & Moving Co. with all your relocation needs. If you’re making the leap from Chicago to one of the beloved Chicagoland suburbs, allow us to help you, and make this your best move yet. Interested in finding out how we can improve your move? Request a free quote today, and discover our competitive prices and high-quality moving services in Chicago!