Moving Guide

Congratulations - you've officially closed on your home! Now, the real work begins: moving. Here is a brief guide we put together to help give you some peace of mind for the big day.

family in new home
Packing

Staying organized while packing is important to ensuring a smooth moving process. Make sure you label and color code all boxes by the room you want your boxes to eventually end up in in your new home. This will make the unpacking process much simpler.


Sharing your new address

Plenty of services will need to know that your address is changing. Go to usps.com or your local post office to ensure your mail is forwarded, and update your address with your bank. Make sure your employer has the right address for payroll and tax purposes. Don’t forget about newspaper or magazine subscriptions, or the delivery address for online services you use regularly. And most importantly, let your family and friends know!


Stopping and starting utilities

Call utilities ahead of your move to ensure that services like electricity and gas are set up and ready to use when you arrive, and that you won’t be charged for any service at your old address after you move.


Cleaning

It’s everyone’s least favorite part of the move, but it’s one of the most necessary steps, especially if you’ve lived in your home for a while. You can choose to invest in professional cleaners to help ease this process.


You’ll also likely be surprised by the things you uncover in a move. For that reason, it’s important to check behind all cabinets and drawers to make sure you have taken all of your belongings. It’s especially important to do a deep clean of all attics and basements.


Final inventory

After you have all of your belongings organized, make sure you do one last final inventory on your home. Did you miss anything? This will be your final chance to take your belongings before you move.


Moving

If you’re using movers, it’s important to understand what your moving company insures when handling your items. It’s very common for items to be accidentally broken during a move. Make sure you have this all in writing so you know what you can legally expect. Learn more about moving insurance on REALTOR.com.

Mainstreet's Best Quick Moving Tips:
  1. Pack all of the items that you will need to access immediately in a separate suitcase. It's easy for items to get lost in a move and you don't want your toothbrush to be one of them.
  2. Make sure you have the keys and codes to get into your home before you move.
  3. Depending on where you are moving, you may need a parking permit for your move-in day. Research this prior to moving to avoid any surprises.

Chicagoland Housing Market Hits its Spring Sprint

By Amy Robey • April 22, 2026
Spring arrived in Chicagoland suburbs and so did homebuyers. The sales of detached, single-family homes were up 7.5% year over year in March, with 2,134 homes sold compared to 1,985 a year ago. Homes spent an average of 53 days on market, down slightly from 54 days last year. Median prices were up nearly 5%, from $385,000 in March 2025 to $403,250 last month. Months' supply for housing inventory was just 1.5 months across the entire Chicagoland PMSA, well below the five to six months that signals a balanced market. To put that in perspective, Bloomingdale currently has just 8 homes for sale, while a comparable community in Florida has roughly 2,000. "Inventory is still severely constrained and so we are seeing extreme competition for quality listings," said Kinga Korpacz, President of Mainstreet REALTORS®. "Buyers are waiving attorney review and inspections and coming in with significant earnest money." Buyers may find more options in Kane County, where new listings were up 14.5% last month, compared to the same time last year. Even in the attached home segment, where 1,086 homes sold compared to 1,094 a year ago and market time increased from 42 to 54 days, median prices climbed 5.6%, from $270,000 to $285,000. "Even though prices are on an upward path in the Chicagoland suburbs, the market feels predictable," said John Gormley, CEO of Mainstreet REALTORS®. "When things are moving this fast, local expertise from a Mainstreet REALTOR® isn't optional, it's essential. They're going to know the community inside and out, meaning where you have to move quickly and where you may have a day or two to make a decision." Aurora led the region in detached home sales during March with 100 homes sold, followed by Naperville and Arlington Heights. While detached homes across the region sold in an average of 53 days in March, several suburban communities saw average market time fall compared to a year ago: Arlington Heights (70 days to 25 days) Downers Grove (59 to 36) Geneva (35 to 25) Lombard (48 to 25) Streamwood (49 to 30) Tinley Park (107 to 37) Wheaton (24 to 10) Feeling squeezed out of the market? Look for pockets where you might have a little more room like Kane County. And if you're open to it, attached homes, which are condos and townhomes, are moving a bit slower right now, which could mean more time to make a decision and more options at a competitive price point.

Suburban Chicago Home Sales Decline in February as Inventory Shortage Persists

By Wesley Rusick • March 24, 2026
Suburban Chicago home sales slowed in February as inventory shortages continued to define the market. Sales of detached homes were down nearly 10% compared to the same month last year. A total of 1,445 homes sold last month, down from 1,596 in February.
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