Moving in Chicago eats up whole days. Narrow streets, back stairs, and traffic all slow you down. The good news is simple. The best time-saving techniques for your Chicago moving cost you nothing. You can start most of them today.

We are Aaron Bros Moving System, Inc. Our family has moved Chicago homes since 1969. Here are the tips that save the most hours.

1. Lock in your date first

Good dates fill up fast here. Many city leases end on May 1 and October 1. Those two days are the busiest of the year. Trucks and crews book out weeks ahead.

Set your date six to eight weeks out. You get more choice and a better rate.

2. Grab a street permit early

Chicago curbs fill up by 8 a.m. If the truck parks far away, the job takes longer. Every extra step costs you time and money. The city can post real no-parking signs for you. Apply online through the CDOT permit portal. Do it at least a week ahead. Signs must go up two or three days before the move. Your ward office may offer free courtesy signs. Those help, but the city cannot tow for them.

A truck at your door can save an hour or two of carrying.

3. Book the elevator and the dock

Call your building office today. Most high-rises have one freight elevator. They book it in two-hour blocks. The first block of the day is best. Ask about dock rules and floor pads too. Ask for a copy of the building’s move rules. Some buildings want a paper from your mover.

Get the first elevator slot. You skip the lunch rush and the 5 p.m. crowd.

4. Cut your load before you pack

Every box you skip saves you time twice. You skip the packing. You skip the unpacking. Walk each room with three bags: keep, donate, toss. Be quick and firm about it.

Less stuff means fewer hours on the clock.

5. Pack one room at a time

Do not roam the house. Finish one room. Tape it, label it, and shut the door. This keeps you from sorting the same pile twice.

Finish a room before you start the next one.

6. Label every box by room

Write the room name on the top and two sides. Add one line about what is inside. Use a thick marker, not a pen. Then tape a sign on each door in the new place.

Labels on the sides show up when boxes are stacked.

7. Use the bags and bins you own

You already own great packing gear. Fill your suitcases, duffels, and laundry baskets. Roll the wheeled bags down the hall. Stuff towels around plates and glass. That saves a trip to the store.

Free packing gear beats a store run.

8. Keep clothes on the hanger

Do not fold your whole closet. Grab twenty hangers at once. Pull a trash bag up over them. Tie the bag at the hook. Hang them right back up at the new place.

A closet can be packed in ten minutes this way.

9. Take photos of every cord

Snap the back of the TV. Snap the router, the desk, and the game box. Do the same for bed frames and shelf parts. Drop the screws in a bag. Tape the bag to the frame.

Photos save an hour of guessing on night one.

10. Pack a first-night box

Pack one box you can find fast. Add sheets, towels, soap, and phone chargers. Add coffee, snacks, and paper plates. Toss in tape, a knife, and a wrench. Keep this box in your own car.

Mark it FIRST. Load it last, and open it first.

11. Set up a do-not-pack zone

Pick one closet or corner. Put keys, pills, papers, and a laptop there. Add your wallet, passport, and rings. Tape a big sign on it. Tell everyone to stay out.

One clear zone stops the wild search on move day.

12. Change your address in one sitting

Block off thirty minutes. Do the post office form online. Then hit the big five: bank, work, phone, doctor, and school. Update your license and your city sticker. Do it all at once and be done.

One sitting beats ten small tasks later.

13. Measure doors, halls, and stairs

Chicago two-flats and three-flats have tight back stairs. Old doorways can be narrow. Measure your couch, bed, and fridge. Measure the door and the turn at the landing. Tell us the numbers before move day.

Five minutes with a tape measure can save a long stall.

14. Plan for the weather

Chicago gives you all four seasons. In winter, salt and shovel both walks. Lay old rugs or cardboard on the floor. In summer, start at 7 a.m. Keep water and a fan by the door.

A clear, dry path keeps the crew moving fast.

Save the most time of all

You can do all of this yourself. Or you can hand the heavy part to us. Aaron Bros Moving System, Inc. has served Chicago since 1969. We are family owned, and we know these streets. We help with permits, stairs, elevators, and packing. A trained crew loads much faster than a group of friends.

Call Aaron Bros Moving System, Inc. today for a free quote. Book your date, and take your weekend back.