Image Courtesy of CODOT

I am a perpetually check Google Maps before I leave any location.  I will ask my step-sons to check the route to see if there is a better one before us.  I want to see if the traffic is moving (or not).  Is the route I like to take all “red” with congestion?  Is there a better way to go?  Should I stay at work a little longer and wait for the traffic to die down?  I am sure you may be thinking…I live in Chicago and I use public transit.  I just walk to the CTA bus or train and hunker down into a good book, podcast or people watching and zone out.  Well, depending on where you live and work, public transportation may not be a viable option for you.

We have 2 major highways in the Denver Metro area, I-70 (runs East and West) and I-25 (runs North and South).  They can be quite a nightmare especially with construction! The Colorado Department of Transportation has several popular projects they are working on and will start to work on in 2018.  One of my favorite is the Central 70 Project.  This project is between I-25 and Chambers Road and will remove the 53-year old viaduct.  CDOT’s site states that the viaduct carries upward of 200,000 vehicles per day.  There will be a lot of changes, so to keep on top of it you can:

• check CDOT’s lane closures with this map,
• subscribe to all project Alerts via email or text (this will sign you up for travel alerts, news and much more), or
• One of my favorite functions on CDOT’s site: the COTrip, an interactive map that provides live feeds of the condition of the roads and traffic.

Another important part of Denver’s roads is the City and County of Denver’s Public Works Department provides services involving the public infrastructure (transportation, street maintenance, planning and construction and many more services).  Road impartments are discussed often.  Are the roads needing to be repaved?  Does the CCD need to acquire land owner’s property to widen streets? CCD has a Downtown Paving Work Program that has identified streets that will be repaved in 2018.  If you have any questions on a program, need to request a repair or need to report a problem you can call 3-1-1.

For more information, check out our blog post by Bethany Candelaria “Everything you need to know about Denver Traffic.”

By knowing some of the Colorado Department of Transportation and City and County of Denver’s Public Works Department transportation projects, you will be zipping down I-25 stress free.

Moving can be stressful especially if it is out of state and even more so if you don’t know a lot about the state or city you are moving to.  If you type in, “what to know before moving out of state” into Google, there 2.28 Billion search items in less than .71 seconds.  That can be very overwhelming.  To make it easier for you, here are our top 7 questions to ask yourself before moving out of state.

1. What does the job market look like?

If you are moving for a job, CONGRATULATIONS! If you are looking for a job in the Denver Metro area – there are plenty of jobs available.   The Denver Post reported in May 2018 that our unemployment rated was below 3%.  Update your LinkedIn profile to look for jobs in Denver.  You can also use Indeed to find a job.

2. When should I move?

According to Moving.com, the most cost-effective time to move is Mid-September to April.  Just remember, if you are moving to Colorado snow can start to fall as early as September but late October is more likely.  And Wikipedia states March is the 2^nd snowiest month with 10.7 inches on average

3. What is the housing market like?

Courtesy of www.videoblocks.com

Whether you are looking to Buy or Rent, knowing what you will pay for your living situation is vital.  CNBC with the Federal Housing Administration (yes if you read the article CNBC says Federal Housing Association which is incorrect) has a rule of thumb to not spend more than 30% of your gross (before taxes and expenses).  There is a neat chart for your reference.  Check it out and see where you rank!  Learn more about Denver in this blog post of ours: “Five Things you Need to Know about Denver.”

4. Where should I live?

Image courtesy of www.metrowestres.com

Do you want to be close to the mountains? Do you want to live close to your office? Getting to know the neighborhoods can be fun.  Once you have an idea of what you need and want to be close to, it will be easier to identify where you could live.

5. What is the cost of living?

I love that our beautiful state ranks in the top 10 best states for early retirement.  The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation Enter your current city and state and current salary.  The output will compare salary, and price differences on groceries, housing, utilities, transportation and health care.  For example:  If you currently live in Chicago making $75,000 a year – you will need to make at least $67,950 a year in Denver.  Your groceries will be about 10% less, Housing will be 16% less, Utilities 3% more, Transportation 18% less, and health care will be 3% more.

6. How is the weather?

Check out #2 on 5 things you should know about Denver.   We have lots and lost of sunshine.  67% of our days are sunny ones.  And generally, when we do get snow, it will melt on the streets the next day – making your commute to work or outdoor activities more tolerable.

7. What is the Crime Rate?

As you can tell from our blogpost about the Denver neighborhoods , there are 78 official neighborhoods. CityWide Data reported in July 2018 that murder was down 50% from 2017, -1.7% Rape, -10.3% Robbery, +1.81 Aggravated Assault in Denver.  Once you have identified where you would like to live, use the Denver Police Departments cumulative data and data by month for more specific information.

We hope you find this information valuable.

1. Moving is an opportunity to purge some items that you haven’t used in a while or won’t be using in Colorado.

For example:  If you are moving from Chicago, you may have a lot of Bears, White Sox, Cubbie, and Bulls apparel that you won’t need– you are in Broncos, Rox, Avs, Nuggets country now!  On a serious note – When starting to pack, ask yourself “Do I really need this?  Have I used/worn this in the past year?”  If the answer is “No” then give it away

2. Labels, labels and more labels.

The more you label something the more organized it will make you – which relieves stress.  When I moved this last time, we asked a couple of local offices if we could have their unwanted one side used paper.  We were able to get a lot of paper for free.  We would label the boxes on all 4 side with 8 ½ x 11 sheets.  There was no question which room the box was supposed to go into.  I like to save as much money as possible since moving can prove to be expensive.

3. Decide if you will be moving yourself or hiring movers.

Moving.com has a calculator for moving estimates.  It can cost $3,910-$5468 to hire movers for a 2-3 bedroom apartment from Chicago to Denver.  If you choose to move yourself, Uhaul’s 20’ truck (2-3 bedroom apt) would cost you $1,615.

4. Start collecting boxes and packing material.

HomeDepot or Lowes can cost a lot of money.  Try reaching out to your local Nextdoor neighbors and ask if anyone is getting rid of boxes and packaging material.  It could save you a LOT of money.

5. Pack essentials last.

Could you imagine if you packed your tooth brush, toiletries and towels for the showers?  That would be pretty frustrating as you use them daily! I know that seems pretty dramatic but think of this: Don’t pack things you know you will need to use.  Pack items that are in storage, Holiday items, nonessential items, books, etc.

6. Keep the breakables or prized items with you.

Do you have your great grandma’s china, priceless paintings, or an extensive coin collection?  If so, you may want to drive with them in your car for safe keeping.

Happy Moving!