UK couple thinking about moving to Naperville (Chicago, Wheaton: real estate, to rent)

[OffToUSA]

Hi all,

I have been reading all of your posts on this great forum, particularly those from blitzen001 who appears to be in a similar situation to myself and it seems like you guys would be able to help me understand some small points about Chicago living that are really wriggling at the back of my mind!

I have been offered the opportunity to relocate to Chicago from the UK and after some research (including a recent visit) we have pretty much settled on Naperville (although the idae of which neighboorhood is the next big issue) as it seems like a fantastic place to live and will offer a reasonable commute to The Loop.

However, I do have some questions around living expenses that hopefully you can help me with.

How much should I allow for a typical grocery budget? There are only the two of us, plus a couple of small dogs, but we do like to eat well. In the UK we are spending around 600GBP to cover food, petfood, toiletries etc. I'm being told that it is much cheaper than the UK, but a trip to Dominicks showed pretty variable differences.

I'm also trying to get to grips with typical costs for insurance. I've been told that Auto insurance is expensive compared to UK, but what should I expect to pay for a `typical` SUV such as a Jeep Liberty?

Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated!

Thanks

[studedude]

My wife and I (late 50's-early60's) and 1 dog spend $60-$75 a week on groceries. We eat out 2 or 3 nights a week. I don't know about car insurance in the UK but in the US there are so many variables it is hard to compare one families rate to another. Minimum required can be bought very cheaply, assuming a good driving record. If you have a home and other assets that is not enough to protect you. There are many insurance company sites that will quote your rate online. They want your name and US address so they can check your driving record. If you would like to DM me I would be glad to get a rate using my stats. I have a good driving record. It won't be exact but close enough to compare. I am not an insurance salesman.

[blitzen001]

Originally Posted by OffToUSA

Hi all,

I have been reading all of your posts on this great forum, particularly those from blitzen001 who appears to be in a similar situation to myself and it seems like you guys would be able to help me understand some small points about Chicago living that are really wriggling at the back of my mind!

I have been offered the opportunity to relocate to Chicago from the UK and after some research (including a recent visit) we have pretty much settled on Naperville (although the idae of which neighboorhood is the next big issue) as it seems like a fantastic place to live and will offer a reasonable commute to The Loop.

However, I do have some questions around living expenses that hopefully you can help me with.

How much should I allow for a typical grocery budget? There are only the two of us, plus a couple of small dogs, but we do like to eat well. In the UK we are spending around 600GBP to cover food, petfood, toiletries etc. I'm being told that it is much cheaper than the UK, but a trip to Dominicks showed pretty variable differences.

I'm also trying to get to grips with typical costs for insurance. I've been told that Auto insurance is expensive compared to UK, but what should I expect to pay for a `typical` SUV such as a Jeep Liberty?

Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated!

Thanks

Hi there,
If you dont mind me asking, where abouts will you be working?
If its in the city, then maybe Naperville isnt ideal.

The people here were VERY informative when i was looking at Naperville and tbh, they were very right when they said the commute was a long way to and from the city each day.

I am settled now in the thought that Western Springs (likeliest for us), Wheaton or LaGrange are some of the nicest places to live (someone will confirm i hope), and a very good for commuting into the city.

[OffToUSA]

I will be working on North Whacker so, for me at least, its not a bad commute as I can walk to the office from Union in a few minutes. Probably better than I have today.

I agree that if you need to jump onto the El then travel time will quickly ramp up and if you aren't used to a big commute then it will soon become a drag. I'm betting that in the winter it will feel ten times worse too!

From our visit I would say that there are a lot of great places to live, but my wife has just fallen in love with Naperville's downtown area - the shops, restaurants and the riverwalk are great, but I think for her the Dog bakery and pet shop (Two Bostons?) really clinched it!

[aragx6]

Also important to note that parking at the metra station in Naperville is apparently impossible - years long waiting lists for permits etc. I don't live there so hopefully someone else can shed some light on this situation and the ways (if any) around it.

As a couple my SO and I spend about $100/week on groceries if we eat in every night. We buy ground sirloin which is pricey and lost of fresh veggies so i think we're considerably higher than other couples and I am sure I could do it more cheaply.

Car insurance - figure about $600-800 every six months for full coverage, but as studedude mentioned it varies wildly!

[fairmarketvalue]

Originally Posted by OffToUSA

I will be working on North Whacker so, for me at least, its not a bad commute as I can walk to the office from Union in a few minutes. Probably better than I have today.

I agree that if you need to jump onto the El then travel time will quickly ramp up and if you aren't used to a big commute then it will soon become a drag. I'm betting that in the winter it will feel ten times worse too!

From our visit I would say that there are a lot of great places to live, but my wife has just fallen in love with Naperville's downtown area - the shops, restaurants and the riverwalk are great, but I think for her the Dog bakery and pet shop (Two Bostons?) really clinched it!

I think what Blitzen was trying to say was more about the communte on the Naperville end, not once you reach the city. You have not shared with any of us what your looking for as far as housing and pricepoint you are seeking. Unless you have no less than 1/2 million to spend( and 1/2 mil. near donwtown will not get you much) or probably 3000/mo if you choose to rent, you will not be near downtown and the train. The commute to the train station from many parts of Naperville can be no less than 1/2 hr. And if the real estate agent you are working with is from Naperville, he/she will lie to you about how long of a commute to the train station you truly will have. They readily throw out "oh, it's only 10 minutes" BS, when , in fact, it's 3 times that. Then, once your on the train, another hour. Anyway, we'd be more able to help if we know what your housing plans are and better estimate what your commute time will REALLY be. There are fancy pet stores in many western suburbs(a really cute one in Geneva) so kind of a silly reason to settle on one community but if that's what your looking for, Naperville isn't the only "city" that has unique pet shops. If you are in the upper price range I spoke of, then ignore everything else as Naperville is a really neat "downtown" area and place and if you can afford to be in the "downtown area" then you'll just have the long train ride.
Good luck.

[acdevane]

To answer your question a lot also depends where you shop. Since there are SO many options in Naperville from Butera Market (low end) to Casey's Finer Foods (high end) to everything in between - Dominick's, Jewel, Meier etc. You could make your budget work without any problem and still be able to eat out. The wonderful thing about coming from the UK is the dollar exchange. Great position to be in now!

Also, although parking at the train is at a premium, if you arrive before 6:45a - 7:00a you can still obtain daily parking. However, contrary to popular belief, there still are some homes available around the train under the $500K mark. They may not be updated to 'Pottery Barn' standards, but they do exist. If you are over the 500K range your options open up considerably.

As far as the insurance, I wouldn't be able to comment on that. As stated previously rates range widely based on age, driving record, type of car, and age of vehicle. If you're interested however, you can DM me and I can provide you with numbers for a few agents that would be able to provide you with quotes.

As a final note - Naperville is a GREAT town, and you can rest assured that you will be happy with your decision!

[tb4000]

In all honesty, from someone that commutes to the Loop from Indiana, you may be better off just finding a place downtown or in River North. Just saying, is all.

[linicx]

I do not live in Chicago. I drive a King Cab Ford and my insurances is $750 a year. Any vehicle that theives targe is higher. If you live in an area where there are more accidents the insurance rates are higher. If you live in a resorrt area the rates are higher. You will need your birth certificate, another form of identification and one piece of mail addressed to you at your new US address to get a driver's license. You will need the title to your vehicle and proof of insurance to get license places. Plates for my truck cost $150 US. You will be required to pass the IL drivers test based on the IL Rules of the Road book. You can get it from any License bureau. Handicap plates must be applied for; it requires a physician's signature. The tax on groceries for human consumption is 1%. It doesn't include deli foods, pet foods or fast food. $600 should be more than adquate for groceries for two.

You should be able to find Pets Mart or Pet's World. The national branded pet food is cheaper there, and in larger sizes than at the local grocer. I feed my dog Purina Pro Plan because the number one ingredient is protein and not corn or wheat I've had dogs all my life, It;'s only recently that a vet told me dogs and cats and people cannot digest corn. Its a waste of money to buy it if it does the pet no good.

I believe you will love Chicago once you get settled in and get the hang of American slang.

[OffToUSA]

Everyone,

Thanks for the responses. All excellent advice!

I hadn't considered that it could take so long to get the station. It seemed pretty easy to access. I guess morning traffic is a concern? I need to be in the office by around 7am so am assuming that traffic will be much lighter at that time and it seems that I might get a parking space that early? Or my wife would have to drive me.

Are taxis plentiful? Would it be realistic to get a taxi to the station from a mile or two away?

We will be looking to spend around 400-450K and from what i've seen on the various websites (napervillehouses.com etc) it looks like we have a choice of a larger house (2500sq ft or so) just outside naperville or a smaller older one within walking distance (less than 1 mile) of downtown. Being english I am used to walking everywhere so downtown would be preferable.


Again, thanks for all the great advice!