The Complete Florida Relocation Checklist
This is the checklist I hand clients regardless of whether they're landing in Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Bradenton, or Venice. Work it in order and the move stops feeling like a scramble.
90–60 days before
This phase is about clarity, not commitment. Get the numbers right before you shop.
Use a Florida-licensed lender who understands CDD fees and Florida insurance costs. Out-of-state lenders routinely underestimate both.
Principal and interest is the easy part. Add property tax, homeowners and flood insurance, HOA dues, and CDD fees to get your true monthly number.
Narrow to three or four. Any more and discovery trips become a blur instead of a decision.
Three to five days. Tour communities, drive the commutes, eat where locals eat, see the beaches you'd actually use.
60–30 days before
Now it gets real. This is the phase where deadlines start to matter.
Write with a realistic inspection period — 10 to 15 days is typical and gives you room for insurance quoting.
Order the home inspection, and for older homes a 4-point and wind mitigation. Get your insurance quote in writing before the inspection period closes.
Interstate movers fill up fast from October through April. Lock your date as soon as you're past inspection.
Give notice to your landlord or list your home. Coordinate the closing dates so you're not paying two mortgages or living out of a hotel.
30–14 days before
Administrative phase. Boring, but this is where people lose days.
Electric (FPL or Peace River Electric), water and sewer through your county or city utility, internet, and trash if not HOA-included. Start service the day before closing.
USPS change of address online. Do it about two weeks out so nothing arrives at the old place after you're gone.
Request records from your current district and start enrollment with Manatee or Sarasota County Schools. Have immunization records and proof of address ready.
Find primary care, pediatrician, and specialists before you need them. Request medical records transfers and confirm your insurance network covers Florida providers.
Moving week
Five items. Don't add more.
Verify repairs, appliances, and that the home is in the agreed condition. Do it as close to closing as possible.
Review the closing disclosure early and confirm wire instructions by phone with your title company. Wire fraud is real and common in Florida.
Have someone on site with a phone charger, water, and cash for tips.
Bring photo ID. Confirm funds cleared before you leave the table.
First thing after keys. Ten minutes, worth it every time.
First 30 days after closing
This phase is where Florida actually starts paying you back.
| Task | Deadline | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| File Homestead Exemption | By March 1 | Reduces taxable value and locks in Save Our Homes assessment caps. |
| Florida driver's license | Within 30 days of residency | Required, and it helps establish domicile if you're leaving a high-tax state. |
| Register vehicles | Within 10 days of getting your license | Requires proof of Florida insurance and a VIN verification. |
| Register to vote | Anytime, do it early | Another domicile data point, and it's five minutes at the tax collector's office. |
| Update your address | First two weeks | Banks, brokerages, insurance, subscriptions, employer payroll, and the IRS. |
Want this as a printable?
I keep a printable version of this checklist plus a personalized timeline built around your actual closing date. Reach out and I'll send both.
The free Relocation Guide covers the neighborhood side; this checklist covers the logistics side. Together they're most of what you need.
Work the checklist in order and a Florida move becomes a schedule instead of a scramble.
Get Andrea's free Sarasota & Lakewood Ranch Relocation Guide — neighborhoods, schools, taxes, and timing in one place.
