If you’ve found your reason for moving to Florida, congratulations! It could be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. Before getting down here to start your new life, there’s a lot of work to be done. We’ve put together a comprehensive moving to Florida checklist to help make your relocation as stress-free as possible.

We’ll cover everything you should know and do before moving to Florida in detail below, and included a downloadable checklist you can use during your relocation.

Things to Know Before Moving to Florida

Before diving into our checklist, here are a few things to know as you look for a new home.

• Miami-Dade, Tampa, Cape Coral, Orlando, and Jacksonville have some of the most competitive housing and rental markets in the U.S. 
• Miami, Orlando, and Tampa rents are growing at the fastest rates among U.S. cities
• Florida’s cost of living is about the same as the national average, but will vary significantly depending on where you live in Florida.
• North Florida tends to be more rural and less crowded
• South Florida (especially Broward and Miami-Dade counties) has very distinct culture, politics, and demographics from the rest of the state

1. Narrow down where you want to live

If you have flexibility in choosing where to live, Florida is a big state with tons of fantastic cities and towns. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to picking a place, but here are some questions to ask yourself to narrow down your decision.

Do you want to live in a big city?

The four largest cities in Florida are quite unique. Here’s a breakdown of their demographics and cost of living.

1. Jacksonville (Northeast Florida)

• City population: 957,755
• Metropolitan area population: 1,748,117
• Median home price: $311,177 (28.9% increase year-over-year)
• Average rent: $1,530
• Average household income: $79,366
• Median household income: $58,415
• Cost of living: $ (least expensive)

Home price figures courtesy of Zillow, rent courtesy of RentCafe, demographic information courtesy of the City of Jacksonville.

2. Miami (Southeast Florida)

• City population: 461,080 (2020 estimate)
• Metropolitan area population: 2,758,636 
• Median home price: $552,082 (30.4% increase year-over-year)
• Average rent: $2,307
• Average household income: $74,731 (2020)
• Median household income: $44,268 (2020)
• Cost of living: $$$$ (most expensive)

Home price figures courtesy of Zillow, rent courtesy of RentCafe, demographic information courtesy of Miami-Dade Matters and the U.S. Census Bureau.

3. Tampa (western Florida)

• City population: 392,800
• Metropolitan area population: 3,100,000
• Median home price: $420,316 (31.7% increase year-over-year)
• Average rent: $1,915
• Average household income: $91,281 (2020)
• Median household income: $55,634 (2020)
• Cost of living: $$$

Home price figures courtesy of Zillow, rent courtesy of RentCafe, demographic information courtesy of the City of Tampa and the U.S. Census Bureau.

4. Orlando (central Florida)

• City population: 307,573 (2020 estimate)
• Metropolitan area population: 2,690,000 (2021 estimate)
• Median home price: $387,298 (30.6% increase year-over-year)
• Average rent: $1,937
• Average household income: $80,986 (2020)
• Median household income: $55,183 (2020)
• Cost of living: $$

Home price figures courtesy of Zillow, rent courtesy of RentCafe, demographic information courtesy of the City of Orlando and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Are you more interested in nightlife or a family-friendly area?

If you’re single in your 20s and 30s, you may want to look at areas with younger populations, bustling nightlife and like-minded people. You’ll find plenty of entertainment living in cities like Miami, Panama City Beach, Tampa, Daytona Beach, Orlando, or Fort Lauderdale.

If you’re looking for a place to raise a family, you may want more spacious areas with good school systems. You’ll find more attractive options in areas like Tallahassee, Melbourne, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach, Cape Coral, or Bonita Springs.

Do you want to be near the ocean or inland?

The chance to live by the beach is arguably the top reason people move to Florida. Juno Beach, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Key Biscayne, Siesta Key, and Clearwater are a few great options on Florida’s east and west coasts.

But, there are some cons of moving near the beach:

• The most popular coastal areas tend to be more expensive
• Your home will be more exposed to salt air, which is damaging and requires more upkeep 
• Insurance is more expensive due to severe weather events like hurricanes, flooding, and tropical storms hitting the coasts more frequently

You’ll find less expensive areas to live in Florida further inland from the coastal areas. There are also plenty of lakes in Central Florida, so you can still be on the water! If that sounds interesting, you may want to check out areas around Kissimmee, Okechobee, Clermont, or Winter Haven.

2. Decide if you will rent or buy a house

Once you’ve narrowed down the areas you want to live in, the next step is deciding if you will rent or buy a home. 

Tip: If you’re moving to Florida for the first time, you may want to try renting first before tying yourself to a mortgage. 

Here’s how to get started finding a rental property in Florida: 

• Search online for “apartments for rent in [CITY/TOWN]” to get a sense of the rental market. You can also swap in “houses” “condos” or any other housing type for “apartments”. For example, “condos for rent Ft. Lauderdale”.
• Zillow, Apartments.com, and Realtor.com are perfect for determining what’s available based on your needs (1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, etc.). You can sometimes find fantastic “off-market” deals on Craigslist. We’ve also had success in cities like Miami using classified ads in local papers. 
• For budgeting, the “30% rule” is a common guideline for determining how much housing you can afford. You shouldn’t spend more than 30% of your monthly gross income (before taxes and deductions) towards rent and utilities (heat/AC, water, electricity, WiFi).

Tip: During the verification process, most rentors request three months of income statements. Your application may be denied if monthly rent exceeds one third of your monthly earnings.

Home buyers can follow the first two steps almost exactly. Just swap in “houses for sale” during your online search. However, budgeting for purchasing a house is more complicated. 

Budgeting for buying a house in Florida requires more in-depth coverage, but first-time homebuyers should know the general 28/36 rule. As a guideline, you shouldn’t spend more than 28% of your pre-tax income on your mortgage, and your mortgage obligations should not be more than 36% of your total debt.

Whether you’re buying or renting, we’ve created a house hunting spreadsheet to help you stay organized during your house hunt. You can keep track of the properties you’re looking at, contact details for property owners/managers, appointment dates for tours, and notes from your visit.

3. Find a local realtor to help with your search

Whether you’re looking to rent or buy a home, a skilled realtor will be your greatest asset in your search. The Florida Realtors organization has over 225,000 members, so you’ll have plenty of agents to choose from.

Like finding the right partner in dating, you may need to “shop around” to find an agent that meets your criteria and understands your needs. Once you’ve found the right match, you’ll find that having a real estate agent advocating for you will pay off in a big way.

Here are a few major benefits to partnering with a realtor:

• They can help you get the best deal possible
• They’ll save you time by conducting the search on your behalf
• They have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
• They can get you access to new listings first or before they hit the market
• They know the area and the market
• It will cost you nothing – the seller pays their fees

4. Visit your top locations

Scheduling a trip to Florida to scout your new home in-person is the best way to decide if it’s the right place for you to live. We would not recommend buying a house or signing a lease without first touring the location.

Whether you’re renting or buying, you should be able to arrange tours ahead of time with the building manager, property owner, and your realtor.

Your realtor can accompany you to each location, but you should also rent a car to drive around the neighborhoods you’re considering.

Some important questions to ask yourself when looking at homes and neighborhoods:

• Could I see myself living here?
• Will I be happy living here?
• Can I afford to live here?
• What are the pros and cons of living here?
• What’s the trade-off of living here vs. somewhere else?
• For homebuyers: Is this a place you would be happy to live in long-term (more than five years)?
• For renters: Is the building somewhere you would want to live for more than a year? Would you be happy renewing the lease?

5. Lock down your new home and finalize the paperwork

After identifying the right home or rental property, it’s time to seal the deal. Work with your realtor to read through and finalize the paperwork.

Once you have a closing date (for a home purchase) or move-in date (for a rental), next up is getting you and your stuff down to Florida!

6. Plan how to move your stuff

When planning an interstate move, you have a few options to get your possessions from Point A to Point B. 

• Renting a moving truck, packing your items and completing the move yourself.
• Renting a moving pod or container.
• Shipping your stuff through FedEx, UPS, or USPS.
• Hiring a moving company.

We’d recommend either doing the move yourself or hiring a moving company. 

Pros of a DIY move:

• The most budget-friendly option, 
• You’ll also know exactly where your items are at all times, so you don’t have to worry about when they will arrive. 

Cons of a DIY move:

• Requires the most work on your part. 
• If any stuff is damaged during the move, you’re responsible.
• Driving a moving truck long distances isn’t very comfortable.

If you decide to hire movers, you’re in luck. We have years of experience inside the moving industry, here are a few tips:

• For the most accurate quote, always get an in-person estimate for the cost to move all the items you want shipped. 
• Quotes over the phone tend to be underestimated, and you’ll be unpleasantly surprised when your price changes on moving day.
• Get a binding quote or a not-to-exceed estimate.
• Get at least three quotes from three different moving companies. You can compare costs and what each vendor includes in your move (free packing, storage, insurance, etc.),
• Don’t pay a large deposit. The majority of payment should be due upon delivery.
• Summer is the busy season in the moving industry, hiring a mover in Fall or Winter will be much cheaper.

7. Set up your utilities

Unfortunately, homebuyers and renters won’t be able to shop around for a utilities provider in Florida. It will largely depend on where you move. 

If you’re moving to south or northeast Florida, Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) will be your utilities provider. They are also the only provider for about half of the state of Florida.

Other providers include:

• Tampa Electric Co. (TECO): servicing west central Florida, most of Hillsborough County, and parts of Polk, Pasco, and Pinellas counties
• Duke Energy: servicing west central Florida, Orlando metropolitan area, St. Petersburg, Clearwater

We’d recommend getting in touch with your provider before you move, so you can set up service in advance. This will take care of your water, heat/AC, and electricity. 

For internet and cable, homebuyers will have more options to choose from. Feel free to shop around for the right option for you! Some major providers include:

• AT&T
• Xfinity
• Frontier
• Cox
• Spectrum

If you’re moving into an apartment building, they will likely have a preferred provider you will need to use. We’d also recommend setting up an appointment in advance, as service schedules can fill up quickly.

8. Get your Florida driver license and register your vehicle

In order to drive legally, new residents need to get a valid Florida driver license within 30 days of establishing residency.

If you’re bringing an out-of-state vehicle, you’re required to register it in Florida and get it insured within 10 days of establishing residency.

Certain counties in Florida allow you to register your vehicle or update your tags without visiting the DMV. These auto tag agencies are incredibly convenient and are offered in the following counties:

• Broward
• Lee
• Manatee
• Miami-Dade
• Orange
• Volusia

9. Get homeowners or renters insurance

Most major insurance providers will allow you to bundle your auto insurance with your renters or homeowners insurance. You can shop around among the major providers (USAA, Geico, Allstate, etc.), but there are also solid local options.

The cost of renters insurance will vary by where you live and the kind of coverage you opt for, but should typically be in the $13-18 per month range.

10. Forward your mail and change your address

You’ll want to change your address with the U.S. Postal Service and have mail forwarded to your new address. You can set this all up through the USPS website in a matter of minutes for a $1.10 charge.

11. Start building your new life

Moving to a different state is a lot of work, but we hope our checklist and templates help make your relocation easier. Once you’re here, you can focus on building the life of your dreams!

For your convenience, you can download our moving to Florida checklist by clicking on the save button or file here: