No matter where you’re planning to move to, having a plan makes your move go more smoothly. But, a big move to a new state like Florida requires a bit more forethought so that everything that needs to be done is completed on time and without costing you a ton of money. The Red Rover Moving & Storage is with a detailed plan in place. Start with these tasks to make sure you’re prepared for your move when the day finally arrives.
Research the State
Not all of Florida is created equally, so you need to take the time to research the state before you ever set your moving date. Compare the various regions of Florida to make sure you move to the one that best suits your personality and lifestyle. For example, if you’re someone who loves to go out at night and hit the nightclubs and parties, southern Florida is an excellent option. If you want to live within minutes of the beach, try eastern or western Florida. You should also compare the cost of living and real estate market for various cities in consideration to find an area you can afford.
A great aspect of living in Florida is that you don’t have to pay state income tax. This makes Florida more affordable than you might think, especially when you consider it’s one of the more popular places in the country to live. No matter what job you get, you’ll be able to keep more of your pay instead of giving it over to the state. Of course, you will have some additional expenses that you won’t have elsewhere (see insurance policies below), but you should still be able to save some money by moving to Florida.
Take Stock of Your Wardrobe
There’s a reason Florida is called the Sunshine State and if you’ve lived in a colder climate for at least a while, you probably don’t have the right wardrobe for such a warm, tropical state. You can ditch or donate all your cold weather clothing, including heavy coats, snowsuits, wool socks, boots, sweaters, gloves, and snow hats. You might even get rid of most of your long pants as well, especially if they’re made of heavy materials.
Use some of your budget to purchase shorts, lightweight shirts (both short-sleeved and sleeveless) and pants (think linen and cotton), sandals, breathable shoes, and thin socks. You should also bring a lightweight jacket or windbreaker, a raincoat, and an umbrella, because even though it doesn’t get cold very often in Florida, it does have a rainy season and you don’t want to be caught unprepared.
Check Out Employment Opportunities
Unless you’re moving to Florida because you’re retiring, you’ll probably need a job no matter where you end up living. Begin looking for open positions in your target cities by scouring online job boards and company career pages. You’re likely to find better opportunities around and in large cities like Orlando, Tampa Bay, Fort Lauderdale, or Miami, but if you’re in the service industry, there are excellent opportunities in smaller retirement communities like Naples, Sarasota, and Pensacola as well.
Top paying jobs in Florida include pilots, dentists, physicians, judges, engineers, and surgeons, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find a well-paying job in another field. Tourism is one of the main industries in the state, so any position related to hospitality will be easy to find. If you haven’t worked in the hospitality industry before, you might just take a look at the open jobs in this area and give something new a try!
Be Aware of Special Insurance Policies
While Florida is fabulous in many ways, it does come with some risks that you should know about before you move there. The most important factor that could impact your living expenses is that you will probably need to purchase several special insurance policies that you don’t have to purchase in other states. This is because Florida can experience severe weather conditions that homeowners need to protect against.
When you buy a house in Florida, depending on its location, you may need to get hurricane insurance to ensure your house is protected against wind, hail, and rain damage. Insurance companies may not even insure your house if you don’t have a hurricane insurance policy. Two other types of insurance you may consider when living in Florida are sinkhole and flood insurance. Since there can be heavy rains and flooding at times, these are two risks that are higher in Florida than in many other states. Check with an insurance professional who sells insurance in Florida to assist you in protecting your major assets.
Visit Florida
It’s never a good idea to move to a place you haven’t visited at least once. After you’ve narrowed down your city choices to two or three, it’s time to take a trip to the Sunshine State and make sure the cities have everything you want and need. This is probably the best way to finalize your choice, unless a job finalizes it for you. Even then, you might decide you’d rather live in a suburb instead of in the city once you make an in-person visit.
Administrative Tasks
After you’ve found a place to live and have a moving date, you’ll need to take care of some administrative tasks for when you arrive in Florida. Use this list as a guide to what needs to happen before you arrive or just after you’ve moved in.
- Arrange for utilities to be activated (electricity, gas, water, cable, Internet, etc.)
- Enroll children in school
- Obtain a Florida driver’s license
- Register your vehicle in Florida
- Register to vote in Florida
- Find a doctor and dentist
Conclusion
Making a big move to another state is a complex process that requires several moving parts, especially on moving day itself. But you can lessen your stress and lighten your load by taking care of certain tasks before you get there. Deciding where to live and landing a job are among the two most important things to do before even setting a moving date. Getting these huge chores out of the way before you arrive in Florida will help you focus on the smaller tasks that could easily slip through the cracks.
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