Before the moving truck arrives
A little work up front makes the first week easier.
- Set up utilities and internet at the new home so they are on the day you arrive
- File a change of address with the U.S. Postal Service
- Ask your doctors, dentists, and pharmacies for copies of your records or transfers
- Photograph the condition of the new home at the walk-through, and keep your closing documents together in one folder
- Pack a "first night" box with medications, chargers, basic tools, and bedding
If you are still selling your South Florida home, the sell first or buy first guide helps you plan the overlap.
Your first week
Focus on safety and the basics.
- Walk the house and locate the main water shutoff, electrical panel, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Change the locks or have them re-keyed, and collect any garage and gate openers
- Introduce yourself to a neighbor or two, and ask which local providers they use
- Find the nearest urgent care, pharmacy, and grocery store before you need them
- Learn how your new trash and recycling pickup works
Small routines settle a new home faster than any big project.
Within 30 days: licenses, registration, and voter records
Address changes are the tasks with a clock on them. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says name and address changes must be made on your driver license or ID card and on your title and registration within 30 days of the change. FLHSMV's name and address changes page explains the online and in-person options.
While you are at it, update your voter registration, your address with your banks, employer, and insurance companies, and any subscriptions or memberships. These records also support your homestead application, which is the next item.
Homestead exemption: mind the January 1 and March 1 dates
The homestead exemption is not automatic in Florida. You generally need to own and live in the home as your permanent residence by January 1, and file with the Brevard County Property Appraiser by March 1 of that year. If you are transferring a Save Our Homes benefit from Miami-Dade or Broward, you file portability at the same time.
The details, a sample timeline, and the documents to gather are in our Brevard homestead exemption guide. Put the March 1 date in your calendar the week you close.
Insurance: review it now, not at renewal
Your homeowners insurance was priced for your old address, and your new one may need different coverage. Confirm your new policy is active on the closing date and that you understand what it covers. Ask about the deductible for named storms, whether flood coverage is separate, and what your policy requires of the roof and other features of the home.
Rates and availability vary by property and change with the market. Ask an independent insurance agent to compare current quotes for your specific home instead of relying on what a neighbor or a website says. Our cost of living guide explains why insurance is worth a real side-by-side comparison.
Hurricane readiness on the Space Coast
The Space Coast has storm seasons just like South Florida, and a new home is the right time to set up your plan.
- Find out whether your address is in an evacuation zone through Brevard County emergency management
- Decide where you would go, and keep a copy of your important papers in a waterproof folder
- Build a basic kit with water, food, medications, and a battery or hand-crank radio
- Check your home's shutters or windows, and ask when the roof was last inspected or replaced
- Save your insurance company's claims number in your phone
None of this needs to be elaborate. It just needs to be decided before a storm is on the map.
Days 30 to 90: settle in and explore
Once the paperwork is handled, the move becomes about living there. Try a different neighborhood for coffee each weekend. Walk the beaches and the riverfront, and visit the nearby towns to learn what each one feels like. The area guides for Melbourne, Viera, Rockledge, Cocoa Beach, and the other Space Coast communities are a good starting point.
Many people find that the biggest change is not the house but the pace. Give yourself time to find your dentist, your grocery store, and your Sunday routine. If you would like a local recommendation for a provider or a neighborhood, Semiramis is glad to share what she has learned since making the move herself.
