8 weeks before move day
- Research Orlando movers — get 3 written quotes
- Verify each mover’s USDOT (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov) and FLDACS IM# for intrastate FL moves
- Create a move folder: estimates, receipts, inventory
- If you have kids: schedule school transfers now
- Start purging closets — every item you don’t move saves you money
6 weeks before
- Book your chosen mover — weekends fill first
- Order moving boxes (or schedule pickup from mover)
- Begin packing non-essentials: out-of-season clothes, books, decor
- Start using up pantry food and cleaning products — don’t move them
4 weeks before
- Submit USPS change of address (usps.com/move)
- Update address with: bank, credit cards, insurance, employer, DMV, voter registration
- Schedule utility shutoffs at origin + setup at destination (electric, water, gas, internet)
- If moving to Orlando: schedule new-home utility connections for the day before arrival
- Research Orlando schools, doctors, dentists — make appointments
2 weeks before
- Pack everything except daily essentials
- Arrange care/boarding for pets during move day
- Confirm mover arrival time and payment method
- Get any medications refilled — 90-day supply if possible
- Dispose of: hazmat (propane, paint, gasoline), plants going out of state, frozen food you won’t use
Week of the move
- Confirm mover 48 hours ahead
- Pack an “essentials box”: toiletries, 2 days of clothes, chargers, medications, important documents, snacks, pet supplies
- Defrost freezer 24 hours before move
- Take photos of electronics cable setups before disconnecting
- Withdraw cash for tips ($20–$40 per mover is typical Orlando tip on a move day)
Move day in Orlando
- Start early — 7am if crew arrives at 8am. Florida heat peaks after 2pm
- Keep cold water and Gatorade stocked — tip: 1 per mover per hour
- Keep your essentials box in your car, not the truck
- Walk through origin with foreman before crew departs — verify nothing left behind
- At destination: direct where each box/furniture piece goes as it comes off truck
- Tip the crew after work is done — cash or Venmo ($5–$10/hour per mover)
First week after move
- Update Florida driver’s license within 30 days (if moving from out of state)
- Register vehicle in Florida within 30 days
- Update voter registration
- Meet neighbors — Orlando neighborhoods are friendly
- File any damage claims with mover within 30 days (typical claim window)