How to Survive Your Move to Florida (and What to Do When You Get There!)

First things first, congratulations on your fearlessness in making such a big move. To say the least, moving to a new state is a very big leap that comes with many challenges, but there are ways to make it as smooth sailing as possible.

One of New Jersey’s top moving and storage companies, All Jersey Moving & Storage has helped many families move from the East Coast to sunny Florida. Use the following tips shared by our seasoned moving team to make your move to Florida a breeze and begin planning for life after moving day:

Pack your items easily and securely.

The hardest part of moving is - not surprisingly - preparing for the move! Packing up a lifetime of belonging and leaving the comfort of a home or community you’ve known for years or even decades can be as emotionally stressful as it is physically taxing. Use these moving and packing tips to help you pack your belongings easily and securely.

Hire a professional moving company.

In order to make your move as easy and stress-free as possible, hiring a team of reputable, professional movers is a worthwhile investment. It’s especially important if you’re at retirement age, as the packing and moving process can be extremely taxing.

Hiring reliable, experienced and insured movers will give you badly needed peace of mind that your valuable furniture and other belongings will arrive at your new home unscathed. You won’t have to worry about your home or possessions being damaged during the moving process. Investing in your peace of mind is especially important for long distance moves.

All Jersey Movers has helped countless families move from New Jersey and other states along the East Coast to Florida. In addition to our core long distance moving services, we offer partial and complete packing services as well! If you prefer this option, all you have to do is worry about getting yourself to your sunny new home!

Don’t overwork yourself.

Although moving to Florida is exciting, relocating to another state can be incredibly hectic. In addition to the colossal task of packing, you likely also have to deal with work responsibilities, closing the sale of your home and saying goodbye to family and friends. It can be overwhelming, to say the least.

Make sure to get an early start on your move so you don’t have to work to high-pressure deadlines.

Getting through this major life transition requires maintaining a healthy state of mind. And to achieve that, you can’t be moving a hundred miles a minute. By creating a clear plan that allows you sufficient time to tackle all of your moving tasks, you’ll be able to slow down and take your time.

Move at the right time.

Moving during the week may be less stressful for the simple reason that all the stores and businesses you may need to visit are open. If you need to visit the bank, post office, etc. before you go, you’ll have the ease and convenience of regular business hours being in your favor.

At All Jersey Moving & Storage, we find that the busiest moving times are the beginning and the end of the month, as well as Saturdays. We recommend that you book your movers about 6 to 9 weeks in advance of your move to ensure that your preferred date is available.

However, if you’re running behind, don’t fret. One thing that sets All Jersey Moving & Storage apart is that we always try to accommodate last-minute moving requests whenever possible.

Make sure you’re energized and well-rested for moving day.

This is important. Moving day is stressful enough as it is when you aren’t feeling tired, cranky, or sluggish. If you anticipate a restless night of sleep, try going to bed early or going for a run to shake that nervous energy and ensure you get a good night’s rest.

It’s also important to make sure you stay hydrated and eat energizing, wholesome foods as your moving day approaches. You need to feel good to survive a long-distance move, so don’t put taking care of yourself at the bottom of your To Do list.

Now, here’s what to do when you get to Florida.

Between packing, tying up loose ends and saying goodbye to friends and family, it’s likely been a long, draining moving process. This is especially true if you had to sell your home and purchase or rent a new one. But rest assured that the hardest part is just about over.

After your movers unpack your belongings in your new home, make sure that nothing is missing or damaged. It always helps to read reviews about the moving companies you’re considering before you select your movers. With a reputable, well-recommended moving company like All Jersey Moving & Storage, you can enjoy peace of mind that everything will arrive with you in the same condition it was in when it left your old home.

All Jersey Moving & Storage has incredible reviews from customers who have shared their positive moving experiences with us. With All Jersey Movers, you can expect that we’ll take care of your belongings like we would our own.

Turn on your utilities.

Before you settle in and unpack everything, you’ll need to turn on your utilities so that you can use your water, electric, etc. Consider doing this on your trip down the coast so that everything is up and running before you get there and start to unload.

Accommodate your pets.

If you’re traveling with pets, they’re probably just as stressed as you are that they’re going to be living in a completely new environment. You can ease the chaos of moving day by setting them up in a secluded room away from the noise and commotion (and safely out of the movers’ way!).

Make sure your pets have food, water, their favorite toys and any other comforts that may calm their nerves. Schedule a reminder in your phone to let your dogs out regularly (after all, they don’t know the new lay of the land and you don’t want any accidents!). If you have cats, remember to put out their litter box.

Don’t feel like you have to unpack EVERYTHING immediately.

Getting settled in and putting everything in its place will make you feel more comfortable in your new home and help you adjust to your new life, but after an exhausting move, you are entitled to a little rest. As previously mentioned, your health and mental well-being are essential to helping you begin your Florida adventure on the right foot.

An experienced moving company will ensure that your furniture is moved to the correct room and location in your new home without any damage, taking a huge load (literally) off of your back.

All Jersey Moving and Storage also offers partial and complete unpacking services, including placing your dishes, antiques and kitchenware in the appropriate cupboards and drawers. It’s a specialty service of ours that’s popular among seniors, busy families and working professionals. If you really wanted to make your move stress free and completely hands-off, we can make that happen.

After the movers have left, prepare everything you’ll need for your first day:

• Make the beds
• Take out a few changes of clothing and fresh towels
• Unpack essential bathroom items
• Order food

Leave the rest of the unpacking for the morning. You’ll be far more productive and better able to organize your space when you’re well-rested. Create an unpacking plan that outlines the “priority” items in each room that you need to unpack. While you don’t want to be living out of boxes for too long, it’s okay to tackle packing day-by-day for the first few weeks once all the essential items you use on a daily basis are unpacked.

Here’s what you can expect your first few days in Florida:

• Your body will need to adjust to the temperature change. If you’re moving from New Jersey to Florida, it will take some time to adjust to the heat. But you’ll learn to love it in no time - just make sure your air conditioner is in good shape!
• You may get some uninvited critters. Little geckos and other native Florida pests are known to invite themselves into your homes.
• You may see some other critters around that you haven’t seen before such as iguanas, snakes, and even the occasional alligator! Take safety measures to prevent them from lurking around your yard and home by getting recommendations from neighbors for the best pest control companies in your area.
• Building new relationships takes time. Florida will feel a lot more like home if you actively try to make new friends and be social. Florida is buzzing with sunny, sandy hot spots for social interaction, so join a local gym, grab drinks at your neighborhood patio bar or host a barbecue and invite your new neighbors.

Explore the surrounding areas.

It will take time to learn the lay of the land. Visiting the local bank, grocery store, parks, pharmacy, post office, cafes and other shops will help you get your bearings. In the meantime, take advantage of your GPS!  

Do the touristy stuff.

• Hit the beach. Now that you’re in Florida, you’ll be tempted to hit the beach. Not only are beaches proven to be therapeutic, but they’ll help you remember what attracted you to move to Florida in the first place. The sunny beaches are much better than the ones in New Jersey because Florida is a tropical state whose beaches are on the Caribbean Ocean.
• Enjoy a little magic. Disney World is one of Florida’s largest, most popular attractions. Whether or not you have kids, it is well-worth a trip. This is a great way to celebrate successfully completing your move. Disney World is made up of four main theme parks and two water parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach. Other amusement parks worth visiting include Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, Sea World, and Legoland.
• Enjoy the natural beauty. Another thing Florida has to offer is its beautiful national parks. Because of Florida’s diversity of climates, it has a wide array of terrains and each national park offers a unique experience.

Key facts about Florida:

• It has five distinct regions: The Florida Panhandle, Northern Florida, Central Florida, Southern Florida, and Southwest Florida.
• Seniors moving to Florida are projected to more than double the state’s older population to 10 million by 2030. Currently, one in 20 people in Florida is over 80.
• More and more young professionals are moving to Florida because it ranks fourth in the US for job growth and the economy is constantly growing.
• Florida summers are generally long, warm, and humid and 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average yearly high temperature. You can also expect frequent thunderstorms in the summertime.
• Florida has no State Income Tax, Inheritance Tax or Estate Tax.
• Out of Florida’s 1,800 miles of coastline, 1,100 of it is beaches.
• Of the top ten rated beaches in the US, four of them are located in Florida: Fort De Soto Park, Caladesi Island State Park, Crescent Beach on Siesta Key and Cape Florida State Park.
• Florida receives over 40 million tourists each year, many from within the U.S. but up to 20% from other countries.

Cool facts about Florida:

The Boca Digest lists out 50 fun facts about Florida. Here are some of the things that the author - who moved from New Jersey to Florida! - had to say:

• You are never more than 60 miles from the Ocean in Florida.
• The 8th most popular tourist destination in the world is Disney’s Magic Kingdom, which ranks behind Central Park, Times Square, The Las Vegas Strip and Niagara Falls.
• Florida is home to 47,300 commercial farms and ranches which span across 9.5 million acres.
• Florida is the #1 provider of fresh market tomatoes, watermelons, grapefruit, sugarcane, fresh market snap beans, fresh market cucumbers, and oranges.
• The Florida Keys declared themselves independent under the name “The Conch Republic” back in 1982. This literally lasted only two minutes.
• The first suntan lotion was invented by Miami Pharmacist, Benjamin Green.
• The daily number of visitors to Orlando is equivalent to the population of Atlanta, Georgia.
• Around 16,000 turtle nests call Palm Beach County’s beaches home.
• There are 100 lakes in Orlando, many of which were derived from sinkholes.

Embrace your new life.

Your first few weeks or even months in your new Florida home may be overwhelming, but that’s to be expected! You are still dealing with the stress of your move and adjusting to your new life. Once you fully unpack and settle comfortably into a routine, it’ll be easier to embrace your new life in Florida.

For more moving tips or for a moving quote for your long distance move to Florida, visit All Jersey Movers and Storage.