🏡 Checklist
30 days before the move — the checklist no one gives you
Utilities, mail, driver's license, vehicle registration, insurance — the boring stuff that will absolutely wreck your first week if you skip it.
4 weeks out
Book movers, request time off, start using up freezer/pantry food, and start a moving binder. Get quotes from at least three moving companies (or reserve your U-Haul) — the good ones book out fast, especially May through August.
3 weeks out
File a change of address with USPS (do it online, not at the counter — it's faster). Notify your bank, credit cards, subscriptions, and doctor's offices. Request medical and school records if you have kids.
2 weeks out
Schedule utility shut-off at the old house and utility turn-on at the new one for the day BEFORE closing — do not let power lapse. Confirm homeowners insurance is bound for closing day. Book a cleaner for the empty old house if you can swing it.
1 week out
Pack a 'first-night' box: sheets, towels, toilet paper, phone chargers, coffee maker, one pan, one knife, medications, and a shower curtain. Confirm your closing time and bring your ID and a cashier's check. Take a photo of every wall outlet and light switch in the old house before you leave.
Once you land in Alabama
You have 30 days to update your driver's license and 20 days to register your vehicle. The county revenue office (not DMV) handles vehicle registration in Alabama — bring your title, insurance, and a bill of sale if applicable. Register to vote at the same time.
Keep reading
Start here
Picking your region of Alabama
North Alabama vs. the river valley vs. the Gulf — how lifestyle, weather, and commute should shape your search before you ever look at a listing.
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Neighborhoods
How to read a community before you buy
What I actually look at on a drive-through: schools, parks, grocery, walkability, future growth — and the quiet signals most out-of-town buyers miss.
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Real talk
Renting first vs. buying right away
When it makes sense to land softly first — and when it absolutely doesn't. My honest take, whether or not it means I sell you a house this year.
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Schools
How to actually research schools
Beyond rating sites: PTA pages, district calendars, a phone call to the front office — and what to ask when you tour.
Read →