A Miami relocation fails in predictable ways: schools discovered too late, a lease signed in the wrong neighborhood, a container of furniture arriving before anyone has keys. The fix is not effort — it is sequence. This is the order we run for families we move.
I.Ninety days out — decisions
- Tax and immigration counsel first. Florida’s zero state income tax is the headline, but domicile has rules: day counts, declarations, where your accountant wants the paper trail. Set this before signing anything.
- Schools before streets. The strong private schools run waitlists and assessments; applications open early and close hard. Your school choice will narrow the neighborhood list for you.
- Scout neighborhoods deliberately. Brickell, Miami Beach, Surfside, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Sunny Isles — each is a different life. We walk clients through all of them; the logic is on our real estate page.
II.Thirty days out — commitments
- Secure the home. Buy or lease, run inspections properly; wire fraud is real in Florida closings, so verify instructions by voice. Our in-house licensed brokerage handles the search, negotiation and closing.
- Utilities and connectivity. FPL, water, internet, building move-in slots (condo buildings require scheduled elevators and certificates of insurance from movers — book both).
- Cars. Decide ship-vs-buy now; Florida registration and insurance quotes take days, not hours.
III.Landing week — paperwork
- Florida driver’s license and vehicle registration — the anchor documents for residency.
- Declaration of domicile and homestead exemption where applicable — this is what your tax counsel wanted done.
- Healthcare. Pick physicians and a hospital system, move prescriptions to a local pharmacy, set pediatric records with the school.
A move is finished not when the boxes arrive, but when the house runs without you thinking about it.
IV.After the keys
This is where a concierge relationship earns its keep: housekeepers and chefs who are vetted, contractors for the inevitable renovation, marina slips, club introductions, a season of restaurants matched to your taste — and one number to call when anything squeaks. What that looks like day-to-day is covered in what a Miami concierge actually does.