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MOVING TO FLORIDA CHECKLIST

September 5, 2023
Posted by:
Jim Henderson

Many aging Baby Boomers are flocking (pun is intended) to Florida. There are over 72,000 million boomers, many of whom have had it with Midwest and Northern winters. The “Sunshine State” offers relief from the long, cold, dreary days of winter for these Boomers. Here’s a quick checklist before moving to Florida.

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All too often downsizing baby boomers head to Florida to get out of the cold and, they pack just shorts and “Jimmy Buffet” shirts. Sounds good at the time but, if you do not want to stick out like a sore thumb as a “snow-bird” you will want to have some “regular” pants/jeans and shirts. The locals will be much more accepting, especially at nicer restaurants!

It may sound vain but, just a little bit of color can go a long ways. Besides, if you have fair skin, the shock of 100% pure Florida sunshine can be very painful and, it can only be a matter of an hour or so…even on a cloudy day. With a little “base” your skin can tolerate the rays in the early stages of living in Florida.

Many people moving to Florida do not realize that Florida is one of the longest states in the country. Almost 650 miles from tip to tip, the climate can vary greatly from North to South. Before settling in Florida, yours truly, did a lot of investigating to make sure I was getting the most “sunshine” for my move. Turns out that the southern tip of Florida (basically from Palm Beach across to Port Charlotte, South) is greatly influenced by the sub-tropical climate. This means this area typically is 10 to 15 degrees warming than say, Jacksonville and even Orlando.

Depending on where you may want to settle, there are very detailed maps that indicate high risk hurricane areas. These “zones” are more expensive to insure and many areas will refuse to insure for flood damage. Outer barrier islands like Sanibel and Marco have new flood and hurricane guidelines for new construction, as well.

Statistics show that people who move to Florida are generally in better spirits than those who live in cold, Northern climates, where clouds, snow and rain can linger for days or weeks on end. A few weeks ago I was with a good friend of mine who recently moved to the Port Charlotte area from cold, snowy New Hampshire and he said, as I was complaining about some trivial issue, “Hey, life is good, the sun is out, it’s warm and look at all the beauty around us!” So, remember, no matter what, moving to Florida is a good decision. The weather is much better than “up North”, beauty and sun drenched beaches are everywhere and, the people are just plain nicer. (Oh, and “thanks Derek” for reminding me that we really do have it better down here!)

William C. Huff Companies is committed to simplifying the complicated maze of moving and storing your priceless possessions. With over 40 full-time, tenured, and highly trained staff, you can be assured that your move will be handled smoothly and professionally, from the first phone call until the last box is unpacked.