The Move-In Services Guide: Room-by-Room Setup Checklist

Security and sleep. Change the locks first—you don't know who has keys. Then assemble at least one bed completely (frame, mattress, bedding). Everything else can wait, but you'll sleep in your new home tonight, and you need to control who can enter. After those two priorities, focus on bathroom essentials (toilet paper, towels, shower curtain) and coffee-making capability for morning.

Both. Do a deep clean of kitchens and bathrooms before the truck arrives—you can't clean behind appliances once they're in place. Then plan a lighter cleaning after movers leave to handle the dust and dirt they track in. If your budget allows, hire a move-in cleaning service for the pre-move deep clean ($200-400) so you can focus on directing movers and starting setup.

2-4 weeks minimum, especially during peak moving season (May-September). Lock rekeying can often be done same-day or next-day, but TV mounting, furniture assembly, and childproofing book 1-2 weeks out in busy markets. For I-95 corridor moves, book your services as soon as you have a closing date or lease start date. Last-minute bookings often cost 50% more or simply aren't available.

For the first visit, yes. You need to walk the technician through your preferences, confirm locations for TV mounts, and provide Wi-Fi passwords for smart home setup. After the initial walkthrough, many services (furniture assembly, additional TV mounting) can be done with you remotely available by phone. For lock rekeying, you must be present to test new keys. Mr Home Guy offers key lockbox service for real estate clients who can't be on-site.

Three major differences: 1) Construction: Florida homes are concrete block, not wood frame. TV mounting requires masonry bits and specific anchors—standard stud-finders don't work on concrete. 2) Humidity: Electronics need different setup considerations, and outdoor furniture assembly must account for rust. 3) HOAs: Florida has aggressive homeowners associations with strict move-in rules, delivery time restrictions, and contractor insurance requirements. We handle I-95 moves weekly and navigate these differences automatically.

Yes, with coordination. We actually recommend it—assemble furniture while boxes are still stacked, so you have places to put things as you unpack. We need clear access to walls for TV mounting and clear floor space for furniture assembly. The ideal sequence: movers place boxes in correct rooms → we assemble furniture and mount TVs → you unpack into the new furniture. This prevents the "box fort" phenomenon where you're navigating around stacks for weeks.