Moving timeline
Four weeks out
- Submit your application and get community approval in writing.
- Get a copy of the community rules and the lease.
- Gather moving quotes or reserve a truck.
- Confirm your move-in date with the office.
Two to three weeks out
- Schedule water, electric, gas, and internet to start on move-in day.
- Order packing supplies.
- File a change of address with the post office and update key accounts.
- Give notice to your current landlord or community.
The final week
- Pack fragile things and label boxes by room.
- Confirm your mailbox or cluster box number.
- Photograph the home’s condition, inside and out, before you move anything in.
- Plan parking for the moving truck and your helpers.
Monthly budget worksheet
Fill in your numbers. The hidden costs guide lists what people forget.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Lot rent | $ |
| Utilities: electric, gas, water and sewer, trash | $ |
| Home payment, if financing | $ |
| Insurance | $ |
| Maintenance reserve | $ |
| Total | $ |
Prefer a spreadsheet? Download the budget worksheet (CSV). It opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers.
Utility turn-on checklist
Call each provider about two weeks before move-in. Write down account numbers and confirmation codes.
- Water and sewer. Ask whether they’re billed through the community or by a separate account.
- Electric. Schedule service to start on move-in day.
- Gas, if you have it. Schedule the turn-on. Many gas companies will light pilot lights for you.
- Internet. Book the installation and confirm service reaches your lot.
Day-one safety checks
Do these before you unpack.
Inside
- Smoke alarms. Test each one. There should be one inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area (USFA, checked September 2026).
- Carbon monoxide alarm. Install or test one if anything burns fuel.
- Water shutoff. Find the main valve and label it.
- Breaker panel. Label the circuits: kitchen, heating and cooling, water heater.
- Gas shutoff. If you have gas, find the valve at the meter.
Outside
- Skirting. Walk around the home. Note gaps or damage and fix them before cold weather.
- Steps and railings. Test that they’re solid.
- The lot. Clear debris and check that water drains away from the home.
- Fire extinguishers. One in the kitchen and one near an exit. Check the gauges.
Next: the new resident checklist covers your first week and first month.