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Houston move, checklisted.
The 60–90 day moving-to-Houston checklist — what to do before keys, during move week, and the Texas-specific gotchas (homestead exemption, MUD lookups, vehicle registration deadlines) most out-of-state buyers miss.
60–90
Days First Call to Keys
Apr 30
Homestead Exemption Filing Deadline
90 days
To Transfer License + Registration
Top 1% REMAX Producer|50+ Five-Star Google Reviews|ABR Certified · LUXE Designation
“Eddie’s patience is unmatched. His response time was unbelievable and it honestly felt like he was available 24/7.”
Ayesha Thind · First-time buyer
“He knows his market. The estimate, comps and process were clearly outlined. He fought for what he believed we deserved as his clients.”
Justin Adams · Buyer · Referral
“I never felt pressured into making on-the-spot decisions or going over my budget. Eddie truly had my best interest at heart while representing me.”
Tetiana S. · Buyer
The honest picture
A 60–90 day move-to-Houston isn’t one project — it’s four
Most out-of-state buyers approach the Houston move as a single deadline: closing day. In practice, a clean Houston relocation runs four parallel tracks — pre-move (the 4–8 weeks before keys), move week itself, settling week 1 (the legal and administrative deadlines), and weeks 2–4 (the things you have time for once your boxes are open). This checklist lays out every track in the order it actually needs to happen.
I work moves from California, New York, Florida, Illinois, and every other corner of the country every month. The buyers who go smoothest aren’t the ones with the biggest moving budget — they’re the ones who started the administrative work 30 days before they thought they needed to. Two deadlines specifically matter to your tax bill and license validity: the April 30 homestead exemption filing deadline (file the year after you close) and the 90-day Texas residency window for driver’s license + vehicle registration transfer. The rest is project management.
I’m Eddie Weir, a Top 1% REMAX Producer based in Houston. This is the checklist I send to every relocation buyer at the start of our first call.
Track 1
Pre-move — weeks 1–8 before keys
Everything in this section happens before you have a closed Houston address. The compressed version: lender first, neighborhood second, school enrollment paperwork queued early.
Weeks 1–2: Discovery, lender, and shortlist
- 30-minute discovery call with me. We cover situation, timeline, budget band, employer (if known), school priorities, neighborhood preferences. I’ll send you the relocation packet by end of day.
- Lender preapproval. I’ll introduce you to two or three preferred Houston lenders. Texas lenders handle out-of-state W-2, RSU/stock-comp, bonus-heavy, and self-employed income structures regularly. Lock the lender within 2 weeks of the first call.
- Neighborhood shortlist. I send a 2–4 area shortlist based on the discovery call. Read the Greater Houston neighborhood guides for the long-form views.
- If you have a current home to sell: list it now or sequence it with the Houston purchase — we discuss the cash-flow path on the discovery call.
- Document gathering: lender will request 2 years W-2s, 2 most recent paystubs, 2 months bank statements, photo ID, employment verification letter. Gather this in week 1.
Weeks 3–5: Houston visit + tour
- Schedule a 2–3 day Houston visit. We tour the shortlisted neighborhoods and 8–15 specific properties.
- School enrollment paperwork if you have school-age kids: most Texas ISDs let you start the enrollment paperwork before you have a confirmed address. Pull immunization records, prior-year report cards, and proof of identity documents. The Greater Houston school districts hub covers each ISD’s enrollment process.
- Neighborhood-specific deep-dives: review flood-zone maps for any property of interest. See the Houston flood zones buyer guide.
- Builder visits if new-construction: I attend with you. The new construction vs resale guide covers the side-by-side.
Weeks 5–7: Offer + executed contract
- Offer drafted on the TREC contract. I walk you through the Texas-specific terms: option period (7–10 day inspection-and-walk window), seller’s disclosure, MUD/HOA disclosure receipt, survey assignment.
- Earnest money + option fee wired within 3 days of executed contract.
- Inspections scheduled within 48 hours of executed contract (general home + termite + sometimes pool/foundation specialist depending on property).
- Movers booked: this is the week to lock the moving company. National movers (Atlas, Mayflower, North American, U-Haul U-Boxes) typically need 3–5 weeks lead time for interstate moves; longer in peak summer.
Weeks 7–12: Closing prep
- Inspection negotiations handled before the option period expires.
- Appraisal ordered by lender; typically 7–14 day turnaround.
- Final loan approval / clear-to-close: usually 2–3 weeks after appraisal.
- Utilities scheduled for activation on closing day: electricity provider (Texas has retail choice — pick a Reliant, TXU, Direct Energy, etc. plan in advance), water/sewer (handled by city or MUD district depending on neighborhood), gas (CenterPoint Energy in most of Houston), internet (AT&T Fiber, Comcast Xfinity, or Spectrum coverage varies by block).
- Homeowner’s insurance bound: lender requires proof of coverage at closing. Houston insurance markets are tighter than coastal California or NY metro — get quotes 3–4 weeks before closing.
- Final walkthrough 24–48 hours before closing.
Track 2
Move week — the 7-day window around closing
Move week is logistics, not strategy. The decisions are already made; the work is execution. Here’s the order that keeps it from getting expensive.
3 days before closing
- Confirm wire instructions with the title company directly by phone (not email — wire fraud is the most common closing-day issue in Texas, and it almost always starts with a spoofed email).
- Confirm utility activation dates with each provider.
- Pre-pack the “first 48 hours” box: toiletries, basic kitchen, sheets, charger cables, basic tools, important documents folder.
- Confirm mover ETA window and on-site contact.
Closing day
- Closing in person or remotely: many out-of-state buyers close remotely. If in person, the closing itself takes 60–90 minutes at the title company.
- Bring photo ID, wire confirmation, cashier’s check for any small amounts, and a Texas address you can list (the new home).
- You receive keys at the closing table. The home is yours from that moment.
Move-in days 1–3
- Movers unload. Verify high-value items against your bill of lading.
- Confirm utilities are live: AC working (Houston summers make this non-optional), water on, internet activated.
- Change all exterior locks — standard buyer practice in Texas; a locksmith costs $150–$300 for a typical home.
- Test smoke detectors and replace batteries; check that the AC filter is fresh.
- Identify your circuit breaker, main water shutoff, and gas shutoff locations on day 1.
Track 3
Week 1 settling — the legal and administrative deadlines
This is where most relocation checklists go wrong: they treat the administrative paperwork as a “whenever” task, then buyers miss the homestead exemption deadline or get pulled over with expired out-of-state plates. None of this is hard; all of it has a timer.
Driver’s license transfer
You have 90 days from establishing Texas residency to transfer your driver’s license to a Texas license. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) handles licensing. Bring proof of identity (current out-of-state DL is fine), proof of Texas residency (closing docs work), proof of insurance (must be Texas-policy by this point — see below). Schedule the DPS appointment online; walk-ins are possible but slow. The new license costs $25 and lasts 8 years.
Vehicle registration + Texas plates
You also have 90 days to register out-of-state vehicles in Texas. The Texas DMV handles this. Required: Texas auto insurance policy already in force, vehicle inspection (Texas requires an annual safety inspection — about $25 at any approved inspection station), VIN verification, paid sales tax (Texas charges 6.25% sales tax on the vehicle’s value if you owe more than what you paid out-of-state, less common). Total cost typically $250–$400 per vehicle depending on weight and county fees.
Car insurance switch
Switch your auto insurance to a Texas policy before you do the vehicle registration and license transfer. Both DPS and DMV will ask for Texas-policy proof. Most national carriers (State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, USAA) handle the switch in a single call. Texas auto insurance rates run mid-pack nationally — not California-coastal high, not Iowa-rural low.
Voter registration
Voter registration is separate from license. Register through the Texas Secretary of State’s office (online or paper). 30 days from filing to active — if there’s a primary or general election in your first 60 days, file immediately.
USPS forwarding + address change
Submit a USPS Change of Address request (usps.com) within the first week. It costs $1.10 and forwards mail for 12 months. Update credit cards, banks, brokerage, employer HR, IRS (Form 8822 once you have a new address — matters for tax refund routing), and any subscriptions. Most banks now handle address changes in the app in under 2 minutes.
Want this run for your situation?
Send me your origin city, target Houston timeline, and family situation — I’ll come back with a customized 60-90 day path with your specific deadlines mapped against the calendar.
Track 4
Weeks 2–4 — the deadlines that affect your tax bill
By week 2 the boxes are mostly unpacked, the AC is working, and you can see the floor again. That’s when the second wave of administrative tasks gets attention — specifically the ones that affect your annual property-tax bill and access to local services.
Texas homestead exemption
The single most consequential post-move task. Texas homestead exemption caps the annual increase in your home’s appraised value at 10% once filed — meaningful in a rising-value market. Filing deadline is April 30 of the year following your purchase. So if you close in June 2026, you file by April 30, 2027. You file with your county appraisal district (HCAD for Harris County, FBCAD for Fort Bend, BCAD for Brazoria, GCAD for Galveston). Required: copy of Texas DL with the new address (must match the homestead property), and the homestead exemption application form. Online filing is now standard. There’s no cost; the exemption stays in force as long as the home is your primary residence.
Many buyers file before December of the closing year to lock the protections in place sooner — though by statute the exemption is retroactive to the start of the year you file. I send every closing buyer the homestead filing checklist for their specific county on closing day.
Healthcare network setup
- Primary care physician: lock in one within the first 3 weeks. The Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, MD Anderson, and Houston Methodist West networks all accept most major insurance plans.
- Pediatrician if you have kids: choose before the first illness arrives. Texas Children’s and Memorial Hermann pediatrics networks are the two largest.
- Dentist: most major dental insurance networks have heavy Houston coverage.
- Prescription transfers: CVS, Walgreens, and HEB Pharmacy all handle out-of-state prescription transfers in under 24 hours by phone.
School enrollment finalization
Most Texas ISDs accept enrollment paperwork year-round but enrollment confirmation requires a permanent Texas address. Within week 2, walk in to the campus or the district enrollment office with: proof of Texas residency (closing docs work), proof of immunizations, prior-year report cards or progress reports, copy of birth certificate, and the new Texas DL once you have it. Some districts have specific enrollment windows for kindergarten and high school transfers — the school districts hub covers each ISD’s timeline.
MUD district lookup (if applicable)
If you bought in a master-planned community outside city limits, you’re in a MUD (Municipal Utility District) that charges a separate tax line on your annual property tax bill. The Houston MUD tax buyer guide explains how to look up your MUD rate, bond debt, and what services it covers.
Watch list
The 7 mistakes I see most often on relocation moves
- Missing the April 30 homestead exemption deadline. This single oversight can cost a 4–6 bedroom Houston home owner $1,500–$3,500 in the first year of avoidable appraised-value growth. File the year following your purchase, on time.
- Waiting 5–6 weeks to register vehicles. The 90-day clock starts on your residency date (closing day), not your move-in day. Get this knocked out by week 4 at the latest.
- Not switching auto insurance before going to DPS/DMV. Both will turn you away without Texas-policy proof, and a return trip costs a full half-day.
- Skipping the option period inspection wait. Texas’s 7–10 day option period gives the buyer a unique right to walk for any reason. Use the inspection result negotiating room or walk — don’t roll past option-period expiration without acting.
- Underestimating insurance market timing. Get homeowner’s insurance quotes 3–4 weeks before closing, not the week of. Texas markets are tighter than California or NY metro and same-week binding is harder to arrange.
- Not pre-confirming wire instructions by phone. Wire fraud is the most common Houston closing-day issue. Always confirm wire instructions by direct phone call to the title company, even if the email looks legitimate.
- Locking school enrollment to a specific campus before confirming zoning. Texas school district boundaries can shift with annual rezoning, especially in fast-growing suburbs like Katy, Cy-Fair, and Fort Bend. Verify your specific address zoning with the district before assuming a particular campus.
Practical questions
FAQ — Houston relocation checklist
When exactly do I need to file the homestead exemption?
Do I transfer my driver’s license before or after closing?
How long before move should I lock my mortgage rate?
Can I enroll my kids in school before we move?
When should utilities be switched on at the new house?
How do I find a Houston physician/dentist before moving?
What about car insurance — switch before or after I become a Texas resident?
How early should I start neighborhood tours?
What documents do I need for homestead exemption filing?
What’s the order I should do all this in — can you give me a one-week priority list?
Related relocation guides
Other Houston relocation guides
Moving to Houston from California — Prop 13 vs Texas property tax, neighborhood matches by California origin.
Moving to Houston from New York — SALT cap math, tri-state property tax versus Texas, NY-origin neighborhood matches.
Moving to Houston (main hub) — the full Houston relocation playbook across cost, schools, neighborhoods, and timeline.
Ready to map your 60–90 day Houston move?
Tell me where you’re moving from, target Houston timeline, and family situation — I’ll send back a personalized version of this checklist with your specific deadlines mapped against the calendar.
