Moving to Surfside? 7 Things You Need To Do Immediately!

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Rounding Up The "Cavalry": Blessing Your Surfside Home With The Essentials

Comfort over function?

No need to choose!

Setting up your home essentials, a.k.a., utilities, before your Surfside relocation helps you speed up your transition and provide you with a "working" home while moving — which means you'll have drinkable water, a warm, comfortable place to sleep, and access to home-cooked meals as you immerse into your new community!

So, if you need help getting everything done, let me do the honors of pointing you in the right direction!

To set up electricity, create or log in to your existing account at the Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) website and apply for service at your new address. 

New account holders need to submit their Social Security, Driver's License, Social Insurance, or Tax ID number, the new service address, and the connection date, and existing FPL customers only need to advise the disconnection date (old address), re-connection date,  and complete service address for a service transfer.

You'll also want to note that a deposit of $25 (minimum) and other initial set-up fees may be charged upfront, whether you're a new or existing customer.

Meanwhile, if prefer cooking with natural gas over electric appliances, hook your kitchen up with TECO Peoples Gas — provided your HOA or building management allows it!

All you need to do is submit the necessary IDs and connection date (new customer) or advise the disconnection date, the complete address of your new home, and your preferred service transfer date (existing customer).

Please note that deposit fees may be based on the home's square footage or equal to twice the average monthly bill, and you may need to settle a connection fee before the service connection.

Now that everything's "done and dusted," all you need to do is wait for your services to be connected — your water and sewer services are provided by the Town of Surfside, so ideally, you should have running water as soon as you move into your new home.

However, if you're moving to a newly built house, contact the Town of Surfside -Utilities to apply for potable water and sewer services!

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Integrating Into The Surfside Community: Acquiring Your Florida Driver's License

While setting up your utilities and home essentials is vital for successful integration into your new community, there's one thing you NEED to do before you can officially become a Surfside resident.

And if you're new to Florida or this country, you may not have this ONE THING yet.

A Florida driver's license!

Aside from being a REQUIREMENT within 30 days of establishing residency, a Florida driver's license is your golden ticket to driving on all Florida roads and the quickest ID you can get to make yourself an official Floridian!

Not to mention that you'll need an ID to set up everything you need for a new life in your neighborhood!

So, if you don't have one yet, visit the nearest Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) or any local office offering driver's license services and submit the necessary documents.

Click on the applicable residency status to know which documents to have on hand when you apply:

• U.S Citizen 
• Immigrant 
• Non-Immigrant
• Canadian

The initial Florida Class E license, including a learner's permit, is $48.00, a commercial driver's license (Class A) is $75.00, and an ID Card fee is $25.00.

For a complete list of driver's license fees, click here. 

Under normal circumstances, applicants with a current or previous driver's license from another state, country, or jurisdiction don't have to take Drug and Alcohol courses, Class E Knowledge exams, and the Florida Driving tests, but the Vision and Hearing test is still mandatory!

Meanwhile, if you have an existing Florida driver's license, notify the DMV of your new address for an updated driver's license to avoid breaking the law.

You'll also need insurance to title and register your vehicle(s) within ten (10) days of establishing residency.

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Taking Out The Community Tool Box: Voter Registration In Surfside

Are you keen on becoming "election-ready" in the coming 2024 Elections?

Now that you're part of the Surfside community, having a 'say' in the future of your neighborhood, city, or country will be the ultimate gift you can give yourself, especially if you're looking to protect and maintain your new lifestyle!

So, if you're a legal-age U.S. citizen (newly naturalized or otherwise) with all the requirements to become a registered voter, submit your application with the proper IDs and documents through the Florida Department of State or the Miami-Dade County Elections Department online, by mail or in person at the Elections Department or any Elections Branch office!

Any current and valid identifications with a photograph and signature (e.g., Florida Driver's License, United States passport, etc.) will do, so make this your utmost priority!

For other legal forms of identification and supplementary requirements, click here.

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Finding The Perfect Balance: Highlighting The Best Of Surfside

Now that you've become ONE with a community with the perfect balance of luxury and unassuming allure, it's best you learn to find the right formula between work and play, too!

So, once you're done with your errands, let off steam and reward yourself with a well-earned escapade around Surfside!

Discover the ins and outs of your latest neighborhood, and see why more locals are moving to Surfside!

Set up an exciting day of sun and sand at Surfside Beach, stroll along the scenic Surfside Walking Path, mingle with your new neighbors at the Surfside Community Center,  splurge on a staycation at the famous Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, and visit Surfside's plethora of local restaurants and cafes!

For more information on Surfside, click on our blog, Explore Surfside, and become your own tour guide — it has everything you need to know about your new community and reading won't even take 10 minutes!