Military PCS planning resource

Your PCS relocation checklist—from orders to arrival.

Use this guide to organize the real estate and household decisions around a military move, especially when you are buying, selling, or preparing a Kitsap-area home from another location.

Buy or sell Plan remotely Coordinate the move

Start with the fixed date

Work backward, then keep every decision in one place.

A PCS move can involve official requirements, housing, financing, travel, schools, pets, household goods, and a current home—all moving at different speeds. The most useful plan begins with the report date and assigns a clear next step to each moving part.

The working checklist

Four phases for a more manageable move.

Timelines vary by branch, installation, assignment, transaction, and household. Use the sequence below as an organizing framework.

01As soon as orders arrive

Turn the orders into one working timeline.

Confirm the report date, gaining command, and the travel window shown in your orders.
Create one move folder for orders, identification, household inventory, school and medical records, lender documents, and key contacts.
Contact your installation or branch relocation and transportation offices for official entitlement and household-goods guidance.
Decide what must happen to your current home: sell, rent, retain, or prepare it for a period of vacancy.

02Early housing decisions

Define what the next home must do for you.

Set a comfortable housing budget and speak with a qualified lender; ask about VA loan eligibility when applicable.
Share commute needs, ferry use, schools, pets, accessibility, storage, and preferred property types.
Compare Kitsap County and Puget Sound communities before narrowing the search.
Agree on a remote-tour, offer, inspection, earnest-money, and closing process before the right home appears.

0360–30 days before the move

Coordinate the people, property, and paperwork.

Schedule household-goods transportation or a personally procured move through the appropriate official channels.
Arrange temporary lodging, pet travel, vehicle transportation, school enrollment, and medical-record transfers as needed.
Plan inspections, repair decisions, insurance, utilities, and the final walk-through for the home you are buying or selling.
Verify wiring instructions directly with the closing professional using a trusted phone number before sending funds.

04Final week and arrival

Close the gaps before the handoff.

Photograph the condition of the home and important belongings before departure or possession.
Confirm keys, utilities, insurance effective dates, mail forwarding, and the first local contacts you may need.
Keep orders, identification, medications, valuables, chargers, pet supplies, and closing documents with you—not in the moving truck.
Complete installation check-in and arrival requirements using the instructions from your gaining command.

Selling or leaving a home vacant

Protect the property—and the sale plan—from a distance.

If orders require you to leave before the property is ready or sold, establish who can access the home, what work is truly necessary, and how updates will be documented.

Choose a reliable local point of contact and confirm how often the home should be checked.

Review insurance requirements for an unoccupied or vacant property with your insurer.

Arrange mail, utilities, temperature control, security, and access for approved vendors.

Create a photo record and a short list of repairs or presentation work needed before listing.

Coordinate optional exterior preparation, such as soft washing or licensed landscape maintenance, under a separate service agreement when appropriate.

Planning note: This checklist is a real estate and household-planning aid. It does not replace your orders, official branch or installation instructions, transportation-office guidance, or legal, tax, insurance, lending, or financial advice.

Your dates. Your priorities. One plan.

Build the real estate timeline around your move.

Start with Kevin