The housing side of a PCS, in the order the decisions actually arrive. Timelines assume a typical 3–4 months of notice; compress as needed.
The day orders drop (or RIP/assignment notification)
- Look up BAH at the new station for your grade — this number anchors every other decision.
- Make the buy vs. rent call using time-on-station and the local market — decide the strategy now, not after you arrive.
- If buying: pull your COE and get lender pre-approval (all remote, costs nothing, takes days).
- Check the housing office / wait lists if considering on-base — some lists are months deep and you can usually join with orders in hand.
90–60 days out
- Research neighborhoods against commute gates, schools, and your BAH ceiling — not against Zillow's dreams.
- If buying: connect with a local agent who works military moves and VA offers weekly. Interview them — ask how many VA closings they did in the last 12 months.
- If renting: know that the best listings near bases turn over on military timelines too — 30–45 days out is when to start applying, with your orders as documentation for military clauses.
- Schedule the house-hunting trip if you're taking one (usually permissive TDY — ask your unit).
60–30 days out
- Buying: house-hunt (in person or video walkthroughs), make the offer, start the ~30–45 day close. The VA appraisal is ordered early in this window.
- Renting: apply, sign, and get the military clause (SCRA gives you lease termination rights with PCS/deployment orders — know them before signing).
- Line up temporary lodging (TLE/TLA where applicable) as the bridge.
Arrival
- BAH switches to the new station's current rate when you report — rate protection doesn't travel.
- Closing on a house: coordinate the closing date against your report date and lodging coverage — closing a week after arrival beats paying double housing for a month.
- Keep every housing receipt — some costs are reimbursable, and the ones that aren't are often deductible against rental income later if you become a landlord.
The one-sentence version
Decide the strategy the day orders drop, do the paperwork remotely before you travel, and never let the timeline force you into shopping desperate — that's where bad housing decisions come from.