[memobug]

Does the host you're migrating from have cpanel? If so it should be very easy to accomplish the switch. Using the backup feature of cpanel you can create a full site backup. Then load it into the root directory of the new server. From there they should be able to restore it for you. My cheapa$$ host did it free, so if you are paying anything at all, they should give you some decent support.

If your database is small enough you might be able to use the built-in cpanel remote FTP utility to transfer the full site backup to your new server. That worked for me. Otherwise you have to download and upload unless both sites support site-to-site FTP transfer. I never did get that working through CuteFTP, but I didn't have to cause the cpanel transfer worked. Good thing too because I was about 1.3 gigs at the time.

The only problems you are likely to run across are the server root path potentially changing. Perhaps they can even preserve your local username if you request it. Then you might need to change paths, and the db connection if it changes from localhost or something, but it should be pretty darn painless. There might be an issue with the PHP version as you say but I haven't run into that myself.

It took me about 1/2 hour and I was a first timer. Since then I have done it several times.

Good luck,

Matt