migrate local WP site to new server, but want to test online first

I think I have all the steps down to move my local WP to a live server. This would work fine, if I already had the domain name pointing to the new hosting location.

Currently the domain name is pointing to another hosting location. I am creating a new design for my client’s website, and putting it up on a new hosting company (which can run WP).

So, I will want to migrate from my local development on my PC to the hosting package first, and make sure all is good on the site, BEFORE I change the domain’s name-servers to point to the new hosting site.

This means I have to use the temp URLs provided by the hosting company to view the site online.

So does that mean that I basically have to ‘migrate’ twice? Once to upload all the files, and change all URLs in the DB to the temp URL. Then after I verify that WP is working correctly, and the site looks good – I will have to again go in and change the DB’s URLS to the real domain name?

I am sure lots of people have to do this all the time, but I can’t seem to find any actual step by step instructions on how to go from local to the stage url, and then from stage url to the live url.

Any help / direction would be appreciated.

Thanks,