Change of address – who to notify
A Change of Address Checklist for Homemovers
Moving house is an exciting experience, but there are several things that you’ll need to do to ensure that the right people and organisations are informed about your change of address. An easy way to ensure that you continue receiving post at your new address is to use Royal Mail’s post redirection service. This will redirect any mail addressed to your old home to your new one. However, even if you plan to use this, it is still sensible to inform important companies such as your bank or utility company directly about your change of address.
Change of Address: List of Who to Notify:
If you are moving house, it’s a good idea to put together a list of organisations to contact and inform about your change of address, and the key considerations that you will need to take into account.
Who to Notify When You Move – Government:
You will need to update your address with the DVLA for your driving licence and vehicle registration. However, this should be done after the move since you may need to present your licence if you are going to hire a van for moving day or as identification when completing the house sale. You can update details on your driving licence on the DVLA website free of charge and an updated licence will be sent to you within two to four weeks. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions or HMRC.
You should also get in touch with your local council to get a final statement for your council tax. You may even get a refund if you have paid your council tax for future months and will no longer be living in the property. Finally, don’t forget to update your details on the electoral roll and contact TV licencing if you need to transfer your TV licence to a new address. Bear in mind that your current TV licence will not be valid if you move to a new property; you can change the information on the TV Licencing website up to three months before your moving date.
Who to Notify When You Move UK – Banks and Lenders:
Any financial organisations that you do business with will need to be informed of your new details. This is especially important for your current account and credit card providers since they may use your current address to verify your identity or check security. Get in touch with any banks that you hold a current or savings account with, credit card providers, loan and HP companies, investment funds, and any store loyalty card providers that you use.
Who to Notify When Moving Home – Insurance:
You will also need to notify any insurance companies that you hold insurance with about your change of address. If you have contents insurance at your home, you will need to notify the insurance provider of where and when you will be moving, along with checking what is insured during the move to determine if you’ll need to get additional insurance with the removals company. Other companies that you hold insurance with such as buildings insurance, car insurance, mobile phone and electronics insurance, pet insurance, life insurance and health insurance should also be contacted. Car insurance in particular is an important one to change since the new location of your car might impact your policy price, and your car may not be covered in the event of damage or theft if it is parked in a different place to where is stated on the insurance policy.
Who to Notify Change of Address – Utility Companies:
Your utility companies that provide gas, electricity, and water to your home will need to be notified of your change of address so that they can transfer your account over to the new address. Your gas and electric supplier will ask you to provide final meter readings and possibly take date-stamped photographs of the meters in both your old and new home in order to ensure that your bills are accurate. Your current gas and electricity provider will usually be able to switch your account over to the new address hassle-free, but it is worth shopping around for better deals using a comparison site if there are no exit fees applicable on your current tariff.
Moving House Who to Notify UK – Regular Bills:
Any other companies that provide a service that you pay for on a regular basis will also need to be notified if you are changing your address. If you pay for any subscriptions to be sent to your address, you will need to change to your new address so that your items continue to be sent to the right place. You will also need to contact providers for TV and broadband services, your home phone contract, and your mobile phone contract. Most broadband providers are able to move the service with you when you move home, however, it is important to check that the network you are with is currently available in your new area. Some broadband services, such as fibre optic and cable broadband, are not always available in every area of the UK, and you may find yourself needing to cancel your current broadband package and shop around for a better deal when moving to a new address.
Who to Notify of Change of Address – Healthcare Providers:
You will need to inform any medical organisations of your change of address. Depending on where you are moving to, you may need to register at a new GP that is under the local catchment area. Your current GP will be able to inform you if your new address falls within their catchment area if you are moving within the local area. If not, you should make registering with your new GP a priority since there can be a delay in getting an appointment when you first register. You should also inform other healthcare specialists like your dentist and optician about your change of address.
Change of Address Who to Notify – Work and Education:
Your employer will need to be informed about your change of address and they will likely pass this information on to HMRC on your behalf. If you have children, you should also inform their school of the change of address, especially if you are listed as an emergency contact. Make sure to contact any professional associations and educational institutions such as universities or Student Finance if needed.
Who to Notify When Moving House – Recreational Services:
If you are moving house to quite a distance away from your current location, you will need to remember to cancel subscriptions to local recreational services that you may not be able to attend any longer, such as gyms or clubs. You can usually do this online, over the phone, or by visiting in person. Some gyms and clubs might be UK-wide, so it is also worth looking into whether there is a location close by to your new home that you can transfer your membership to rather than cancelling it.
Moving House Checklist: Who to Notify to Redirect Your Post:
If you have lived in your current property for a long time, you might have a lot of work to do when it comes to updating the right companies and people with your new address details. The best way to make the process easier is to use the change-of-address service at your local Post office. This takes up to ten days to be finalised, so it’s best to do it at least ten days before you move to ensure that all mail is redirected on time. It will redirect all post to your new home for three, six, or twelve months to give you more time to contact the relevant companies about your change of details without missing post that is accidentally sent to your old address.
You might also be changing your phone number along with your address, so get in touch with your telephone company to ask them to automatically inform any callers of your new number for a few weeks after the switchover date, giving you more time to inform the right people of your change of contact details without missing out on important contact.
Who to Notify When Moving House Checklist: Home Services:
If you currently pay anybody to help maintain your property, you should cancel their services before moving to your new address and inform them of your new address if you are moving within the area that they cover. It is also worth updating your contact address with anybody else who might need to send you something in the post such as solicitors, accountants, or tenants in other properties that you own. Most of the time, any post from these people is likely to be important and could be private so it’s crucial to make sure that it doesn’t get lost in the post after moving to your new home.
When moving home, it’s a good idea to make a checklist of everybody who needs to be notified about your new address. You can use the Post Office redirection service to buy you some additional time to notify everyone who needs to know without losing your post.