When you undergo a change of address, knowing who to inform when moving house can be overwhelming and if you don’t update certain parties, you won’t just lose mail – you could be fined!
It’s so important to stay on top of your subscriptions, policies and government bodies. Are you looking for a moving house checklist and wondering who to notify? Well, this is our change of address checklist where we will break down everything from the stages of moving your house, to who to inform of your change of address, to what to do on the very special moving day.
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What To Do When You Move House
Moving house for whatever reason can be a scary, stressful experience but it doesn’t have to be. If you follow our moving house checklist, you will learn about what to do and who to inform when moving house — helping you to remove the stress of moving. Below is a list of all the things you should take into consideration when moving your home:
Decluttering Your Home
When you start to get the ball rolling, decluttering your home is a great first step as it can free up space and possibly make the removal company process cheaper as you have less stuff.
We would recommend donating any old children’s clothes, your clothes, shoes, furniture and decorative items to your local charity shop instead of sending it to the landfill. If you want to make a profit from any old furniture or children’s toys you could also sell them on an online platform like Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree — people are always looking for vintage pieces or family-sized sofas!
Work And Schools
If you are in employment, it is a good idea to tell your employer that you are thinking about moving and give them suggested dates for when you are moving. This will ensure that they are aware of your move and if you need time off, they will be able to give it to you. You should also make sure you book off enough time to move in, sooner rather than later.
If you have a child (or multiple) in a state school, you should check the catchment area of their school and ensure that your child can still get to school after your move. If needed you may need to enrol your child to a new school. This should also be done sooner rather than later to save excessive stress later on.
If your child is in a private school, usually you will have to give them a terms notice if they cannot attend due to you moving away.
Giving Notice
If you are a tenant, you should give your landlord appropriate notice as soon as you have your moving date confirmed. Normally you should give four weeks’ notice, however, you may need to check your contract as sometimes this can vary. Some landlords may ask that you give them a notice in writing so it’s best practice to do this anyway.
Confirming your moving dates & booking removal companies
You should confirm your moving earlier than later but if you are selling or buying a house you may need to start off with an estimated date.
You should book the removal company 6 to 8 weeks before your move, this will allow you ample time to pack any of your belongings. If there is a gap between when you have to move out and when you move in, you should look at self-storage — this should be done 2-3 months before the move.
Packing Up Your Belongings
Arguably more stressful than a game of monopoly, packing your belongings can be a hassle for most people. Some removal companies try to make this easier by supplying you with packing boxes to include all of your clothing and kitchen items.
Once you have packed and sealed your belongings, you should label them with the room you want them to be in and a description of the contents – this could be done by creating a checklist and duck-taping this to the box so you can check off as you go.
We should probably note here that, if there are any fragile or high-value items you should use plenty of bubble wrap or packing paper and label the box with a ‘fragile’ sticker. There is nothing worse than moving house and realising your great-grandmother’s ceramic pots have smashed while on the move.
Keep Documents Safe And Check House Insurance
You may notice with all of our home moving guides that we continuously talk about keeping your documents safe, and this is because it is one of, if not the most important part of moving homes. We would recommend having your own container with a built-in lock to store your documents. You may want to have these on your person during the move so you know where it is at all times. These documents may include; birth certificates, passports, contracts of employment, EIC and pension records.
Part of keeping your documents safe is ensuring you have the right contents insurance in case of theft, loss and damage. You should always ensure that your property is covered due to potential hazards like floods, fires and water leaks. If you are buying a new property, you should also get buildings insurance, which will protect the property against any potential hazards and this should be sorted from day one of moving in. Some insurance providers may offer packages that include both contents and building insurance in one.
Who To Inform When Moving House
If you are wondering who to inform when you move house; this list is for you. By following this changing address checklist you will protect yourself against identity theft, and societal issues and just save you from stress in the long run. Some should be done before you move, but some can be done after.
The Royal Mail
If you are changing your address, you can redirect your post from your old address for either 3 months (£34) or 12 months (£69). Costs may be higher if you send overseas or want to have additional individuals per household.
Banks And Insurancers
You should update your details on your banks, insurers and pension provider systems. As well as any lenders for credit cards, loans and insurance policies. This may include life insurance, pet insurance and health insurance.
DVLA, V5C, Car Tax And Car Insurance Provider
Having the wrong address on your driving licence is a criminal offence and you have to pay up to a £1000 fine. You should also update the DVLA to change your car ownership certificate (V5c) and your car tax — both of which are owned by the DVLA but you still need to notify them separately.
To note, you should also change your debit card details if this is how you pay your car tax.
The area in which you live and drive can affect your car insurance, so it is vital that you give your insurance provider the proper details.
Subscriptions And TV Licence
Knowing who to inform when moving house can seem like a lengthy endeavour if you’re like us and have multiple subscriptions. You should make a list of all the subscriptions you are signed up to; be it gym memberships, newspaper subscriptions or your Netflix account and make sure you change the address on their website. This will ensure that you do not lose access to your accounts.
You only need one TV licence per household but you should make sure that you change the address of the licence via their website.
Local Authorities And Electoral Roll
You should tell your local authority and update your address on the gov.uk website to make sure you are paying the right amount of council tax. You should re-register with the electoral roll so you can vote in local and general elections.
Utilities
You don’t want to end up paying for the wrong house’s utility bills, so it’s a wise idea to contact your utility company to change your address. This should include your gas, electricity and water bills. We recommend that you do metre readings for all your utilities for both your old and new addresses.
It may also be a good idea to compare gas and electricity prices and consider switching providers as your new property may be cheaper for a different provider.
You will also want to consider updating the details of your broadband, phone and television provider.
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Bitesize Moving Checklist
There can be many different parties to inform when moving house, so we’ve broken it down into bite-size chunks to help you out. Please see below as we cover who to contact for finances, taxation, driving, your home and your wellbeing/lifestyle.
Finances
- Inform your bank or building society – If you don’t, you may make yourself vulnerable to identity theft or experience accessibility problems as your bank details are incorrect. You can do this by editing your details via their website.
- Update credit card provider details – If your lender is not your bank, you should update your credit card details as well or you will have accessibility issues.
- Update HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) – You should wait until you have finished moving, but this should be done in a timely manner. This is so you can pay the correct amount of tax and national insurance.
Taxation
- Contact your local authority – update your address on the gov.uk website to make sure you are paying the right amount of council tax on your new home.
Driving
- Update the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) – driving with an old or wrong address is illegal and you could be fined up to £1000. We recommend doing this sooner rather than later before you’ve moved — as you can still drive while waiting for your new licence.
- Update your V5C Vehicle Log Book & Car Tax – although both are run by the DVLA, you need to contact the two documentation services separately and update your new house address to both.
- Car Insurance provider – your insurance will change based on where you live, so it is necessary to update the insurance provider of your new address. They also need this relevant information in case you are involved in an accident. It is also important to check your breakdown cover.
Home
- Notify utility companies – You don’t want to get billed for a property you don’t own, some providers will allow you to transfer your current package to your new address. This is great and minimises disruption and avoids loss of service. You should update your electricity, gas and water providers.
- Update household services – you should update your internet provider, satellite television provider, landline provider and TV licensing firm as their packages may change depending on your area.
- Notify Royal Mail – you can redirect your post via the Royal Mail’s website. The prices can range from £34 for 3 months or £69 for 12 months. The cost may be higher if you want to redirect overseas and there are additional fees for extra people per household.
Wellbeing/Lifestyle
- Re-register with The Electoral Commission – you should re-register yourself with the Electoral Roll so you can vote in local and general elections.
- Contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) – If you are receiving benefits or a state pension, you should update your contact details to avoid missed payments.
- Update your employer – you should update your contact details on their system and make sure that information is correct for payroll purposes.
- Contact education providers – If you have children, you should notify your/their school, university or college and let them know about your move well in advance so you/they don’t miss out on important information or in case of an emergency.
- Update your healthcare providers – If you’re moving more than a few streets away from your current address, it’s a good idea to switch your General Practitioner, dentist, optician and veterinarian surgery – just make sure you update them of your address change.
- Change subscriptions & services – Everybody is unique and has their own quirks & interests, if you have any subscriptions like an Amazon account, arts & crafts centre or gym membership; it may be worth changing your address so you can receive the right information & the billing address is correct. The same goes for if you have a window cleaner or gardener subscription – you’d definitely want to make sure they are notified of your address change or someone else will end up with sparkly clean windows and a perfectly mowed garden…but you’ll be paying for it!
What To Do When You Are Moving In
Now we have covered who you should contact about moving home, you should think about the first night of actually moving into your new home. Ensuring you have easy access to all the essentials will allow you to feel relaxed and ready for your first night. We would recommend making sure any valuables or essential items are with your person during the move and not in the removal truck.
Some things to consider as your first night essentials may be; toothbrushes, toothpaste, kettle, mugs, tea/coffee, bottle opener, and champagne. Tonight is a night to relax so we would recommend trying out a new local takeaway – you can deal with the kitchen tomorrow! Here is a list of things to think about when you are moving into your new home:
- As you are leaving your old property for the last time, you should double-check that you haven’t left anything valuable.
- Make sure that you have arranged a time to pick up your new keys for the house you’ll be moving into.
- If you have bought a new house, walk around it before the removal company gets there to ensure that everything is as you bought it. If there is anything left over from the old occupiers, you can get them to remove it.
- If you are renting, you should walk around and check for damages & document them with photos – this can be sent to your landlord, as you don’t want to lose your deposit when you leave for damage you didn’t make!
- Make sure you change or add new door locks.
And like always, that’s all folks! Everything you need to know about moving homes & who to inform when moving house. If you would like to know anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us — we are always happy to help!
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Tom is a Digital Content Writer passionate about sustainable property & property trends. Regardless of the subject, he will always write blogs of the best calibre. Read more about Tom here.
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