Change of Address Checklist

Our change of address checklist is here to help with your upcoming house move.

So, your big house move is coming up and it’s time to inform everyone you know about your change of address!

While we are sure your friends and family are fully aware that you are moving, there are also several other companies and groups that will need to be kept in the loop.

Updating your address may seem like a very apparent and straightforward task.

However, with so many different people to inform, it may become extremely confusing.

Moving house is never a straightforward process, there is so much to consider throughout the process that some things may slip through the gaps!

Don’t worry if you are struggling to update your address, we are here to help make the task far easier.

Our change of address checklist is designed to help you keep up with who you need to inform about your move.

Government Authorities

There will be several Governmental Departments whom we all have to inform when changing address:

1. Local Electoral Roll
2. Council Tax
3. Department of Work & Pensions (DWP)

Local Electoral Roll

Registration is important for several reasons:

You cannot vote unless you are on the roll. Not being listed can have a negative effect on your credit rating and it demonstrates you are less of a risk when it comes to fraud. It is also used for monitoring crime, details in credit reports and jury selections.

To register yourself, all you have to do is visit the Gov.uk website and follow the instructions.

Council Tax

Your council tax will likely change when with your new address. It could mean you change your current bracket and pay more or less, but you have to inform your new council, nonetheless.

Council tax pays for all manner of things including, bin collection, street maintenance, schools, and public green areas.

Changing address is a simple thing to do.

Click on the link here which will take you directly to the correct page on the Government’s website to set up your new council tax payments.

Work-Related (DWP)

To avoid unnecessary delays when it comes to payday, you need to inform your workplace that you have/are about to change address.

Most companies have some kind of HR department that will ensure that your details are updated.

Change of address could possibly affect your contract.

If so, informing HR will trigger any relevant documents which may need to be signed by you.

Unfortunately, few employers include as part of their employment package some kind of leave entitlement when you are moving.

It pays to double-check.

For those who are self-employed, you will have to update your HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) record accordingly.

This can be done via the UK Government Gateway; you will find the direct link for this purpose here.

Education

Changing schools is always a stressful and upsetting time for children, so you will want to make sure that all goes as smoothly as possible.

Obviously, if you are staying in the same catchment area, all you need to do is notify the current school office of your new contact details.

If the move takes you out of your local area, there is much to be done beforehand.

Researching suitable schools, visiting them, and applying for a place all has to happen well in advance of the move.

For helpful tips and advice on this matter visit: www.readingrockets.org/article/four-steps-selecting-school-your-child.

Once you have decided on a particular school, completed the necessary paperwork, and have had your application accepted, congratulations! Your hard work has finally paid off.

Finances

Apart from finding a good school for your children, the next time most consuming matter is sorting the finances.

Many of us have lived in the same place for years and it is amazing how many organisations you have to notify when it comes to money.

Most importantly, you do not want any of your personal and financial information going to your old address to be opened by a stranger.

Your Bank, Building Society, Credit Card Company, Loan Company, Store Cards and Loyalty Card records all need to know the new address.

It is important not to forget your pension provider as well.

If you receive a private pension, your provider will need to be informed in writing.

If you receive a state pension, again you can log the changes on-line at www.gov.uk/tell-hmrc-change-address.

Other possible organisations to notify could be Premium Bonds, any monies you may have invested abroad or any independent savings you might have accumulated.

You might be divorced or separated and paying maintenance. A note here. When you change address, the Child Maintenance Service must be informed within 7 days of moving.

The Government has information to assist with this situation as well: www.gov.uk/manage-child-maintenance-case/changes-you-need-to-report

Household Utilities

Prior to your move, it is important to take a final reading for your water, gas and electricity.

Inform your providers ahead of your move so you won’t be charged for the new occupant’s usage.

It may take a couple of days to effectively update your move with the suppliers so be sure to inform them ahead of time.

Some providers will charge you for ending your policy early, depending on your contact.

Should this apply to you, enquire with them to see if you are able to transfer your deal to your new home.

You could also take this opportunity to look around for the best deals currently available.

Whilst you will still need to inform your current supplier of your move, be sure to check out if there are any better offers out there.

Healthcare Providers

Depending on how far you are moving, you may be required to change your current doctor.

If this applies to you, be sure to inform your current doctor of your move.

They will be required to transfer your medical details over to your new doctor.

It is very important that your medical information is transferred so be sure to inform your doctor asap, whether this is at your next appointment or via email/telephone.

You will also be required to go through the same process with your optician, dentist and vets (if you have pets.)

By informing all your healthcare providers of your change of address you should be fully covered should you have a medical-related incident at your new property.

Leisure and Recreation

This is certainly one of the easiest factors to forget when moving home.

However, it is important that you cancel any subscriptions you may have at gyms or local clubs.

If you are moving a larger distance you most likely won’t be able to attend these going forward.

Informing them should be relatively straightforward but be sure to remember to cancel your services on your last visit to avoid overpaying.

Some larger gym providers may offer services close to your address so be sure to ask if you are able to transfer to another branch.

Another important consideration is cancelling any postal subscriptions you may have.

If you no longer require their subscription you can completely cancel the service or you can inform of your new address.

This way they will be able to send your subscription to your new property.

Insurance Providers

Another particularly important requirement when moving home is updating your address with your insurance providers.

There are a number of possible insurance companies that will need to be informed of your change of address.

These include:

• Life insurance
• Health insurance
• Pet insurance
• House insurance
• Car insurance
• Travel insurance

The most significant of these is certainly your home and contents insurance.

It is very likely that your insurance premium will change when you move to a new area.

Depending on where you are moving to, your insurance provider will determine whether the area is more dangerous or safer than your old address.

Subsequently, the cost of your insurance will change accordingly.

Moving to a new property represents a fantastic opportunity to shop around for new insurance providers.

Be sure to check for any good deals and have a look around at what different providers are offering.

You will likely have a very comprehensive inventory containing all your belongings which will make getting contents insurance quotes far easier at this time.

Whilst some of your insurance policies won’t change with your change of address, it is still important to inform them of this change.

While the policy itself may not change, they will still need your most up to date details to easily contact you and send you your bills.

You can easily inform them of a change of address by either visiting their websites or contacting them via telephone to inform them of the change of address.

Ready to Plan Your Move?

Was our change of address checklist helpful?

If you have followed all of the steps on our change of address checklist you are likely ready to move!

However, if you are still planning your upcoming move, GoodMove will help to make your move an easy and stress-free process.

We take great pride in ensuring everything runs smoothly and flawlessly.

Hopefully, our change of address checklist and highly trained staff can help you to settle into your new home right away.

As well as our competitively priced removals package, we can also offer extra services such as temporary or long-term storage facilities should you need them.

GoodMove cover all areas of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex and our friendly estimators can call round at a convenient time for you and strategically plan your move to perfection.

During these unique times, GoodMove are also offering a new video survey service.

Using our new technology, we can gather all the information required to assist with your move, from the comfort of your home!

Video surveys will help you save valuable time and preserve the best safety levels.

To find out more about how we could get your dream move underway do not hesitate to call us on the number listed above.

Alternatively, fill out a quick quote form or click on our live bot in the bottom right and a member of our customer services team will be in touch shortly.

We hope our change of address checklist will assist you in your upcoming move.