Congratulations on your move! Moving house is one of the most exciting milestones in your life. But, it’s also one of the most stressful.
While there’s so much to look forward to, equally, there’s also a long list of things to plan. Some of which you might not have even thought about yet.
One of the most common mistakes we see movers make is not realising how many people they need to tell when they move house. It’s not just a case of telling Granny where to forward her card to. There are actually a number of people, companies and service providers that you need to contact ASAP.
So, to help make this step in your move easier, we’ve shared our complete change of address checklist. Below, you can find the full list of people that you need to inform when you move house.
Jump to checklist. Read on for more details.
Banks and Finances
Your Bank / Banks
You will need to inform your bank or building society of your move as soon as possible. This is because your bank uses your address as one of the ways that it proves your identity. You can notify them by either visiting your local branch, or by using the bank’s website.
Pension
If you have a private pension plan, you will need to notify your provider through their preferred contact method. Or, if you have a State Pension plan, you can inform them online, via the gov.uk pension page.
Credit Card or Debit Cards
You should also arrange to get your address changed for any debit or credit cards that you may have. Again, most debit and credit card providers will use your address as a form of identification, so it’s important that you inform them as near to your move date as possible.
Loan Companies
If you have an outstanding loan, then the loan provider will need to be notified. In most cases, this can be done through email or phone.
Utilities and Services
Electricity
You will need to notify your electricity provider of your move, so that they can stop charging you for your current property. You can usually do this in advance. But, note that it takes most energy providers up to 48 hours to process the information, so avoid leaving it till you have actually moved to notify them.
Water
Again, you can usually inform your water provider of a move quite a way in advance, which will ensure you aren’t billed for any of the next tenant’s water usage.
Gas
When you notify your gas provider, you will also need to send them a reading of your property’s gas meter on the day that you move out of the property. This will ensure you are not charged for any gas that you did not use yourself.
Broadband
In some cases, your broadband provider might charge you a termination or an early leaving fee (if you have not completed your full contract). But to avoid this, you can ask your provider whether they will allow you to transfer your contract to your new property. This is a great way to save money, while also ticking another job off your move list.
Royal Mail / Letters
By setting up a postal redirect with Royal Mail, you can have any of your mail forwarded to your new address. This is a great way to buy yourself a little extra time, and ensure that no important post is lost. But take note, this is only a temporary solution. Setting up a postal redirect can be done on the Royal Mail website.
TV Package
If you have cable or satellite TV at your property, you will need to let your provider know that you are moving, so that they can alter your bill. Before you contact them, however, we recommend that you check whether or not your home will need a cable or satellite dish (if not, you can cancel your account altogether).
TV Licence
You will also need to inform the TV Licencing provider, as your licence will no longer be valid when you move. You can do this easily, through the TV Licensing website. And, this can also be done well in advance (up to 3 months) before your actual move date.
Landline Phone
You will need to request a new phone number for your new property, and ask your phone company to update your account address (for billing purposes).
Work
Your Employer
You will need to send your employer and your company’s finance department an email, notifying them of your address change. This is critical, as it is required for their payroll purposes.
National Insurance
You can contact National Insurance via the phone (the contact details are listed on the gov.uk website). Note, you will need to provide them with your National Insurance number, so have that ready when you call.
HMRC
The details for how to inform HMRC are listed on the gov.uk website.
Regional Government Authorities
Council Tax
You can update the address associated with your Council Tax through the gov.uk website. Note, you will need to find the relevant government website for the specific area that you are moving to, as each tax area has its own unique website and contacting requirements.
Department of Work and Pensions
If you are receiving this money through the government, then you will need to call the department to inform them of your move. The Department of Work and Pensions contact numbers are listed on the gov.uk website.
Electoral Roll
In order to be eligible for voting, you will need to register on the Electoral Roll with your new address. You can do this through the gov.uk website.
Vehicles
DVLA
You can ask the DVLA to update your driving licence through the DVLA website. This request will usually take them between 2-4 weeks to complete.
Car Insurance
In order to ensure your policy remains valid, you will need to notify your insurance provider as quickly as possible. Depending on your provider, this can usually be done over the phone, via email or by updating your online account.
Breakdown Cover
You will also need to inform your breakdown provider, which can usually be done through their website.
V5C Vehicle Tax
You can either update your V5C by post or online, through the gov.uk website. It is critical that you do so as quickly as possible, otherwise, you could be fined up to £1,000.
Insurance Providers
In order to keep your policy valid, you will need to inform all of your insurance providers of your move. Depending on your provider(s), you can usually do this over the phone, via email or by updating your online account.
It is also worth noting that where you live is one of the factors that insurance providers use to determine the cost of your premium. So, if you are moving to a new area, you might find that the cost of your insurance fluctuates.
- Car insurance
- Home insurance
- Health insurance
- Travel insurance
- Life insurance
- Pet insurance
Healthcare Providers
In order to ensure that all of your healthcare records are up to date, you will need to inform each of your healthcare providers of your new address.
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Optician
- Vet
Home Maintenance Services
If you hire services to maintain your home, then you will need to either cancel their services (explaining that you are moving) or ask them whether they could continue to provide their services at your new address (depending on the distance).
- Cleaners
- Window cleaners
- Gardeners
If you have an accountant or a solicitor, then you should also notify them of your new address, to ensure all correspondence is sent to the correct location.
Education
Universities
If you or a family member is attending university, then they will need to be informed of your new address, for their billing purposes.
School(s)
If you have a child/children that are still in school, then they will need to be kept up to date with your move date, and it can be useful to provide them with your new address, too.
Subscriptions
We often forget just how many subscriptions that we are signed up for. In fact, studies show that the average household spends around £552 a year on sign-up services, with seven contracts per household (on average).
So, it is important that you note all of the subscription providers that you are signed up for, and update all of your accounts with your new address.
The most commonly used subscriptions include:
- Gyms
- Video streaming (such as Netflix or NOW TV)
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Meal kits (such as Gousto or Hello Fresh)
- Monthly treat boxes (such as Craft Gin Club)
- Store cards
We hope that this handy list helps to make your move a little more stress-free.
If you are moving house and are on the lookout for a dependable, trusted removals company in Kent and the surrounding areas, the Roberts & Denny’s Removals team is on hand to help. Contact us today and get a online quote.
Change of Address Checklist 2023
See below a quick checklist for the items above.
Banks and Finances
- Your Bank / Banks
- Pension
- Credit Card or Debit Cards
- Loan Companies
Utilities and Services
- Electricity
- Water
- Gas
- Broadband
- Royal Mail / Letters
- TV Package
- TV Licence
- Landline Phone
Work
- Your Employer
- National Insurance
- HMRC
Regional Government Authorities
- Council Tax
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Electoral Roll
Vehicles
- DVLA
- Car Insurance
- V5C Vehicle Tax
- Breakdown Cover
Insurance Providers
- Car insurance
- Home insurance
- Health insurance
- Travel insurance
- Life insurance
- Pet insurance
Healthcare Providers
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Optician
- Vet
Home Maintenance Services
- Cleaners
- Window cleaners
- Gardeners
Education
- Universities
- School(s)
Subscriptions
- Gyms
- Video streaming (such as Netflix or NOW TV)
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Meal kits (such as Gousto or Hello Fresh)
- Monthly treat boxes (such as Craft Gin Club)
- Store cards
