Following on from our last blog article where we looked at what to do about your energy supplier when you move house (you can check it out HERE) We thought it would be useful to take a look at some of the other people and organisations that you need to inform when you move house.
If you have been living in the same property for a few years, it’s likely that you will have a whole host of companies, memberships, documents and mail registered to your current address and even if you use the Post Office’s mail redirect service It’s a good idea to inform important companies and utilities directly before you move house.
The first thing to do before the flurry of packing, moving and settling in to your new home begins, is to sit down and write out a list of organisations and companies to contact. It can be really helpful to break these down into separate categories and make a note of when you are going to inform them. That way you can check them off one by one and make sure nothing is missed.
Below is a brief over view of some of the organisations that you’ll want to inform and some links to help you get in touch with them.
Government Bodies
- DVLA – When you move house you will need to update your address with the DVLA for both your driving licence and vehicle registration documents, but not before you move house, as you may need your licence for identification or van hire etc. You can find contact details for the DVLA HERE.
- Department of work and pensions – Depending on your circumstances, you might need to contact the department for work and pensions and/or HMRC to let them know that you are moving house. You can get in touch with the department for work and pensions HERE and with HMRC HERE.
- Electoral Register – You will need to make sure you update your details on the electoral roll and you can find contact information and details of what to do HERE.
- Local Authority – You should ask your local authority for a final statement of your council tax and make sure to check if you are entitled to a refund! You can find out more information from Derby City Council HERE.
- TV licensing – If you currently pay your T.V licence by direct debit, you will need to inform them that you are moving house and may need to cancel the direct debit for your old address. If you have paid for the full year, you may be entitled to a refund so it pays to double check. You can find contact details HERE.
Financial institutions
- Bank and Saving account providers – For security purposes it’s best to ensure that you notify your Bank or Building Society as to the change of your address, although most institutions are now paperless, there is still a chance that your statement or other sensitive information could get sent to your old address.
- Credit Card companies – It’s best to inform any credit card companies as soon as possible for the same reasons as above, also, it may cause future problems if you have been found to have a credit card or credit agreement registered to an address that you no longer live at.
- Investment Funds – You may have an old pension scheme or savings and investment plan you have been paying into but have forgotten about. You can use this as a reminder to check up and see if the scheme is still relevant and make sure you update your details.
- Store Loyalty Cards – Have a check through and see which cards you have with which stores. If you don’t inform them of a change of address you could be missing out on any offers and may lose all those hard earned points!
Insurance Providers
- Building and Contents Insurance Provider – You will need to contact insurance providers to let them know of when you will be moving and where you will be moving to. You will also need to make sure you have buildings insurance in place on your new home as you will not be able to complete without it! Make sure you check with your current provider to see what is included under the policy for the move. You can get a free 60 second quote for your home insurance HERE.
- Car Insurance (and any breakdown cover) – Make sure you inform your car insurance provider. Not declaring where you vehicle is kept could invalidate your policy and moving to a different area, even if it’s not far away, can change the premium you have to pay.
- Life Insurance – Again you must inform your life insurance provider of a change of address as it could change your policy or invalidate it altogether. Most mortgage providers will advise you to have some form of life insurance in place and it makes sense to make sure the mortgage costs are covered should anything happen to you.
- Pet Insurance – Sometimes these types of policies get forgotten if you haven’t had to make a claim, but it’s wise to make sure your details are up to date.
- Health/Dental Insurance – You will need to update your details and if you are moving to a new area you will need to check which dentists or private health care facilities are available to you. If you have any existing health care issues, or even if you don’t, it is wise to register with the local GP surgery and/or dentist that covers your new home. You can find your new GP services with this helpful NHS online tool.
Utility Providers
- Gas – You will need to take final meter readings and inform you supplier that you are moving house and require a final bill and statement. You can find out more about the process in our helpful blog post.
- Electricity – Again, you will need to inform your electricity supplier in the same way as your gas supplier, just have a look at our bog post HERE for all you need to know.
- Water supplier – Contact your supplier and inform them of your move and the date that you will be vacating. If you have a water meter you will need to take a meter reading on the day you move and inform your supplier of the details along with requesting a final bill and statement.
Employers and education contacts
Don’t forget to let people such as your employer, your children’s School and other professional associations or education establishments know of your change of address. This is especially important if they need your current address as an emergency contact. Some people to remember to inform are:
- Your employers and current pension fund
- Your children’s School, Colleague or university
- Professional bodies and associations
- Any governing or regulatory bodies associated with your business or profession
Leisure and family subscriptions
Finally, have a look at any subscriptions you or your family have in place. This could be magazine subscriptions, club memberships and other groups or leisure clubs that your family belong to. Also, if you have pets that are microchipped, make sure you don’t forget to contact your database company and update the information. A few things to consider are:
- Newspaper, magazine, catalogues and newsletter subscriptions
- Gym memberships
- Children’s clubs such as sports teams or scout groups
- Charities and other organisation’s that you may support
- The milk man and local paper shop if you regularly have deliveries.
Although this isn’t and exhaustive list of people you will need to inform when you move house, it can serve as a reminder to be organised, make a list and make sure you remember to let everyone important know about your move. If you need any advice about moving home or property in general, why not pop in to your local Hannells branch? One of our team will be happy to help!
And don’t forget, if you need a valuation for selling or renting your home, simply click HERE!
