Easy-to-Follow Change of Address Checklist

Last Update June 28 2022

This is our change of address checklist, designed to assist with your house move.

Your move is finally approaching, which means it is time to notify everyone you know about your change of address!

Your friends and family are certainly well aware that you are moving, however, there are a number of third parties, companies and groups that must also be informed.

So, why have we put together this checklist?

Updating your address is surely a relatively easy task!

However, with so many different people to notify, the process can become particularly unclear.

Relocating is never a simple process, with so much to do throughout the move it is no surprise that certain things are forgotten!

If you are struggling to update your address White and Company are here to make the task simple.

Our change of address checklist is intended to help you stay up to date with who to inform about your move.

Government Authorities

There are a number of different Governmental Departments that you must inform when changing your address.

These include:

• Local Electoral Roll
• Council Tax
• Department of Work & Pensions (DWP)

Be sure to check out the information about each of these below.

Electoral Roll

Registering for the electoral roll is important for various reasons!

You will not be able to vote unless you are on the electoral roll.

Whilst voting is not mandatory, it is always advisable to register to vote for any upcoming elections.

Another reason to register is that it may have a negative impact on your credit rating if you are not!

Registering for the electoral roll shows that you are at lower risk regard to fraud.

The electoral roll is also used for monitoring crime as well as jury selections.

To register for the electoral roll simply visit the Gov.uk website and follow the instructions found there.

Employment

Always inform your employer (or the Department of Work & Pensions) when moving house!

This is certainly an important addition to our change of address checklist.

To prevent any interruptions to your payday, you must let your workplace know that you have changed address.

Many companies will provide assistance through their HR department.

This will help to ensure that your address is kept as up to date as possible.

A change of address can sometime have an impact of you work contract.

If this is the case, notifying HR will activate all relevant documents that could need to be signed follow your move.

It is also worth checking if your employer includes any leave entitlement when you are moving.

This will often not be the case but is certainly worth checking.

If you are self-employed, you must update your address with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Education

Moving schools is often a hectic time for children!

You will want to make sure that everything runs as efficiently as possible during this process.

If you are moving within the same catchment area as your old address, you need simply inform the school office of your new contact details.

However, should your move see you move out of your local area, there is lot to do before the move!

Exploring which new schools will be suitable for your child is an obvious task.

When doing this it is advisable to visit as many as possible, with your child where possible.

Once you have found the one you like you need to apply for a space.

This typically must occur well in before the date of the move, so be prepared!

Banking

One of the most time-consuming things to organise is your finances.

It is often the case that you have resided in the same place for a number of years.

If this is the case, you may be shocked as to how many companies and organisations you have to inform when it comes to money.

This is a particularly important addition to our change of address checklist as you won’t want any of your financial information arriving at your old address where it could be opened by someone else!

Here are just a few of the places you need to contact:

• Your Bank
• Building Society
• Credit Card Company
• Loan Company
• Store Cards
• Loyalty Card

Be sure to inform your pension provider where applicable!

If you have a private pension, your will need to inform them in writing.

Those with a state pension you can log the changes here.

If you are divorced or separated, you may be paying maintenance.

When you changing address, you must inform the Child Maintenance Service within 7 days of the move.

Household Utilities

Electricity, Gas and Water suppliers need to be notified of your move asap.

It can take up to 48 hours for your information to be updated so you do not want to be without these vital services, even more so if you are moving with children.

Once you know your new address you need to get on the phone immediately.

With your gas and electricity usage, ensure you take meter readings just before you leave the property for the final time and send these readings to your supplier urgently.

Take a photo on your phone, then there can be no disputes with the new owners or tenants.

Moving home is the ideal time to double-check that you are getting the best deal.

Run a comparison check just to be sure. Uswitch and MoneySuperMarket are great for this purpose.

These days many homes have had water meters installed.

If you’re staying with the same water company, you need to let them know your new address. As with gas and electricity, take a last-minute reading as you leave.

If your new home has a water meter, take a reading as soon as you move in.

You can find out which water company supplies your area and their contact details on the Consumer Council for Water website.

Ensuring that you have notified all parties in good time will avoid you being left without light, warmth, or water.

Healthcare

For those who are moving but still remaining in their local catchment area, all you need do is to notify your doctor and dental surgeries of your new address and home telephone number, if this has also changed.

If you’re relocating to a new place altogether, you can easily search for a GP doctor’s surgery in the area of your new home using the NHS’ GP search service.

Again, when you know your new address, this is the time to act.

Call the surgery of your choice and inform them of the impending move.

Completion of a new patient registration form (GMS1 form) is required. The form can be downloaded via the government website.

Following submission, the new surgery will contact your current practice and request the transfer of your health records.

If you have an ongoing condition like asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy, it’s even more important to register with a local GP as soon as possible.

The whole process normally takes place within 7 working days but more often sooner.

Leisure and Recreation

If you have lived in your current location for some time, you have likely joined a number of leisure or recreational clubs and societies.

Some of these will come with a cost attached such as a gym membership.

Don’t forget to cancel these subscriptions especially if they are made via direct debit.

It can be a real bind to cancel them retrospectively and claim back monies paid for services you haven’t used.

Although is it becoming increasingly less popular some still have magazines or newspapers delivered.

These providers need to be made aware of your pending move and either arrange a redirection to the new address or have their subscriptions cancelled.

If you have any postal subscriptions these will be dealt with when you have your post re-directed.

Updating your address or setting up a redirection will prevent you from missing anything from companies, and you stop your mail from getting into the wrong hands.

To arrange a mail re-direct, just complete a Redirection form (you can collect one from any post office).

Take the form along with the proof of name and address documents requested on the form to your local post office counter and they will pass your Redirection to Royal Mail.

You can even do this online.

Insurance Providers

Informing all your insurance companies is yet another important job, particularly when it comes to household and vehicle insurance.

Your postcode can affect the amount you pay.

You may be moving to what is considered a “riskier” location, in which case you might end up paying more or less if the opposite applies.

In other cases, you just need to let your insurer know where you will be living so that they can send you updates and statements without delay.

It is easy to forget who you need to contact, especially if you pay your insurance automatically through your bank.

As an aid memoir here are the most common insurers, many of us use:

• Health Insurance
• Household insurance/contents cover
• Life Insurance
• Travel Insurance
• Pet insurance
• Car Insurance
• Disability insurance

In some cases, written notification is required, in others, just a phone call will suffice.

Ready to Start Organising Your Move?

Hopefully, our change of address checklist has been helpful!

There are clearly various things to consider when it comes to moving house.

For all of your removals needs, give White & Company a call today or fill out a quick moving quote or Bot Survey form above to receive a free removals quote.

You can start planning your move with the assistance of White & Company today.

We are also happy to offer our free video survey service. We can gather all the relevant information for your move using our remote video service, or one of our highly trained surveyors will visit you at home.

Once we have received all of the details of your move, ascertaining the volume of effects being moved we will send you a free written removals quote.

If you are satisfied with your removals quote, we will then provide a full schedule to ensure a seamless move on the day.

So, fill out a quick quote form to see how we can get your dream move in the works.

Max Peterson

Max is a seasoned writer and blogger in the real estate and home moving sectors, as well as a knowledgeable source of information for expatriates living and working abroad. His detailed insights have helped thousands of people move and live abroad with greater simplicity and ease.