Even veteran movers need a sticky note sometimes. The usefulness of a “moving house who to tell checklist” is invaluable. The stress of packing and moving, keeping the kids from becoming upset, in addition to keeping your pets from becoming fearful of you leaving them behind can often add up to something being forgotten.
For your convenience, we’ve compiled a who to tell when moving house list and have noted weeks or days in which you should contact someone.
Print it out and put it somewhere where you’ll remember it.
First Things First
We understand you’ve probably already called the family and friends, and if you’re moving to a new job, your new employer probably knows you’re on the way.
The post office should be the first organisation you contact to inform them that you are moving.
Give the post office your new address for mail redirection.
Your financial contacts should be notified second.
Financial contacts should include:
• Your bank
• Credit card companies
• Pension scheme administrators
• Loan companies (including student loans)
• Insurance companies – you’ll want to organise insurance for your new home
Moving House Utilities Checklist
Your change of address details are obviously essential to utilities companies.
Make sure all the utilities get an address change: water, gas, electric, landline, cable TV subs, mobile phone, broadband.
These should be done the last week in the old house. It’s no fun packing, moving and cleaning in the dark, so tell the utilities the date of the move.
Make sure the utilities in the new house are turned on when you arrive. This, too, should be done the last week before the move.
The Government
A very large and important consideration when moving house is alerting relevant government agencies.
Alert the voting agency in addition to the Inland Revenue (and child benefit offices if relevant) of any address changes. This should be accomplished about two to three weeks before the move.
Infom any motor vehicle agencies of your impending move. You’ll need to alert any agencies holding your breakdown plans, and the vehicle registration office.
An address change alert should go to any licensing body as well. For instance, if you sell real estate or are a licensed professional bonded to any particular agency.
The Family Doctor/s
Transferring medical records takes time, so if needing to change doctors, alerting them should be done about two weeks before the move. If relevant, be sure to call the kids’ paediatrician, your own doctor, dentist, and any specialists, including the vet.
If you’re seeing any other medical specialists, for example chiropractors and physiotherapists, you should alert them of your move.
Other Considerations
Somehow, we always forget to notify the news agents, the milkman, or the gym that we are moving house, especially if we’re moving to another country (like New Zealand). Checklists are a great way to remember such things, which should be done about one month before the move.
The library, solicitor, any magazine subscriptions, any clubs or organisations to which the kids belong, as well as your own civic organizations should receive an address change.
If you hire preferred professionals, eg. roofers, plumbers, or electricians, you may want to alert them so that they can update their records for future contact.
Maybe get in touch with the cleaners and a handyman for one last clean and yard job, so the place looks its best. They should be informed then that you won’t be needing them again.