Ensuring everybody knows your new address will not only help prevent identity theft but will ensure you don’t miss out on any offers that companies send out to people moving home
Vehicle Tax. To change the direct debit details call 0300 790 6802
Car Insurance
Breakdown company
Vet
Pet Microchipping service
Doctor
Dentist
Optician
Subscriptions
Gym
Internet / Cable company
TV Licence
Mobile phone company
School
College / University
Student Loan
Professional organisations
Gas company
Water company
Electricity Company
Royal Mail
Third-Party Mail delivery company (TNT Mail now known as Whistl)
Holiday company
Landlord
People that have moved into your old home
Amazon
Ebay
Other online retailers
Any companies that you have service contracts with i.e. for boiler servicing.
Social Clubs
It would always be preferable to advise a company of your change of address via email, or a secure portal, so that you have written evidence that you notified that company, rather than risk the notification being lost in the post. Although some banks may insist on a change of address letter which can usually be found on their website.
You may also like to read: How to Make a New Place Feel Like Home. In this guide, we look at how to make the area you have moved to seem like home, somewhere you feel comfortable being, where you feel part of the community, and which adds to your overall quality of life.
Now read on to discover why changing your address after you move home is so important.
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Is it Important to Notify People of Your Change of Address?
Who knows what’s in this pile of mail? You certainly won’t unless you change your address after moving home.
Bet you never want to see another home moving checklist or packing box in your life again, right?
Just when you thought the end was in sight and your home move was complete, there is one more task that you cannot ignore.
The change of address list when moving home.
But why bother changing your address, most correspondence is done online these days and you only ever get junk mail through the post.
There are a few reasons why changing your address with everyone you have dealings with is important.
It will ensure that you receive any mail that you were not expecting and is also a safety net for anyone that you have forgotten.
Redirecting your mail is an important safety precaution to prevent identity fraud.
Your insurance company bases its policy charges on the postcode you live at. If you fail to notify the car insurance company for example of your change of address you may find that your car insurance is invalid.
You do not want to pay for services such as electricity for a property you no longer live at.
You may miss out on vouchers from your local supermarket or loyalty card vouchers.
Some companies may send you vouchers as a new home mover.
Essential reading having moved into a new home: How to Secure your New Home. Moving into a new home, in an unfamiliar area, with unknown neighbours can be daunting, especially if you live alone. And you never know who has a copy of the keys to your new home. So in this guide, we offer some sensible security precautions to take when moving into a new home.
How do you Change Your Mailing Address When you Move Home?
Credit card and Identity theft are common. Change your address after moving home to prevent your details from getting into the wrong hands.
Royal Mail Redirection Service
You can redirect your mail to any UK or overseas address for up to 3, 6, or 12 months from just £31.99 for each different last name in your family.
To set up a Redirection you will need:
Names and dates of birth of everyone in the household that needs their mail redirected.
Address and postcode of both your old and new addresses
How long does a change of address take?
Royal Mail requires at least 5 days’ notice to effect the change of address, but this can be done 3 months before you move and up to 6 months after you move home.
You can notify the Royal Mail of your change of address at the Post Office, and in certain circumstances, you have to use a form to do so.
You may also like to read: How to Childproof Your New Home. This is a room-by-room guide to making your new home safer for your children.
TNT Mail (Whistl) Redirection Service
The Royal Mail redirection service is only valid for mail delivered by Royal Mail, if your mail is delivered by a third party, for example, TNT Mail (Whistl), as used by some UK banks, it is unclear how the redirection service works.
I could not find any links to a redirection service and only conflicting information regarding the redirection of TNT-delivered mail.
This is another example of why it is important to change your address as soon as possible with all your financial institutions.
Mail Redirection Tip: Keep an eye on your mail in the run-up to your home move. Note who the mail is from, and if they are missing from your change of address checklist, just add them.
Change of Address for Online Retailers
You may also have lots of online retailers such as eBay and Amazon that you are registered on.
If you change the delivery address default now you will not forget. It would be a nightmare for your new purchases to end up at your old address, which could easily happen with one-click shopping.
How do I change my delivery address on Amazon One-Click?
To change your one-click address details on Amazon click here.
How do I change my delivery address on eBay?
To change your default Ebay delivery address follow this link.
Change of Address for Parcel Delivery Companies
If you have arranged delivery of items that coincide with your move date to your old address, you will need to take proof of your old address to the parcel delivery depot.
Most parcel delivery companies will hold any undelivered items for up to 5 days from the first delivery attempt.
In some cases, you will need the attempted delivery card, so let the people who have moved into your old home know so that they can retain it for you.
You may also like to read: What Should I Name My House? An easy way to make your new home feel like yours and to stand out from the crowd is to name it. In this guide, we offer dozens of examples of house names, tips on choosing appropriate names for your home, and show just how much adding a name to your home can increase its value.
Notify your service providers so that you do not pay for services you no longer need or use.
How do I Notify the Passport Office of my Change of Address?
You do not need to notify the passport office of your change of address unless you have moved home because you have married and changed your surname.
In this case, you do need to notify the passport office of a change of name.
You can follow this link to go to the UK passport office.
How do I Notify the Jury Service of my Change of Address?
You can contact the jury service summoning department via this link or telephone at 0300 456 1024.
Note that you can be fined up to £1000 if you fail to attend for jury service – a good incentive to make sure that mail redirection is in place!
Change of Address Cards
Although we would recommend using electronic communication as much as possible, why not have some fun with the kids and create some homemade change of address announcement cards, especially for friends and family?
Of course, there are any number of new home and change of address card templates that can be downloaded off the internet but there is also clipart, or PowerPoint that you could use to create your own designs, which are free and will be more fun.
Why not make use of cardboard from an old packing box, or discarded packing materials to make cards from, a quick internet search for homemade change of address cards will give you lots of inspiration.
Essential reading: What to do with packing materials after you move. Here we offer some fun and practical suggestions as to what to do with all the packing materials after you have unpacked your moving boxes.
Final Change of Address Tip: Check out the Royal Mail Postcode finder to ensure that you have the correct postcode for your new home. This is especially important if you have moved into a new build. The Royal Mail postcode database can be found here.
A Reminder to Leave a Review for your Removal Company
Oh, I know we said that your change of address notifications were probably your last home-moving task, but here is a reminder in case you forgot to leave a review for the home removal company you used.
You can leave a review by following this link here.
This is an important part of the home moving process as it will help not only fellow movers but also the removal companies who always welcome a pat on the back or constructive comments.
If we have forgotten to add any company or other useful tips to the Change of Address Checklist that you think others will find useful, please leave a comment so that we can add it to the spreadsheet.
Moving to a bungalow from 2 bedroom house in 6 months time.
At 73 years old and with a disabled husband I am going to need all the advice I can get!
Thank you Peter for providing this concise and clear information.
I have printed off the check list, started a folder and am decluttering and cleaning already. Three big sheds are a bit daunting!
Can’t decide if I can spare the energy and worry of selling on eBay, so wondering if just giving anything (except a few worthy bits), away to charities. Any thoughts on that?
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All nicely collected in one article – very useful
Thank you so much for a comprehensive review of actions to be taken.
Moving to a bungalow from 2 bedroom house in 6 months time.
At 73 years old and with a disabled husband I am going to need all the advice I can get!
Thank you Peter for providing this concise and clear information.
I have printed off the check list, started a folder and am decluttering and cleaning already. Three big sheds are a bit daunting!
Can’t decide if I can spare the energy and worry of selling on eBay, so wondering if just giving anything (except a few worthy bits), away to charities. Any thoughts on that?
Hi Chris,
Donating to charity is a great idea and many will collect your unwanted items for free. You may find this article useful as it lists many charities where you can donate your unwanted items: https://www.removalreviews.co.uk/move/where-to-donate-things-when-moving/
Good luck with your move!