There is so much involved when planning a house move and, in the process of packing and liaising with removalists and estate agents, you can sometimes overlook other important aspects. From informing your bank of your move to collecting all your keys, we look into some of the things you need to do before moving house that might get forgotten about amongst the hustle and bustle.
Change your address
Although it might seem obvious, many can forget to change their address everywhere that is relevant. Here are some important and overlooked places you should look to change your address with:
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Royal Mail – redirecting your mail is more than just making sure you receive your mail, it’s also to protect you from identity theft. With this in mind, Royal Mail offers a redirect service in advance to your move (three, six or 12 months prior).
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Electoral roll – make sure to update your address on the electoral roll as your poll cards will result in getting lost and you won’t be able to vote in any local or national elections. Did you know that, if you are registered on the electoral roll at your new address, this can help improve your credit rating too?
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Banks – inform your banks of your address change to ensure any new debit cards, credit cards and pin numbers are sent to you, along with any bank changes, saving accounts details and statements. Again, this is important to ensure your financial information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.
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Utility companies – to ensure you’re staying on the right side of payments and the law, change your address with your utility companies. This will probably happen regardless if you want your new home to have electricity, gas etc, but we suggest you contact them to let them know in advance.
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Vehicles – update your driver’s license with your new address, along with car insurance details too.
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Doctor’s surgery – if you’re moving to a house in a nearby area, make sure you update your address with them or register with a new one entirely.
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Schools – similarly, if your children are attending the same school, make sure you update their records with your new address.
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Other – remember to change your address for any extra areas such as magazine subscriptions, delivery services, online selling websites (eBay, Amazon etc) and your TV license.
Clear out your fridge and freezer
Definitely one of the more exciting jobs, look at clearing out your fridge and freezer of all those forgotten about chicken breasts at the back or those random cheeses leftover from Christmas. Start a couple of weeks prior to your move, and come up with some unique meal plans to help you save money but ensure the kitchen is clear.
Collate your keys
Whether you’ve handed out a couple of extra keys to your children, parents or neighbours, start collating all the spare keys from over the years. As well as spare keys, make sure you have all the keys of the house together for when you hand them over to the new homeowners. This could include keys for the back door, loft, garage, side gate, windows and much more.
When moving house, it’s crucial that you don’t overlook certain things. To stop this from happening, turn to others for a helping hand, whether that’s family, friends or enlisting the services of an expert removals company, like Essex Removal Service & Co. Ltd. From domestic removals to packing services, our team can help – get in touch for a quote today.
