10 Things You Must Remember When Moving House

Moving house can be a stressful and difficult time, given all of the different factors you need to consider and tasks that need to be completed. Factors such as finding a moving truck, moving furniture, and sorting out your energy and gas suppliers, are all important things to consider.

The best way to handle a house move is to plan ahead and make sure that you don’t leave things till the last minute. You want to be prepared as possible so that your moving experience will be as smooth as possible. To help you plan ahead of your house move, we have collated a list of the top 10 things that you should consider when moving to a new house.

Inform Your Bank About The Move

You have a responsibility to keep your records updated and it’s important to stay on top of this in case an emergency occurs. You should contact any banks, insurance companies, building societies, and other financial companies that are relevant to yourself and inform them that you have moved house so that they can update their records. This will help them get in touch with you in the event of an emergency and it prevents unauthorised access to your important financial documents.

It’s a good idea to contact them in advance to inform them of the new home and the moving date.

Update Insurance Information

Whether you are buying or renting a new home, you should think about protecting your new home against loss of possessions or damage during and after the house move. As soon as you have the details of your new home, you can apply for insurance in advance for up to 30 days. You can then schedule the insurance to begin the day you fully move into the new home.

For those with existing home insurance, you will need to check with your insurance provider and see if the policy covers you during the move. It’s also important to let your insurer know about the new address. There may be a charge for updating your address information.

Your Driving Information

Before you move house, it’s important to update any information on your driving license, car insurance, and certificate of ownership for your car.

• To update your driving license, you will need to apply for an updated driving license. There are no costs of updating your address on your license, but there may be penalties if you do not keep your license up-to-date.
• It’s essential to inform your car insurance provider of any new changes, such as your new home Keep in mind that the pricing of driving insurance can vary with location. Failure to inform your insurer of new changes could mean that they might refuse to pay a claim.
• When it comes to your certificate of ownership for your car, it’s vital that you update the address as you could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not inform the DVLA that you have moved house. Updating this information is free and it’s very simple to do. Just send your updated log book (V5C) with the new details to the DVLA and they will send you a new certificate.

Redirecting Your Post

Redirecting your post is a very simple job but it’s also very important. You wouldn’t want to miss out on any bank statements or other vital documents that might be sent through the post.

Visit your nearest post office and ask them to redirect your mail in advance. There may be a small charge for this, but it’s better than having your confidential information fall into the wrong hands.

Gas & Electric Suppliers

Before moving out of your home, you will need to take final meter readings of your water, gas, and electricity before leaving and inform your supplier that you are moving house. This is so that you won’t be charged for someone else’s usage. This could also be a chance for you to switch suppliers and potentially find a cheaper deal. However, you can also usually stay with the same supplier during the switch.

Water Supplier

This is another job that needs to be resolved by setting time aside to speak to your water supplier. You need to let them know that you are going to be moving house and to another location and if you plan to stay with them. If you are moving to a different area with a different water company, then let your current water company know. Otherwise, you might end up with two water bills at the end of the month.

Setting Up The Broadband & TV License

Internet and broadband are often necessities in our daily lives, so it’s important that you contact them in advance to ask to move these. Installation appointments can take weeks, so, try to plan ahead if possible. Most providers allow you to move your existing deal to a new house at no extra costs, but it might also be a chance to compare packages and see if you can find more favourable deals.

If you also have a TV license, then you will need to contact your company and find out if the license can be moved to your new house. You only need one permit per household if you move in with someone else.

Change Your Delivery Address

Most people tend to shop online nowadays due to the sheer convenience of being able to browse a whole collection of products in the comfort of their own home. It’s important to keep your delivery addresses updated to ensure that the item arrives correctly and safely, especially you are expecting recurring deliveries, such as milk, gift boxes, etc. Before you make the one-off purchases, be sure to check that your details are also updated.

Arranging your Council Tax

Council tax is the annual fee that your local council charges for providing local services. This is something that you should remember to arrange before completing the moving. If you need to pay council tax then you should contact your local government and get the contract signed with the new council as soon as possible.

Use Up Your Food

If you have food leftover before the moving date, then you should try to use up all of your frozen food to prevent wasting the food and your money. If you have too much, then you could also ask a friend or family member to store your frozen food until your new house has the right appliances to store food.

Contact Hadleigh Estate Agents for Properties to Buy & Rent

If you’re looking for a property to buy or rent in Birmingham, then please get in touch with our property experts. With over 40 years of experience, we are a market leader in the Harborne and Edgbaston area. Our friendly, experienced, and qualified team of estate and letting agents like to take the time to understand your needs to find out exactly what you’re looking for in a purchase or sale.

Get in touch with us on 0121 427 1213 or you can send us an email here.