It’s finally happening for real – you’re about to move to another home.
And regardless of whether you view this piece of news as good or bad, you just know that there are so many pre-move tasks that you must complete before your movers knock on your door on Moving day. Of course, the best way to get 100% ready for the big day is to utilize each and every minute of the time you have. But how do you do that?
In fact, it’s not that hard. All you have to do is compile your own moving calendar and fill it with all the things you need to take care of before moving out in order to stay in full control of your time. Feel free to “steal” some good ideas from our moving timeline and adapt them to your own needs and preferences.
Keep in mind that one of your top-priority tasks is to let specific people and organizations that you’re about to relocate to another part of the country and inform them of your change of address. But you cannot do this until you know exactly who to notify when you move, right?
Consult the following checklist of who to notify when moving so that you complete this important job as soon as possible and move on to the next entry in your moving calendar.
Here’s who to notify when you move:
1. United States Postal Service (USPS)
Needless to say, the very first service provider you have to notify that you’re changing your address is the United States Postal Service (USPS). In reality, that is how you need to change your address when moving to another home – you make a change of address (COA) request with the USPS and when that request is processed and the COA procedure is complete, you will have officially changed your address.
Luckily, changing your address with USPS is not a complicated process and you’ve got 4 options to tackle the important task depending on your personal preferences.
- Online. This is by far the most convenient way to change your address. All you have to do is visit the official USPS webpage and follow the instructions.
- In person. Simply visit the nearest post office in person to start the change of address procedure.
- By phone. Call 1-800-ASK-USPS and follow the pre-recorded instructions to change your address.
- By mail. Download, print out, and fill in PS Form 3575, then post it with a first-class stamp to POSTMASTER, United States Postal Service.
See also: How to change your address when moving
2. Family and friends
Of course, it’s very likely that your family members and your close friends will know about your upcoming move the same day that you yourself become aware of it, or at least a few days later.
Moving to another home is an important event in a person’s life and the big news will certainly spread like wildfire. Moreover, if you’ve decided not to hire a full-service moving company, then the idea of notifying your family and friends when moving can also serve as a call for moving help.
There are various ways to let your friends and family know that you are moving soon and give them your new postal address. You can either choose the more personal approach such as face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and pretty hand-made announcements. Or you can decide to do it in a much quicker yet more impersonal way such as through social network posts, phone texts, or online chats.
Ultimately, the right way to notify your friends and family of your change of address should be the one you feel most comfortable with.
3. Utility companies
Don’t forget to inform all your utility companies about your change of address and set convenient dates when the services at your old home will be disconnected and then reconnected at your new place.
After all, you don’t want to be paying for utility services at your old place when you’ve already moved out of there, do you?
The utility companies you must contact include but are not limited to:
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water
- Telephone
- Cable TV
- Internet
- Heating
- Domestic waste collection
- Home security service, etc.
Click here to visit the government website of your state for more information.
Read also: How to transfer utilities when moving
4. Government organizations
Your address has changed and now you have to inform some of the most important government agencies about your updated postal address.
You have nothing to gain by keeping your new address secret from these government institutions – on the contrary, the longer you wait until you inform them of your recently completed change of address procedure, the more disadvantageous it will be for you in the long run.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS won’t be able to send you a tax return if they don’t have your current address. So, be sure to update your postal address with the IRS electronically using Form 8822.
- Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If you just moved out of state lines with a licensed vehicle, you will have anywhere from 10 days to 30 days (depending on the state) to register your car with the DMV at the destination place. However, even if you’ve moved just across town, you still have to inform the corresponding DMV office of the address change, usually within 30 days after the change of address procedure is complete.
- Social Security Administration. You also have to update your address with the Social Security Administration if you happen to receive any benefits (retirement, disability, Medicare, survivor benefits, etc.) from the government. Use this free online form on SSA’s website to update your contact information so that you can continue to receive those payments from the government.
5. Insurance companies
Once you change your address with USPS, it’s important to also notify your homeowners insurance company or your renters insurance company of the updated address so that your coverage can become effective as soon as you move into the new place.
In addition to the homeowners / renters insurers, here are some other insurance companies that you have to get in touch with in regard to your recent address change:
- Car insurance
- Life insurance
- Health insurance (Medical insurance).
Bear in mind that failure to update your new address with your various insurance companies is likely to result in voided insurance policies.
Related info: Does home insurance cover moving?
6. Financial institutions
Next on the checklist of who to notify when you move should be all financial institutions you have business with.
Remember that you will actually keep yourself protected from identity theft by providing those institutions with your updated address. Why? Identity theft is often done through mail theft, so you will minimize the risk of any sensitive information getting exposed through mail when you contact those financial institutions and give them your new postal address.
The most common institutions you will need to notify when you move include
- Banks
- Credit card companies
- Lenders
- Investment accounts
- Retirement funds, etc.
Read also: How to switch banks when moving
7. Your employer
Who to contact when moving? Your employer, of course.
If you’re moving out of state for a new job, then you have to contact your former employer and your new one, and provide them with your new postal address. The HR Department will need your updated address so that they can prepare any work-related documents you may need. Besides, your previous employer may still need to send you mail paychecks, tax documents, or other important documentation.
Good to know: What to consider when relocating for a job
8. Voter registration
Who to notify of your change of address?
As a registered voter, you will want to contact the office of your registrar of voters and give them your new address. The reason why you should update your voter registration is that it’s the only way you will be allowed to vote in any upcoming elections in the town or city you just relocated to.
In most U.S. states, the deadline for voter registration is between two to four weeks before an election takes place – federal, state, local, primary, and general elections. However, some states allow for same-day voter registration.
To play it safe, update your voter registration right after the move even if there are no elections coming up soon.
See also: How to change voter registration after moving
9. Clubs and organizations
If you’re a member of any clubs or organizations, then it’s a good idea to get in touch with them and let them know that you’ve moved and your postal address is different now.
It may not be urgent to notify all those clubs and organizations right after you move into the new place, but sooner or later you will have to do it in order to continue your membership there. Make a list of the most important ones, including any charitable organizations you may be involved in, and contact them as soon as you find some free time on your hands.
10. Shopping websites
If you enjoy shopping online from various e-commerce websites, then you shouldn’t forget to update your delivery address on major retail websites such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Craigslist, Target, and so on. It’s especially important to do so when you’ve enabled the one-click checkout feature on any of them.
Also, remember to update your postal address with any payment services you might be using, for example – PayPal.
11. Miscellaneous service providers
This change of address checklist wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t include important service providers that you should inform of your recent change of address:
- family physicians and specialized doctors;
- dentists;
- veterinarians;
- schools;
- lawyers;
- daycare centers;
- delivery services;
- cleaning services, etc.
Must-read: Moving checklist: Interactive week-by-week moving timeline
