When you’re moving, you have a lot on your mind. From finalizing the details of your home purchase to coordinating the sale of your previous home of the conclusion of your lease – not to mention organizing the move itself – it can be a challenging time to stay on top of everything you have going on.
As a result, changing your home address in the necessary places is often one of the things that gets lost in the shuffle.
Moving into a new house in the near future? Keep this checklist of places to change your address on hand so you can be efficient at letting all the necessary parties know that you’ve relocated!
Home Address Change Checklist
There are dozens of places where your address will need to be changed. And while you may have to change your address in additional places, these 12 places are a good start for most people.
Post Office
This is an obvious one, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s so important. You’ll want to let the USPS know you are moving so they can forward any mail that goes to your old address to your new location. They will often put forwarding stickers on mail that went to your old address, which is an added bonus, as it can help you to figure out the places where you may have forgotten to make an address update!
Gas & Electric Companies
You’ll likely be contacting these companies anyway if you’re pausing service to your old address or transferring service to your new address, but be sure to inform them that you’ve relocated.
Phone, Cable & Internet Providers
As with your gas and electric, chances are you’ll be contacting your phone, cable and internet provider to let them know you’ll be discontinuing service at your old address. If you’re staying with the same provider, have your account transferred over to your new address.
Insurance Companies
Car insurance, life insurance, homeowners insurance – no matter what type of insurance you have, you should be sure to inform them of your change of address.
Department of Motor Vehicles
The DMV is another important place to inform of a change of home address. They’ll need to update their records so they have the right address associated with your vehicle registrations and titles, and your license.
Employer
Your employer should be informed of a change in your home address as well. The HR department likely uses your address for various purposes, so be sure to update this in a timely manner – especially if you want to be sure your paychecks or pay stubs are still sent to the right place!
Schools
Whether you’re currently in school, an alum, or you have kids enrolled in local schools, be sure to let all education institutions you’re affiliated with know that you’ve moved.
Subscription Services
Magazines, food delivery services, monthly subscription boxes – if you have a subscription to an ongoing service of any kind, be sure to update your address. To be sure you continue receiving your items regularly, this may be one of the first updates you’ll want to tackle! With this in mind, you’ll also want to update your shipping address with places like Amazon and other companies and accounts you may have where you place an order and they deliver.
Healthcare Professionals
Update your family’s doctors, dentists, veterinarian and prescription providers. It’s important to make sure your records are up to date, especially in case of an emergency.
Bank
Your financial institutions need to know you’ve relocated as well. Be sure to update your address on all accounts, including checking, savings, retirement accounts, and others.
Credit Card Companies
Call all of your credit and debit card companies as soon as you move to let them know your address is changed. You’ll want to be sure that your statements and bills are sent to the correct address.
Friends & Family Members
Last on this list – but certainly not least – friends and family members are another important group to inform of an address change. They’ll want to know where to send holiday cards and where to stop by and visit you when they’re in town. Give them a call or send out change of address postcards to spread the word.
Update Your Address Efficiently!
With a comprehensive list, the process of updating your home address should feel much less overwhelming. As you think of other places you may need to update, add to the list so you’re sure to have all your bases covered by the time you move.
Looking for other ways to prep for your move? Here are a few resources to get you started:
Tips for Staying Sane When Moving Into a New House: Find out how to plan, pack and organize for your move so you can stay calm and relaxed throughout the process.
Top 10 Tips for Downsizing: Moving into a smaller house can be daunting. Get our tips for how to prepare for a smaller living space.