The part of moving most commonly forgotten is giving notice to the right places and people. If you feel you’re leaving something off of the list, it’s a good idea to go over who might need to know your new address or prepare for your moving schedule. To help you prepare, here is a list of who you should notify when you’re moving:
In most cases, it will be fairly obvious to your neighbors what’s happening on moving day. However, giving your neighbors advanced notice that you’re moving out is courteous and often helpful. Warning your neighbors about driveway or street blockage, excess noise or unfamiliar individuals on your property will help eliminate some of the tension and stress of the move on all parties.
Your employer will need to know your new address to send you mail and make sure their payroll records are correct. It’s also wise to alert your employer as soon as you know your moving schedule, just in case you need to ask for any time off.
Update your mailing address with the post office either in person or online. It’s a quick process that will save you a lot of frustration and prevent the wrong people from getting your mail after you move. Mail forwarding usually involves a small service fee but will be well worth your time and effort.
Make sure your utilities know you’re moving so you don’t keep paying for services you’re not using. The biggest utilities to contact are water, electric, gas, internet, garbage and land-line phone service. Remember to schedule the utilities to stay on after you leave if your house is on the market.
Fraud prevention services offered by financial institutions keep getting better and better. One way you can stay safe and keep your bank or credit card company from reporting suspicious activity is to alert them of your address change. This way paper statements will go to the right place and there’s no risk of your card being frozen in suspicion of fraud because you use it in a new city or state.
Finally, you’ll want to make sure you update your information with your insurance providers. You may have already established the correct information with homeowner’s insurance, but other types like medical, dental and life insurance policies will need to update their info, too.
When you’re moving, it’s easy for details to fall through the cracks. However, remembering to notify the right people and service providers about your plans will save you time, money and confusion later on.
