Moving Home

Whether you are buying and/or selling a house or flat, or moving to new rented accommodation, there are many things you must remember to do and people to inform.

Post

Make arrangements for your post to be sent on — you can conveniently ask the Post Office to re-direct your mail for a period of three or twelve months, but there will be a charge for this.

Telephone, Gas and Electricity

Moving Out

Arrange for meters to be read on the final day and bills sent to you.

Moving In

You will need to complete new forms of agreement prior to the move, otherwise you may find the services cut off. Do this as soon as you know your moving date. You may need to make special arrangements for the connection of the cooker.

It is usually possible to take over a phone if arrangements are made in time. You can sometimes keep your old number.

Council Tax and Water Charges

Notify the Local Council and Water Company as soon as you know your moving date, so your accounts can be adjusted. Any standing orders or direct debits for these charges on the old property should be cancelled — the Council and Water Company will send you accounts made up to the moving dates. You must notify the Local Council and Water Company for the new property that you are moving in.

Keys

Make sure you hand over all keys to the old property. Collect keys for the new property — however, you might like to consider changing the locks after you move in.

Electricity Fuse Boxes etc

In the new property, make a point of finding out where things like electricity fuses, main gas controls and mains water tap are situated, so that you will know where to find them in an emergency.

New Houses

If you are moving into a newly-built house and there is a National House Builders Council insurance policy in force, keep a close watch for any defects that develop and notify the insurers as soon as possible — there are time limits involved.

Checklist

For your convenience there follows a Checklist of things you need to remember:

	Book removal van
	Arrange re-direction of mail
	Cancel standing orders/direct debits for:
		Mortgage
		Council tax
		Water charges
		Telephone
		Gas
		Electricity
	Notify Change of Address to:
		Friends and relatives
		Employer
		Doctor
		Dentist
		Optician
		Inspector of Taxes
		Banks
		Building Societies
		Post Office accounts
		National Savings/Premium Bonds
		Credit card companies
		Mail order companies
		Life insurance companies
		Contents/Personal insurance companies
		Pension insurance companies
		Hire purchase companies
		Car licence authority
		TV licence authority
		Schools
		Stock broker
		Registrar of any company in which shares or unit trusts are held
		Clubs (sports, social, book, video etc)
		Professional associations
		Motoring associations

On the old house

	Arrange final meter reading for:
		Electricity
		Gas
		Telephone
	Request accounts for:
		Council tax
		Water charges
	Cancel:
		Fire insurance
		Contents insurance
		Milk deliveries
		Newspaper deliveries
		Other deliveries

On the new house

	Arrange connection for:
		Electricity
		Gas
		Telephone
	Request accounts for:
		Council tax
		Water charges
	Arrange:
		Fire insurance
		Contents insurance
		Milk deliveries
		Newspaper deliveries
		Other deliveries

Article first published October 2002
Last Reviewed August 2006