Change of Address: The Ultimate Guide
Moving house - the ultimate guide for who to tell about your change of address and how to tell them
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Find storageMoving house is stressful enough, lining up the move-in date at the new house to coincide with your move-out date. Packing boxes. Removals. And we haven’t even started with the added complexity of kids or animals (some might say they are one and the same). Thankfully, you’ve sorted your storage out with Stashbee - seamless and convenient - dream!
The last thing you are thinking about is changing all of your addresses from your old house to the new one! Stashbee is back at it again with a handy guide for all the people you should contact. We’ve even created a handy file for you to download and use as a checklist.
From moving to university aged 18, I moved 9 times in the subsequent 10 years, including one move over 200 miles, from rental property to rental property. So I feel pretty well qualified in giving out some helpful advice and tips.
Handy checklist
Good news! We've created a handy downloadable template checklist for you! It includes rows for all of the below items and space to add more!
Change of address checklist Stashbee.pdf
The “man” (the government)
Unfortunately, unlike in Norway (and some other awesome countries, I’m sure), our governmental departments don’t like speaking to each other too much. This means you will need to notify them individually of a change of address. In Norway, you update your address, and they’ll update for all of the public sector departments - #efficiency.There are 4 main government bodies you need to notify – DVLA, HMRC, the Council and Healthcare – and we will break them down for you below.
The DVLA
Driving Licence
- How: Online or by post
- Speed: Instant, just delivery time
- Requirements: Your current Driving licence; addresses for past 3 years
- Price: Free (unless you have lost it)
- Link: here
This is a big one, hence why it’s first on the list. One of the 2 main types of ID - the other being a passport - and this is the only one with your address on it. You're going to need this piece of ID in order to prove to companies and organisations that you've actually moved - so prioritise this one first!
BEWARE: The government don't mess about - you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not infor the DVLA of a change of address!
You can change the address on your licence free of charge online or via post. You can find details on both of these methods here; you will need your current licence and previous addresses for the past 3 years.If you lose your licence and need a replacement with the same address, you will be charged £20 for the privilege.
Also, if you had your driving licence photo taken when you were 16 while in your punk stage with piercings and a massive pink mohawk - and wish to stop having to get it out at parties for everyone to have a chuckle at - you can renew your licence and change the photo at the same time. If your licence is valid for less than 2 more years, you can change the photo when you update your address for free, otherwise, you will pay £14 to do so here.
BEWARE: There are websites out there that charge you to change your licence address - all they do is pass on the information you give to the DVLA. Via the DVLA, this service is FREE, so always do it through the .gov website.
Vehicle Log Book (V5C)
- How: Online or by post
- Speed: Instant, just delivery time
- Requirements: Your current V5C, proof of new address – utility bill or driving licence
- Price: Free
- Link: here
Related
What Documents Should You Keep In Your Car (UK)
Your Vehicle Logbook or V5C document is the document that informs people, and the DVLA, that the car is registered to you - you own it. And it includes details about you and the car, including your address.
You can change your address online here - again on the .gov website. Alternatively, you can fill in section 3 of the logbook itself and post it to the DVLA in Swansea! If you are changing your name at the same time, you cannot use the online service. Instead, you must fill in the form.
BEWARE: This is another important one with up to £1,000 fine for not telling the DVLA!
If you’ve lost your logbook AND need to change your address, that’s a whole other process - and not an easy one, believe me! Either updating your address, or acquiring a new one is a simple enough process, but having to do both in one go - nightmare. Do your best not to lose it. I have before, and it did not go well…
You can find details about replacing a lost logbook here.
HMRC
- How: Online
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Government gateway ID
- Price: Free
- Link: here
The Council
Register to vote!
- How: Online
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Over 16, British citizen, National Insurance number
- Price: Free
- Link: here
As usual, the government coming in hot with the £1,000 fine for not keeping things up to date!
Council Tax
- How: Online
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Depends on who your local government are
- Price: Free
- Link: Head to your local council
Healthcare
Your GP + Dentist
- How: Depends, usually online
- Speed: Depends
- Requirements: Depends on the provider
- Price: Free
- Link: Head to your provider’s site
Don’t forget to let your GP and dentist know - or even register with a new one if you are moving far enough away. More on insurance later, but don't forget to update your health / medical insurance records.
Related
Moving House Checklist: Everything You Need to Know
Other (boring) companies
Banks
- How: Mobile app, usually
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Nothing
- Price: Free
- Link: Head to your provider’s app
Next up we have the banks. Again, a pretty important one - your billing address for online purchases and correspondence address are crucial. Thankfully, banks have just about joined the 21st century, and you can now do this on most banking mobile applications / online portals. Just head to the ‘Profile’ or ‘Settings’ section of your app or online banking portal to change this.
For the banks that are in the same group (Halifax and Lloyds for example), if you change on one account, the change should pull through to the other account. Always good to double-check though.
Utilities
Gas + electric
- How: Online
- Speed: Depends on whether you are newly registering or moving
- Requirements: Who is the current provider
- Price: Free (usually)
- Link: Head to your provider’s site
DON’T FORGET: Submit meter readings for your old property the day you move out, and inform the providers you are moving and these are your final readings.
TOP TIP: Take meter readings the day you move into your new property – you don't want to be charges for gas / electricity you didn’t use.
Broadband
- How: Online or in-store
- Speed: Sometimes a couple of days, could be weeks if a new connection needs to be made
- Requirements: None
- Price: Depends – you may have to buy out your old contract or pay a ‘moving fee’ ~£20
- Link: Head to your provider’s site
Most broadband providers do their utmost to get you to stick with them - whether it’s massive buy-out fees for cancelling your contract or low ‘Moving home’ fees. This, coupled with your new address possibly not being wired in, makes this one a priority. Especially if you work from home or are a hardcore gamer needing high-speed internet.
Insurance
- How: Online
- Speed: Instant or longer
- Requirements: Any other changes to your policy
- Price: Depends on the insurance – sometimes there will be a small admin fee, for home insurance you will need a new quote
- Link: Head to your provider’s site
Most companies now will allow you to change your address online, so head to your provider’s website to update. Remember, they are all looking for a reason not to pay out, and having the wrong address is a biggie for them.
Your employer
- How: Email, usually
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Nothing
- Price: Free
- Link: n/a
Related
6 Tips to Manage Anxiety When Moving House
The fun bits
Subscriptions
- How: Online, usually
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Nothing
- Price: Free
- Link: Head to your provider’s site
- Smol - Sustainable cleaning products
- Fiils - Sustainable, plastic-free beauty products
- Milk & more - Your 21st-century milk-person
- Who gives a crap - Sustainable toilet paper, delivered to you
Tickets
- How: Online
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Nothing
- Price: Free
- Link: Head to your provider’s site
The last thing you want to do is actually manage to get Glastonbury tickets for once, only for them to get delivered to your old address.
University / College
- How: Online, usually
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: Nothing
- Price: Free
- Link: Head to your university site
Also, some of the companies / institutions above will allow you to keep your ‘home’ address on your account - because they know how difficult it is to keep up with all of the sites you are signed up to.
So keep an eye out if they ask for a ‘permanent address’ and ‘term-time address’. Obviously, these are usually websites / services aimed at students…
Related
The Ultimate University Packing Checklist 2022
Don’t get caught out!
You can also redirect your post
- How: Online
- Speed: Instant
- Requirements: New address
- Price: £33.99+
- Link: here
You can set this up with the Royal Mail here - there is, of course, a fee involved. You can choose to have a redirect on for 3, 6 or 12 months and your mail be redirected within the UK or abroad.
The cost to have a 3-month redirect in the UK is £33.99 for the ‘Lead Applicant’ - the main person - and is just an additional £8.00 for additional people at the same address.
DON'T FORGET: if you have some spare space at your new address, you can list it on Stashbee and start earning.!
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Find storageElliot
Updated 17th Apr 2023
Written 24th Oct 2022