Here’s the Only Change of Address Checklist That You Need!
There are lots of things to prepare when you’re moving house, from organising a moving company and taking out insurance through to packing and cleaning. One of the most important things of all often gets lost in the noise, with people forgetting to notify businesses and organisations when they change their address.
From friends and family through to government agencies, utility companies and medical centres, this is the only change of address checklist that you’ll ever need.
Friends and Family
While it might go without saying, it’s always important to notify your friends and family when you change your address. While you’re unlikely to leave your mum or best friend out of the loop, you might be surprised how many people fail to notify their aunts, work colleagues, or anyone else who is likely to send next year’s Christmas card to the wrong address.
Work and School
It’s always important to notify workplaces and schools in order to avoid future complications. These organisations need to be updated so they can send you bills and other paperwork. It’s especially important to think about school catchment areas when moving, with some government schools only being able to take on students when they live within a certain distance of the school.
Government Agencies
It’s crucial to notify the following government agencies in order to avoid problems and headaches down the road. While most people think to notify major government organisations such as the ATO and Centrelink, it’s easy to forget about some of the smaller agencies. While many of these agencies are linked, it’s always smart to notify each one separately before your move instead of leaving it to chance.
- Australia Post
- ATO (Australian Taxation Office)
- Australian Electoral Commission
- Centrelink
- Department of Human Services: Child Support Agency
- Medicare
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- State departments for driving licences and car registrations
- Council rates and registrations
- Local library
- Pet microchip registry
- Schools, universities, and TAFE
- Water and sewerage
- National broadband network
Utilities
It’s always important to notify utility companies before you move. No-one wants to live without electricity or gas while they unpack, so make sure you give service providers as much time as you can to set everything up. While some services, such as mobile phones, only need to be changed for billing purposes, others, such as electricity and telephone land lines, are linked to particular address locations.
- Electricity
- Telephone
- Internet service provider
- Mobile phone provider
- Gas account
- Foxtel and other pay TV
Medical Practitioners
Notifying medical centres and practitioners of your change of address is one of the most important things of all. From regular checkups and test results through to pet vaccinations and dentist schedules, many of the services provided by medical practitioners are time critical and location dependent.
- General practitioner
- Dentist
- Private health insurance provider
- Orthodontist
- Chiropractor
- Massage therapist
- Body work practitioner
- Personal trainer
- Veterinarian
Other Non-government Organisations
Now we’re down to the nitty-gritty, the smaller businesses and organisations that are easily forgotten about when you move house. While some of these organisations have very little to do with your physical address, it’s still important to keep them up-to-date with your changes. After all, you don’t want to miss out on your favourite magazine subscription because it’s been sent to the wrong house or be unable to donate to your favourite charity because they’ve lost your contact details.
- Banks
- Credit unions and other financial institutions
- Gyms
- Childcare
- After school care
- Automobile associations
- Charities
- Home, life, health, and car insurance
- Store memberships and loyalty programs
- Newspaper and magazine subscriptions
- Mail order catalogues
- Lawyers and legal representatives
- Accountants
- Financial advisor
- Union affiliations
- Video stores
- Real estate agents
- Superannuation
- Road toll networks
- Mechanics and vehicle service centres
- Gardeners and house cleaners
- Pet microchip registry
Once you check all the boxes on this change of address checklist, you can rest assured that you’ve covered all your bases and can focus on the physical move. For any help with packing, storing, and moving house, get in touch with us for a free quote.