Introduction

If you are preparing to move house, there is little doubt you are already aware of what a stressful process it can be. Whatever happened to the joys of being able to move everything you own in the back of a cinquecento? It is inevitable that with every move you make the more boxes you will have to move.

We can’t promise to make your move totally stress-free, but with a little bit of organisation, it can be a much easier experience! Here are a few pointers on how to make your next move a pleasant one.

Changing your address

Make up a list of all the people you need to contact to notify of your change of address. This should include companies such as your:

Bank
Building society
Mobile phone Company
Credit card and store card companies
Pension provider
Financial service provider
DVLA
Insurance firm
Doctor (you should check if you can still attend your local GP with your new address)

If you are not entirely sure you have remembered to change the address for everything, it may be useful to set up a mail re-direction service with the Royal Mail. For homes in the UK, this can cost as little as £7.10 for a month.

Changing your Health Authority

You may find that when you move, your Local Health Authority changes. If this is the case when you move, contact your old surgery and ask them to pass your medical records to your new surgery – it is important for your new GP to have your medical records to hand if either you or a member of your family becomes ill.

Your Car is Moving Too!

You will need to update your address on your driver’s license and you will need to update your details with your car insurance firm, as well as updating your car registration documents. If you have a photo ID licence and have both parts of your licence (i.e. the photo card and the paper counterpart D740) you can actually update your address online by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/motoring

It is especially important to update your details if you are moving to an area where they operate a residents parking permit scheme. Many local authorities will not issue a permit to you unless your documents are up to date and showing your new address.