Most of us have, at some point in our adult lives, either moved from one home to another or at least had someone close to us go through the process. Whether you do everything involved with the move yourself or are able to have movers do most of the packing and transporting of your possessions, it seems like there is a never-ending list of things that have to be done.
Among the necessities is figuring out who to notify when moving. You may think a simple Change of Address Form at the post office is all you’ll need to do, but here is a more complete list of the people and places to notify before a move.
List of Who to Notify when Moving
- The post office: Change of Address Packets are available at all post office locations. You can now also change your address online. This should take care of getting most of your mail forwarded to your new home within a few days to a week.
- Your family and friends: They might actually argue you should start with them! Make as comprehensive a list as you can, checking your address book, e-mail contacts, and social networking accounts. Writing a letter (similar to a holiday letter) updating everyone as to why you’re moving, in addition to your new contact information, is a nice touch.
- Magazine subscriptions: Magazines won’t always be forwarded by the post office. You’ll also want to cancel any newspaper subscriptions if you’re moving to a completely different area or change them if you’re not. There’s no point in paying for periodicals you aren’t actually receiving.
- Banks & credit unions: Contact any banks or credit unions with which you have checking/savings accounts, loans, credit cards, metal deposit boxes, mortgage, or retirement accounts.
- Insurance providers: You may use only one company, but if that’s not the case update the carriers of your home, life, auto (and any other vehicles) insurance policies.
- The Department of Motor Vehicles: While it may not be strictly enforced, most states do have policies in place requiring DMV notification within a specific amount of time following a change of address.
- Former employers: Notify your former employers, and not just the most recent. Be sure to go back several years in the event that any tax or 401k information needs to be sent to you.
- Professional relationships: These can include doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. If you’re moving far enough away that you’ll need to find new contacts for these services, see if your current contact can make any referrals.
- Health clubs: Health or fitness clubs often debit monthly fees directly from your bank account. Don’t pay for a membership you can’t use anymore.
- Veterinarian: If you have pets, you should speak with your veterinarian about a referral for your new hometown. It would also help your next veterinarian if you can get a full copy of your pets’ records.
- Regular deliveries/at-home services: This could include water delivery, lawn care, baby sitters, dog walkers, dry cleaning, or even food delivery subscriptions.
- Other Things to Update: Don’t forget to change easily overlooked items like your luggage tags, business cards (especially if you work at home), and address labels.
Add to this List of Who to Notify when Moving
Once you start making a list, you’ll no doubt come up with many more people and businesses you’ll need to make aware of your change of address. Hopefully the above list gives you a great head start on your preparations.
And Don’t Forget to Contact Us, Too!
Self-storage isn’t only for long-term needs—you can also make smart use of it on a short-term basis to take the stress out of moving. With a convenient, climate-controlled storage unit at your disposal, you don’t have to get everything from A to B in a single day. Take your time to plan where appliances will go and how to arrange your living space, measure how much room you’ll need for that antique dresser, and decide which items you don’t actually want or need in your new home.
Want to know more? Find your nearest StorageMart to get started.
Updated: August 7, 2020