So you’ve bought or sold a property, but who do you need to notify about your change of address?
There are a myriad of government departments, businesses and services that you’ll need to notify when you have a change of address. It can be overwhelming when you think about where to even start!
First off, when you use Bliss Conveyancing we’ll take care of your local council and the Water Corporation. Cross those off your list!
Let’s start with Australia Post!
The easiest way to ensure that you don’t miss any important mail during your move, is to set up a mail redirection with Australia Post. You can choose to redirect you mail from your old address to your new address for one, three, six or twelve months. At time of publishing this blog, mail redirection starts from as little as $33.25
We recommend going with the twelve month option, just in case you miss updating your details on any bills that only come annually.
To get started, head to the Australia Post website at least one week before you plan to move house, and fill in the simple form.
Next, lets get your essential services set up!
Think about the utilities and service connections you’ll need as soon as you’ve moved in.
Around 10 days out from your moving date, start making arrangements with the following:
- Gas– give your current gas company a call and let them know you’re moving house. You don’t necessarily need to stay with them at your new property. Check out their prices, and compare to the other gas companies available in your area.
- Electricity– give your provider a call or jump on their website to notify them of your moving date. They’ll arrange it so that your new account is all set up and ready to go when you arrive at your new home.
- Telephone & internet– if you have a landline, you may find that depending on the distance you’re moving, that you may not get to keep your existing number. Again, you can give your current provider a call or go on their website and notify them of your change of address. They’ll transfer your account over to your new property, and if need be, allocate you a new number or service, depending on availability in the new suburb.
There are a few government agencies that you can’t forget to notify!
Since you’ve got your mail redirection set up, don’t stress if you don’t quite get to notifying these agencies until a week or two after you’ve moved.
Many of these agencies offer online portals where you can login and change your details quickly & easily without a need to call. We’ve linked to many of them to help you out!
- Australian Electoral Commission
- Australian Taxation Office
- Centrelink
- Medicare
- Child Support Agency
- Service NSWfor both Drivers Licences and car registration
- Local Council – just for any pet or home business registrations, as we’ve already taken care of the rates for you
- Seniors Card
- School, TAFE & University for you and your children
- Veteran’s Affairs
Next, we’ll look at your banks and other important private organisations!
Again, many of these will give you the ability to notify of your change of address via their website. Check with your preferred providers directly.
- Accountant & Financial Advisor – they may also be able to assist you with changing your address with some insurers and financial institutions
- Banks – think about all your transaction accounts, savings accounts, term deposits, home loans, credit cards, personal loans & car loans.You may find you need to advise multiple banks or financial institutions of your change of address.
- Charities you donate to regularly
- Childcare & after-school care services
- Dentist & orthodontist
- Doctor (including any specialists that you deal with)
- Other health providers including physiotherapists, podiatrists, optometrists and naturopaths
- Employers
- Gym & sports clubs for you & your children
- Insurance companies – think about all your insurances, including car, home building, contents, health, life, income protection as you’ll probably find that there are a few insurers that you need to notify.
- Local libraries
- Loyalty programs such as frequent flyers, FlyBuys, Woolworths Rewards, Myer One etc
- Newspaper & magazine subscriptions
- Security systems, including transferring monitoring to your new property, if needed
- Superannuation funds
- Unions
- The family Vet, who should also be able to assist you with changing your pet’s microchip registration to reflect your new address
- Any clubs or associations that you’re affiliated with
Congratulations – you’ve now completed your change of address!
Last but not least, don’t forget to let your friends and family know your new address so they can send you a housewarming card!
Relax, and know that if there’s the odd business you’ve forgotten to notify, your mail redirection will remind you. Any mail that gets redirected will be clearly marked for you so that you can then contact the sender to update their records.
Bliss Conveyancing is your local conveyancer. We will keep you informed at every step of the settlement process, so you won’t have to worry about getting enough notice to advise all of these agencies & businesses. Give our friendly conveyancers a call today and see how simple and stress free we can make your moving house experience!
