5 things you need to do before moving home
Relocating can be a stressful time. On top of having to pack everything from your home and move it somewhere else, you need to say goodbye to the memories you have created and prepare to start a new chapter of your life. To offer assistance, we’ve rounded up five essential checks you need to make before you move house.
Update your address
The most important thing to do before you move to your new home is to update your address. There are a plethora of companies that you need to contact in order to update your information, but it’s essential if you want to avoid unwanted bills or late fines.
Inland Revenue, utility companies and your bank are three key targets that need to be made aware of your new address.
To retain your ability to vote, you’ll need to register with the local council of your new home, especially if you’re moving far away.
Check those meters
A very important thing to take note of is your final readings. The closer to the move out date, the better, as you’ll want an accurate reading that you can relay to utility companies.
Gas and electricity companies need to be informed of your address change, and the services they provided for your old home do not carry over to your new house. When you move into a new home, you inherit the old supply of the previous tenants, which you can choose to change at a later date.
This means they need to create a final bill for you, and without proper up-to-date gas and electricity readings, they will be forced to send an inaccurately estimated bill, which could mean that you are overcharged.
De-register with doctors, dentists
If you’re moving far away, then you’re likely to need to register at brand new doctors, dentists and opticians, so de-register at your current providers or ask them to transfer your files and records to your new address.
This is important because you’ll need to register with new practitioners at your new address, and de-registering well ahead of time will save you a lot of time that can be better spent organising your utilities and registering with your new local council.
TV License
If you have a TV license, it is important to understand that the license that was originally purchased for the year will not follow you to your new home automatically.
You will be expected to inform TV Licensing that you’re moving to a different address up to three months before your actual move, and you will also need to let them know if the property you’re moving into is going to be vacant momentarily.
Car servicing
For those long-haul moves that require removal vans and a long drive, you won’t want to find yourself stranded at a petrol station, miles away from both your old and new home.
Make sure your car is full of fuel and has had a proper servicing before you embark upon your trip to ensure that there are no problems on your way to your new home.
Moving is much more than packing bags, but without informing the companies you owe money to, you could set a wild goose chase in motion. Update your address and cut all the connections you have to your old home well in advance to make moving a stress-free experience, and don’t hesitate to rely on the experts at IRIS Removal to lend a hand.
