Who to Notify When You're Planning to Move

by Bob Hummer 03/29/2022

The part of moving most commonly forgotten is giving notice to the right places and people. If you feel you’re leaving something off of the list, it’s a good idea to go over who might need to know your new address or prepare for your moving schedule. To help you prepare, here is a list of who you should notify when you’re moving:

Your Neighbors

In most cases, it will be fairly obvious to your neighbors what’s happening on moving day. However, giving your neighbors advanced notice that you’re moving out is courteous and often helpful. Warning your neighbors about driveway or street blockage, excess noise or unfamiliar individuals on your property will help eliminate some of the tension and stress of the move on all parties.

Your Employer

Your employer will need to know your new address to send you mail and make sure their payroll records are correct. It’s also wise to alert your employer as soon as you know your moving schedule, just in case you need to ask for any time off.

The Post Office

Update your mailing address with the post office either in person or online. It’s a quick process that will save you a lot of frustration and prevent the wrong people from getting your mail after you move. Mail forwarding usually involves a small service fee but will be well worth your time and effort.

Utility Companies

Make sure your utilities know you’re moving so you don’t keep paying for services you’re not using. The biggest utilities to contact are water, electric, gas, internet, garbage and land-line phone service. Remember to schedule the utilities to stay on after you leave if your house is on the market.

Your Bank & Credit Cards

Fraud prevention services offered by financial institutions keep getting better and better. One way you can stay safe and keep your bank or credit card company from reporting suspicious activity is to alert them of your address change. This way paper statements will go to the right place and there’s no risk of your card being frozen in suspicion of fraud because you use it in a new city or state.

Insurance Providers

Finally, you’ll want to make sure you update your information with your insurance providers. You may have already established the correct information with homeowner’s insurance, but other types like medical, dental and life insurance policies will need to update their info, too.

When you’re moving, it’s easy for details to fall through the cracks. However, remembering to notify the right people and service providers about your plans will save you time, money and confusion later on.

About the Author
Author

Bob Hummer

Bob Hummer brings a wealth of experience with him; a practitioner in real estate in Northern Virginia since 1978, a Life Member of both the Million Dollar Sales Club and the Top Producers Club with over 2,500 Satisfied Families and President, Prince William Association of REALTORS in 1991. His experiences range from helping buyers and sellers attain their goals; to renovating historic homes on Capitol Hill; to counseling and assisting homeowners facing the loss of their home due to foreclosure. Since 1996, he has presented his free monthly Home Buyer and Home Seller seminars at the Woodbridge campus of Strayer University. In June 2023 he completed the Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist course and was awarded the designation CPRES. His goal is to assist individuals who inherited real estate and wish to sell. A former "Military Brat" and a retired Air Force Hospital Administrator, Bob has made more than 26 moves during his life and is extremely familiar with all aspects of a family relocating - whether it is across the street or across the nation.