Moving home brings plenty of excitement but updating your address is one of those unavoidable tasks that often gets pushed aside. Like those fancy vintage wine glasses sat collecting dust in the back of your cupboard, this admin chore tends to linger on the mental shelf for far too long - so, let this be your reminder to finally tackle it.
Whether you’re moving from a cosy Melbourne apartment or switching beachside suburbs in Sydney, changing your address is an essential task that needs to be completed around 1 month to 2 weeks before moving. Whilst not particularly exhilarating, it also doesn’t have to be as laborious as you may imagine. With a large cup of coffee and a little bit of background TV, it may even be slightly enjoyable. So, why not tick one more job off your list and consider this your comprehensive guide to letting everyone know that you've found greener pastures or at the very least a place with better water pressure?
Government Organisations
The first addresses to change when moving house are anything government based - not only because it’s the most essential but also as anyone who’s sat on hold to the Tax Office has discovered, it’s the most painful. Like pulling the band-aid off, it's best to get these addresses changed first so that you can move forward knowing the hardest part is done.
- Australian Electoral Commission - Every member of your household (of legal voting age) should be changing over their electoral address.
- Australian Taxation Office
- Schools or Universities
- Australia Post - Alternatively, if you do not have time to change over all your addresses, you can temporarily use Australia Post mail redirection for any post that gets delivered to the wrong address.
- Child Support/ Concession cards/ Pension funds
Healthcare
Along with government organisations, one of your main priorities to take care of is the health of you and your family. If you are moving interstate, make sure to research doctors at least 2 weeks in advance to avoid being caught without medical assistance and having to Google symptoms to find out what’s wrong (it never helps). Alternatively, if you are just moving home locally, then let your doctor's surgery know at your earliest convenience so that they are aware. Not forgetting those fur babies of course, also make sure to inform your vets of the change as well to cover all bases.
Household & Utility
Your household bills and utility providers are probably the most time-consuming tasks to complete on your change of address checklist due to the amount that it covers, so make sure to find a point in the day when you have a few hours free to yourself. With all the essential household bills, hired help and technology gadgets that fill your home, it's important to notify them before moving to prevent confusion.
- Gas
- Electricity
- Water
- Internet
- TV License
- Phone
- Broadband
- Household services e.g. cleaner/ gardener etc
- Cable/ Satellite
- House insurance that covers all your belongings
Memberships
Make sure to also change your address/cancel any memberships or subscriptions that you have signed up for, such as gym memberships or newspaper subscriptions. Gym memberships can sometimes require a cool-off period or payments to be made up to a certain point, so it’s good to notify them earlier rather than later of your relocation to avoid excess costs. This is also a great opportunity to go over any stray memberships or subscriptions that you may have picked up along the way such as that free Prime trial you signed up to back in 2018 and forgot to cancel.
Financial
Another important address to change when moving house is that of your financial services. Along with making sure that you don’t miss any important payment information, updating these companies on your whereabouts can avoid serious problems such as identity theft or even worse having store points and discounts stolen. Here are some of the money-related services that you may need to update:
- Bank
- Credit cards
- Loan companies
- Pension schemes
- Superannuation
- Store cards
Vehicle
Last but certainly not least on your checklist should be to update all vehicle and driving information, particularly if you’re moving interstate. For those moving within the same state, a change of address needs to be made for your driver's license in case any accident or offence occurs. Additionally, if the car is on a lease or finance agreement, then make sure to update your address with them to keep up with payment information. If you are moving interstate then before relocating you will also need to change address on car registration to whichever state you are moving to. Most states allow up to three months for your rego to be changed over but sometimes it may be shorter so you must research what to do in your new state before moving.
Work Smart not Hard
Moving house should be an exciting new chapter in your life and although certain tasks like changing of address are inevitable, that doesn’t mean you have to do it all. One of the easiest ways to take the weight off your shoulders is by hiring local removalists to assist you. Certain professional removalists will not only help you get from point A to point B, but they also can assist in what is possibly the most time-consuming task of them all - packing and unpacking. Experienced interstate removalists will also be able to offer you all-around care and assistance to navigate your relocation across states. For a straightforward relocation, make sure to share out responsibility and leave the important “bits” to the professionals, so that you can focus on getting all those nitty-gritty tasks completed efficiently and begin enjoying the transition to your new home.
