Who Do You Need To Notify Before You Move?

 

We’ve written several blog posts about the process of moving, how to find a reliable moving company, and various other aspects of that are important to consider when relocating, but there’s a big part of the equation that’s missing. When you move to a new home, especially one that’s in another state or a different part of the country, you also have to that you’ll need to notify people and institutions of your plan too so that your day to day life can process uninterrupted. This includes friends, business associates, banking institutions, medical facilities, utility companies, and any other entity that needs to have your updated address on file.

A change of address from filed through the post office can take care of many of these issues since it will be easy to provide an updated address for any bill or communications that you receive on a monthly basis. Remember that the post office will only forward your mail from a previous address for a certain period of time, so you may have to take the extra step of ensuring that all parties are aware of your move. Even for those that can be addressed through mail forwarding, it’s a good idea to touch base and make sure they’re aware that you’re moving.

Utilities

Utilities are a broad category that can include everything from your home phone to your internet provider to gas and electric companies and any other number of important requirements for the home. City based services such as water and garbage should also be on your list when you contact utility companies. Most of these services, if contacted early enough, will allow you to set a specific shut off or change of address date to make sure that there’s no lapse in service. For those that you only need to update your address for billing purposes such as your cell phone carrier, communication can usually be taken care of online.

Banking

If you bank with one of the major nationwide institutions, you may have to do nothing more than simply contact them and let them know your new address. If, however, the bank you currently use isn’t available where your new home is located, you’ll want to make sure you allow plenty of time to close or transfer your accounts to a financial institution closer to where you’ll be living. Don’t forget to update your information with any investments you may have such as a 401(k) or stock portfolio too. The same goes for any credit cards you have since you’ll want to make sure you have access to your current statement and balance.

Medical

Part of moving to a new region or state means you’ll have to find a new family physician, or a specific type of doctor if you have an ongoing medical condition. Some medical groups operate in several states, which can make the process of forwarding your medical history easier and it’s worthwhile to ask your current provider how they recommend going about it. Don’t forget to consider any medications you may need from your pharmacy. Most prescriptions can be easily transferred between pharmacies, but some of them may require a new prescription from a doctor before they can be filled.

Insurance

Any insurance carrier you have should be contacted too, the most common being health, car, home, and life insurance. These are especially important since you may not receive mail from them on a regular basis and could potentially miss something that’s mailed to you beyond the forwarding period offered by the post office. In many cases, policy renewal documents are delivered by mail and you’ll want to make sure they have your current information on file so that you don’t experience a lapse in coverage.