A checklist of who to notify when you change addresses
The act of moving is, appropriately enough, a symphony of moving parts. The inventory process (which we streamline), the packing, the disruption of daily habits, the new neighborhood, city, or sometimes even state, country or continent… all in all, there’s a lot to deal with. For the unindoctrinated, it may seem like a simple online change of address form filed with the post office is enough to get your mail forwarded, but alas, it’s not. So, we’ve put together a helpful checklist of places you should notify when you change addresses to keep those paper bills, checks, magazines and birthday cards coming like clockwork.
Here’s the list:
- Your place of employment
- Your financial institution
- Your credit card companies
- Your utilities, cable, phone and internet providers
- Your doctor, dentist, optometrist and other medical professionals you see regularly
- Your health insurance company
- Your life insurance company
- Your vision/dental/catastrophic insurance company
- Your car insurance company
- Your rental or home insurance company
- Your child’s school
- Your child’s doctor, babysitter, music instructor, and others who provide paid services
- Your pet’s veterinarian and kennel
- Your alma mater
- Circulation departments of magazines, newspapers and catalogues you subscribe to
- Anyone who may need to send you final bills or info about their professional services in your new area
- Friends & family, particularly those who go through the trouble to send holiday cards and paper invitations
Although these are less important in the grand scheme of things, you may wish to change the ZIP code or city you’ve programmed into web-based services you subscribe to, like weather reports, local news reports, coupon services like Groupon and Living Social, city-themed lifestyle hubs like Daily Candy and so on. Because who doesn’t love a little local customization in their lives?
Particularly for friends and family, a quick Facebook message or email blast can let those close to you know you’ve arrived in your new place and are ready to receive mail there. For the traditional at heart, a postcard or notecard with your new return address can make the announcement for you in a charming, old-fashioned way, but let’s be real: even a quick digital message is more than most people take the time for anymore. A moment of thoughtfulness now can save others time (and money for extra postage!) later on down the road.
And if you just don’t have time for all of this, try an online service like Updater, which does pretty much all of the above for you (and even eliminates your junk mail!) for a small fee.
Oh Internet, how we love thee.
Check out more post-move tips and moving checklists from Moveline, a radically easier way to move.
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