Who do I inform about my change of address? 

It’s almost time to move into your Shared Ownership home. You’ve reserved your new property, confirmed your Shared Ownership mortgage, and are at the final stages of the housebuying process.

But there’s still a little more work to do before you can breathe a sigh of relief, put your feet up, and start exploring the new area your home is situated in. It’s time to assemble a change of address checklist.   

From changing the address on your driving license to notifying HMRC of your new move, there’s a lot to think about. Some of these are more urgent than others (such as your new utilities), but you’ll need to work your way through all of them before you can comfortably reside in your new home. 

To help, we’ve compiled the general categories you can organise your change of address checklist into, rated based on their priority: 

• Household bills and utilities
• Government and public services
• Financial and insurance
• Personal

1. Household Bills & Utilities

You want to make sure that your essential utilities are available from day one of moving in. That’s why it’s important to get these at the top of your change of address checklist, so you don’t overlook something important. 

Electricity & Gas Suppliers

Before you move, contact your current supplier and let them know what your final meter readings are. Then, at your new Shared Ownership home, find out who your gas and electricity suppliers are and set up a new account. Your management provider will often be able to provide this information, but you can also use tools like Meter Point Administration Service’s Find My Supplier.

Water Suppliers

Reach out to the water company that services your new Shared Ownership home, and set up your account. If you’re unsure of who this might be, Water UK has a postcode tool that will tell you in just a few clicks. 

Council Tax

It’s important to let both your old and new councils know about your move, to make sure you’re not being billed for two properties simultaneously. If you’re not sure which council you’ll need to reach out to, GOV.UK has a tool to find your local council. 

Broadband & TV

There’s nothing worse than moving into your new home and not having access to your favourite streaming services. You can arrange for your broadband contract to be transferred from your previous address, or sign up to a completely new provider for when you move in. The earlier you handle this, the more likely it is that you’ll have zero downtime when it comes time to move into your Shared Ownership home. 

2. Government & Public Services

Notifying the DVLA and changing the address on your driving license are just two of the legal changes you need to make upon move-in. Some of these changes of address are easy to forget because you don’t often think about them, but make sure they’re high on your checklist, too. 

DVLA

It’s a legal requirement to update your driving license and vehicle logbook (V5C) when moving into a new home. Both of these changes can be managed online, so as long as you’ve got access to an internet connection, it’s not too tricky to handle. 

HMRC

Notifying HMRC about a change of address is also a legal requirement, as this can impact your income tax, child benefits, tax credits, and state pension. This is also fairly easy to manage, as the entire process can be completed online, and you’ll only need to do this after you’ve moved into your new Shared Ownership home. 

Electoral Register

If you want to vote in local or national elections, you’ll need to make sure your personal details reflect the address of your new Shared Ownership home. Once again, this change of address can be managed online through the government’s dedicated portal, and should only take you around 5 minutes. 

NHS

Once you’ve moved, it’s worth taking the time to find a local dentist and GP so that you can register at these new locations for any future health appointments. You should also inform your previous providers about your change of address, so they can update their systems accordingly. 

3. Financial & Insurance 

When it comes to managing your money, you don’t want strangers gaining access to your private information. That’s why it’s so important to change your address with anything finance-related, so that you retain complete control over your accounts. 

Bank & Building Society Accounts

Most banks will allow you to update your address via an app or online platform, meaning you won’t need to head into a branch in order to make the change. Simply log in, provide some identifying info, and update your address details. 

Credit Cards

As above, you can contact your credit card provider directly and update your address details with them – often via their website in just a few clicks. 

Pension Providers

Many pension providers will send updates about your current pension pot or changes to how your pension is managed through the post. To make sure you receive these, contact them directly and change your address on their system. 

Insurance Providers

Your home and car insurance will need to be updated before you move in, so they are active from the moment you live in your new Shared Ownership home. Other insurances, such as life, pet, and travel, should also be updated so that your premiums reflect your current situation. 

4. Personal 

These providers, services and individuals are still very important, but you can probably leave most of them until the end of your change of address checklist. Once these have been ticked off, you can rest assured that everybody who needs to know about your move now does. 

Your employer

It’s important that your employer has your most up-to-date address information, so that any correspondence they send you goes to the right place. This information is also used for things like payslips and emergency contact details, so let them know as soon as you move in. 

TV Licence

If you don’t want to receive letters at your new address about needing a TV licence, make sure to let them know that you’ve moved. This can all be managed online, and should stop any reminders clogging up your brand-new letterbox. 

Schools 

If you’ve moved relatively close to your previous address, you’ll need to update your children’s nurseries, schools, or universities about your new address. This will ensure that any letters are sent to the right place. You might have moved to a new county or city, in which case, you’ll likely enrol your children in a new school altogether. 

Friends and family

This final item on your change of address checklist might not be legally binding, but it’s definitely one of the most important! Let all of your friends and family know the address of your new Shared Ownership home, so they know where to post your celebratory moving-in cards – and where to attend your welcoming party once you’re settled!