Change of Address Checklist
So, you finally made it. You found your dream apartment, contracts have been signed and you’re getting ready for the big move. However, before you celebrate too early there are unfortunately a few other things you need to take care of.
Buying new furniture and thinking up home decoration ideas are the fun part, but to save yourself some hassle in the future you’re going to need to make sure that you change your address in all the places that matter. This may seem a little overwhelming at first: after all, who remembers every single one of the places they are registered at?
Our changing address checklist will help you streamline your address change and make sure that all the relevant authorities know where you are, and you can get all your correspondence back to normal.
Our handy printable change of address list when moving house will help you plan effectively to make your move a success.
Government Agencies
Starting with the most important one: if you don’t let the authorities know where you are, you might miss out on important letters, including tax information, voting papers, bills and other aspects of your life as an Australian citizen.
You may have all the big ones in mind, but it’s quite easy to forget about the smaller agencies. In most cases, all government agencies are linked in some way, but you should get in touch with them all, just in case.
- Australia Post
- Council rates and registrations
- ATO (Australian Taxation Office)
- Australian Electoral Commission
- Department of Human Services: Child Support Agency
- The registry for pet microchipping
- Centrelink
- Medicare
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- All relevant state departments for driving licences and car registrations
Utilities
When you move into your new place, you’re not going to want to be without utilities, or get bills for the property you’ve already moved out of.
Another good tip is to get in touch with these companies far in advance so that they can have everything in place for a simple switch. In some cases, they might need a few weeks to move things over.
- Power and electricity
- Telephone and mobile phones
- Internet
- TV and streaming packages
- Gas
- Water and sewerage
Medical Practitioners
As well as all the other government bodies, you’ll need to notify all of your medical centres and doctors about your change of address.
This is very important, as they may be in touch about routine or required scans, test results, schedules and so on. If they can’t get hold of you or your loved ones, you may be putting your health at risk.
Here’s who you’re going to want to notify (as needed of course):
- Your GP
- Dentist or dental clinic
- Private Health Insurance Provider
- Orthodontist
- Chiropractor
- Massage therapist
- Veterinarian
Employment and education
If you want your next paycheck or for your kids to get their school paperwork, you’re going to want to let all relevant parties know. This is extra-important when you consider school catchment areas, as some schools will only take on students who are within a certain distance.
- All schools and higher education facilities
- Extra-curricular learning and clubs
- Your workplace
Finance and insurance
Just like your other commitments and services, all of your finance and insurance providers are going to need to know where you are. By updating them on your address, you’ll avoid future headaches around unpaid bills, crucial information or possible promotion deals.
These commitments might include:
- Banks and investment services
- Building societies and funds
- Loan providers
- Credit card companies and retail credit accounts
- Your accountants and tax advisors
- Health, dental and life insurance
- Car and vehicle insurance
- Home or renter’s insurance
- Life insurance
And everyone else
Then, we have all the little things:
While the smaller businesses and services you’re signed up to may not necessarily need your physical address, you’re still going to need to keep them up to date for their records and billings.
And then you have people who might just want to get in touch with you!
- Friends and family
- Non-government organisations
- Streaming services (Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.)
- Retail websites (such as Amazon or eBay)
- Payment services (such as PayPal)
You Made It!
So there you have it, we hope you find our change of address checklist: a fairly big list of all the places to notify your change of address.
Of course, you might have a few that aren’t on any of these lists but hopefully, we’ve at least jogged your memory. We recommend copying these into a master list and adding your own so that when the move happens, you’ll know exactly who to notify. Good luck!
For even more moving tips, why not read our articles on What to Buy for Your Move, Home Decoration Ideas, and How to Move With Children. Then, once everything is in place, get in touch with us and we’ll do everything we can to make your move as smooth as possible.