Change of Address – Survival Checklist
If you're moving house, read through our helpful tips below, and utilise our handy checklist to ensure a positive moving experience.
Plan Ahead
- Ascertain a date for moving once your contract has become unconditional
- Start listing incoming mail for people to contact with your change of address
- Decide what goes with you, what to sell and what to give away. Perhaps a garage sale?
- Begin collecting large, sturdy cardboard boxes as well as newspaper for packing
- Determine which items you will pack yourself. Begin packing seldom used articles (confirm your moving company’s insurance policy for self-packed items)
- Prepare a comprehensive inventory and carry it with you on moving day
- If you have children at school you may need to enrol them in another school in you new neighbourhood.
Two Weeks Ahead
- Collect or return anything outstanding eg. videos, dry cleaning, lay-byes, library books etc
- Close or transfer club memberships, eg: video, gym
- Consider pet minding for moving day
- List the basic essentials you’ll need handy on moving day
- These should include:
- Toilet paper and tissues
- Some cutlery
- Rubber gloves
- Mop and broom
- Disposable plates and cups
- Large garbage bags
- Cleaning products
- Extension cord/adapters
- Kettle and coffee/tea
- Soap
- Can opener
- Strong tape
- Telephone/mobile
- Marking pen
- Light bulbs
Last Week
- Arrange an appointment with your Sales Associate for a pre-settlement inspection of your new property
- Note the position and number of telephone outlets and power points
- Arrange to spray for pests in your new property
- Confirm removalist
- Organize disconnection or connection dates for gas, electricity, phone and transfer of accounts
- Cancel or transfer local arrangements
Moving Day
- Supervise placement of furniture and cartons (it will save you moving them later)
- Check that the telephone, electricity and gas are all connected
- Check that you have hot and cold running water
- Don’t try to unpack everything at once. Start with the refrigerated food stuffs and make sufficient beds
- Do not turn the power to your refrigerator on for three hours after moving
- Put all packing material/paper into one box so you can flatten all boxes to be returned to the removalist
- Contact your family and friends with your new phone number and address
Changing Your Address
When moving or changing address, it is mandatory to notify certain organisations. These include the
Electoral Office, Social Security and Queensland Transport. Vehicle registration and drivers license
change of address must be notified within 14 days. Some are necessities like banks, Medicare,
and insurance companies. Here is a comprehensive checklist of organisations you may need to
notify:
Financial
- Accountant
- Solicitor
- Bank or Building Society
- Credit Unions
- Credit Cards and Accounts
- Finance Companies
- Insurance (House, Cars etc.)
- Stockbroker
Utilities
- Electricity
- Gas
- Telephone
- Post Office
- Local Council
Medical
- Dentist
- Doctor
- Health Insurance
- Optometrist
- Pharmacy
- Veterinarian
Other
- Australia Post
- Employer
- Clubs/Associates
- Driver’s License
- Motor Vehicle Registration
- Electoral Office
- Real Estate Agent
- School or University
- Subscriptions
- Rental Companies
- Motor Vehicle Roadside Assistance – RACQ