Moving house should be a joy – it’s an exciting time, the start of a new period in your life – but often it’s full of trials and tribulations. It is little wonder then that it is one of the most stressful things to do in our lives. We start off excited by the prospect of finding a new home because we all have a home building instinct in us (although it can be very well-hidden in some people); the thought of creating a home that reflects who we are, filled with items that we have chosen to make the space our own is bound to be exciting. It doesn’t matter how big or how small our new place is, whether it’s the first ever home of our own or one of many down the years, the fact that it is new to us is what makes it so appealing.
But the realities of buying a home are always more complicated than the dream (read more this Ultimate Guide to Moving House) and we often descend into gloom, stress and anxiety as the excitement wears off and when we either can’t sell our current home, or can’t find a new one within our budget. Or we find the ideal home only to find that someone else has made a higher offer. Or the survey reveals defects that make the purchase unrealistic. There is an endless list of things that can, and do, go wrong when buying a house, especially if you are planning on buying an older or period property.
The current economic climate in many Western countries is still uncertain so making the task of moving home even harder. Added to all the difficulties finding and securing a place is the problem of arranging a mortgage or home loan in an economy where banks and other lending institutions are overly cautious about how much they will lend.
But where we live is so important to our happiness that it is worth persevering to find whatever it is that you can call the right home for you. It doesn’t have to be a mansion just a private, comfortable space we can call our own.
If you are one of the lucky few who have found that perfect home then don’t forget to notify all these important organisations of your change of address:
Use this handy checklist to make sure you inform everyone of your new address. Call or write to as many people as you can in advance once you have a confirmed moving date. This will avoid any unnecessary costs and charges on your old property. As a precaution against forgetting someone that you should have notified, have your post re-directed from your old address to your new address for at least 6 months, preferably for a year.
- Employer
- Inland Revenue (Tax Authorities)
- Banks
- Credit Card Companies
- Pension Companies
- Life Assurance Provider
- Home Contents Insurance
- Building Insurance
- Doctor, Dentist & Optician
- Car Licensing & Registration
- Car Insurance Provider
- Private Healthcare Company
- Electoral Roll
- Gas, Water & Electricity Providers
- Educational Establishments
- Sports Club Memberships
- Telephone Company
- Mobile Phone Company
- Internet Service Provider
- Cable/Satellite TV Company
