Everywhere you need to update your address when you move

There's a lot that you have to be on top of when you're moving house – packing, organising the movers, deciding whether you'll purchase moving insurance, dealing with anything that might get broken, and setting up everything in your new home.

You'll also need to update your address everywhere - a task that can seem quite overwhelming given the number of places that tend to know where we live.

That's why we've put together this comprehensive guide to everywhere you need to update your address when you move.

Although this might seem obvious, when moving house it's important to ensure that your utilities are coming with you.

Not only does this help ensure that you won't be left without vital services in your new house, but it also means you won't have to worry about paying for usage and services you're no longer in charge of at your old home.

These services include:

• Electricity
• Gas
• Water
• Internet
• Home phone if you have one
• Pay TV if you have it

In addition to the above-mentioned services, there are plenty of other places that you'll need to notify that you've moved.

Updating your address with Australia Post when you move should be at the top of your priority list.

This is because any physical documents that need to get to you will come through them, so this helps avoid missing important information.

AusPost offers a mail redirection service (more on that below) and we strongly recommend taking advantage of it, even if only for a couple of months.

You'll also need to update your address with any government agencies that provide services to you and/or members of your family.

You'll be able to take care of a fair chunk of this by updating your address details with myGov, as this covers Centrelink, the ATO, Medicare and any other linked services. However, this isn't the only agency that needs to be notified.

You'll also need to reach out to your state body for licensing and vehicle registration, as well as your old and new councils regarding the registration of your pets.

The Australian Electoral Commission also requires notification, as do any other government bodies that aren't linked with your myGov.

Moving house can be stressful, but it shouldn't impact your health beyond a bit of lost sleep.

To avoid ending up with issues moving forward, you'll need to ensure that you let medical providers such as your GP, psychologist, physiotherapist, etc. know about your new home. You'll also have to notify your health insurer, as well as your gym and any other health-related services you make use of.

Don't forget about your furry family members when you're ticking things off in this category – if they've got pet insurance you'll need to let the company know, and your vet will need to know your new address.

When it comes to keeping on top of your funds, you'll need to notify your employer, bank, super provider, financial planner, and any other money management services you may make use of.

Those who invest in the stock market or other investment channels will also need to notify their brokers.

In addition to fixing up your licence and registration as noted above, you'll also need to update your details with your car insurance provider and the companies that provide any toll tags you may use with your vehicle.

If your mechanic offers pick-up or drop-off services, they'll also be a priority, but if they just have your address on file, you can simply speak to them the next time you're at their workshop.

When you're worrying about updating all the adult things you need to have covered when moving house, it can be easy to forget about all the places that need to maintain up-to-date information about your child(ren).

Their school is most important here, but you'll also need to update your address with any after-school activities that they participate in, such as sports, swimming lessons, and/or after-hours care.

Although it's capable of going everywhere with you, your mobile still needs a home base for billing and account maintenance, so don't forget to let your provider know you've moved house.

While the other points in this article are generally more pressing than those in this category, updating your address with miscellaneous organisations such as loyalty programs and subscription services will make your life easier moving forward, while also helping avoid missing out on things you've paid for.

We also suggest updating your saved delivery addresses across your online shopping accounts, so you don't accidentally send things to the wrong place.

Knowing that you need to update your address with the above companies and organisations when you move is a good start, but you'll also want to know how to do so well in advance if you want the process to run smoothly.

The good news is that the vast majority of them will allow you to do so online. This saves both time and effort and means you can focus on getting set up in your new home, rather than running around town trying to get your address updated everywhere.

As a general rule, any organisation with which you have an online account will allow you to update your details within that account. Those that do not allow you to update your details online will provide information on their website about where you'll need to mail documentation. We do recommend calling in these instances, as not only will this allow you to confirm the required steps, but you may also be able to get things sorted out over the phone.

The first round of updates will obviously be your utilities, as you'll need these connected in order to actually live in your new home – this should be organised before your move date, so you can have everything ready and waiting.

From here we recommend prioritising your identification and medical information, as you'll need to provide ID to update your address with some organisations, and health is of the utmost importance.

AusPost should also be high on your to-do list, as you're going to want to ensure that you're getting your mail, something that can easily be handled with their mail redirection service.

From here you can select your priorities based on which services will be used soonest or most often, but as a general rule, you're going to want to get your updates sorted as quickly as possible.

Having your mail forwarded from your old address to your new one can be arranged with AusPost's redirection services. You can organise this online and this service is invaluable when it comes to keeping on top of everything and ensuring nothing gets lost in the whirlwind of moving to a new home.

Options include one, three, six and twelve months' worth of redirection, and you can even have AusPost notify certain organisations – including some energy and telco providers, insurers and banks – so this can help reduce the amount of work you'll need to put in notifying your providers. Prices for mail redirection start at $20.40 for concession cardholders and $34 for everyone else.

You're going to feel disoriented and be playing catch up for a little while after any move, but it's important to get the details outlined in this article updated as soon as possible. By doing so you'll be ensuring that everything can run smoothly in your new home, and covering yourself from missing any important information. Hopefully this list has helped you create an action plan that will make your life easier.