It’s not a secret that the home moving process is filled to the brim with essential tasks that you just need to complete in order to have a successful move.
One such important task to take care of when moving between two homes is to change your postal address.
Now, it may sound quite logical that your address will change when you move to a new house or apartment, but many people still forget to do a change of address on time, thus losing important pieces of mail in the process.
But not you, right? You cannot possibly forget to do such a critical task as long as you’re following your comprehensive moving checklist – the to-do list that keeps reminding you what you have to do next. And that’s great. But are you familiar with the steps required to do a change of address when moving house?
Did you know that there are 4 ways to change your address when you move?
Just follow this change of address checklist to learn how to change your address when you move to a new home.
When should you change your address?
Changing your address with the United States Postal Service (USPS) sounds pretty straightforward, and in most cases it is. It’s when you fail to do it – for one reason or another – that you realize just how important that Change of Address (COA) task is.
When should you change your address? The good news is that you can update your address with the USPS either before or after the move.
- BEFORE MOVING OUT: How far in advance to change address when moving? Generally speaking, it’s best that you do it approximately 2 weeks prior to Moving day so that the address will have already been changed by the time you arrive in your new home. This way, you won’t lose crucial time after the move and will be able to concentrate on the immediate post-relocation tasks such as unpacking and arranging the new place.
The only downside to changing your address before the move is that pieces of mail could still get lost during the relocation chaos. - AFTER MOVING IN: If you forget or choose not to do it before the move-out date, then the change of address job will have to be tackled right after the move. Often the more unfavorable of the two options, the post-move address change still hides some risks of you never getting some of your mail during that transitional period.
Don’t forget to leave some cash with a good neighbor at your old address so that he or she can forward your mail until the change of address procedure has been processed.
Useful info: Packing timeline for moving
How long does it take for a change of address?
Your change of address request will usually take 7 days to get processed.
It will take about 7 business days for your Change of Address request to be processed by the USPS but the exact time frame will depend on several external factors such as time of year, city, and number of pending COA requests.
As a rule of thumb, local change of address requests are usually handled faster, while long-distance COA requests can easily take more than 7 business days.
What’s your new mailing address?
It goes without saying that you are expected to know your new address in order to apply for a change of address procedure. You must have the complete and correct postal address written down neatly somewhere where you can easily access it until you memorize it.
If you suspect that the new address may be incomplete or even wrong, make sure you ask your landlord or realtor for confirmation. Pay special attention to the correctness of the ZIP code.
Temporary or permanent Change of Address?
Another thing you must know before you file for a change of address with the USPS is whether you want a temporary change of address or a permanent change of address. So, what’s the difference between the two, you may wonder?
A temporary change of address, as the name suggests, means that your mail will only get forwarded to your new home for a certain period of time – usually 6 months, extendable to 12 months by request. If you’re only moving temporarily, then this option seems best suited for you.
A permanent change of address, as the name suggests, means that your mail will be forwarded permanently – that is, until you move to a newer place, if ever. Choose this option if you don’t intend to go through another household move anytime soon, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Check this out: 10 Must-know tips for hiring movers
Change of Address Checklist: How to change your address
Now that you have learned when to change address when moving (Hint: it’s better to do it before the actual move takes place) and have gathered enough information to use the change of address service, let’s get down to business and explain the various ways you can file for a change of address procedure.
According to the change of address checklist, there are 4 ways you can do just that.
#1: Change of address ONLINE
Online will always be the fastest way to change your address when moving.
Without a doubt, this is the most convenient way to change your address when moving house.
In fact, the advantages of this change of address method are too many to mention: you get to do it whenever you can find time in your busy moving calendar, you get to do it without having to go out of your home, and you get to save time as it’s the fastest COA method by far.
Of course, you only need a computer, a smartphone or a tablet with Internet access.
How to change your address online when moving?
- VISIT the official USPS website, then navigate to the Change of Address Page of the United States Postal Service;
- FILL in the change of address form;
- MAKE sure you have entered your new address correctly – double-check all required fields;
- PROVIDE a valid e-mail address in order to receive a confirmation mail by the USPS;
- EXPECT a verification fee of $1 to be charged to your bank card. Don’t panic – this is a standard identification procedure that is aimed at protecting your personal information;
- SUBMIT the change of address application;
- EXPECT a confirmation mail by the USPS that the COA request has been completed successfully.
#2: Change of address IN PERSON
If you happen to live near a post office and you prefer to complete this task in person, then you should find the time to visit the local USPS office.
How to change your address in person?
- VISIT your local post office within its business hours;
- REQUEST a PS Form 3575 and fill it out neatly;
- BE prepared. You probably won’t enjoy the process of filling out that form inside the post office for a number of reasons, including the apparent loss of valuable time. This is why you are encouraged to download the PS Form 3575 in advance (do it here), fill it in at home, and then visit the post office while having it ready for filing;
- HAND over the completed PS Form 3575 at the appropriate desk. You will be asked to prove your identity on the spot (your driver’s license will suffice), which also means that the change of address at the post office will be completely free of charge for you;
- GO home to take care of other important move-related tasks.
#3: Change of address BY MAIL
You could also change your address by mail, if you really wanted.
Interestingly enough, you can also change your postal address by mail. It’s the least convenient way to do it, but you may happen to prefer it for some reason or another.
How to change your address by mail?
- DOWNLOAD the USPS Printable Change of Address Form – the well-known PS Form 3575. Do it here;
- PRINT out the change of address form and fill it out by following the detailed instructions;
- MAKE sure all the required fields are filled correctly;
- ATTACH a First Class postage stamp to the envelope and write the following destination address: POSTMASTER, United States Postal Service;
- MAIL the change of address letter;
- EXPECT a confirmation letter in the mailbox of your new home inside 10 business days after the COA request has come into effect.
#4: Change of address OVER THE PHONE
The fourth and final way to change your address when moving house is to do it over the phone – another COA method you can take advantage of from the comfort of your own home.
How to change your address over the phone?
- CALL the following number: 1-800-ASK-USPS;
- FOLLOW the pre-recorded instructions to change your postal address;
- PREPARE your bank card details because similar to the case of the online change of address, you will be charged an identity verification fee of $1.
Must-read: 20 Tips for moving long distance
Who to notify of the change of address
The fact that your postal address is about to change very soon is not really a secret, is it? Even if you wish that some people didn’t know your new address, there are a number of individuals, institutions, organizations, and businesses that must be notified of your address change.
So, who to notify when you change your address?
- Friends. It’s only normal that your closest friends should know that you’re moving – after all, maybe some of them did help you out during the move. Consider giving your best friends the new address so that you can stay in touch with them after the move through letters, postcards, or personal visits. Thus said, the various ways of modern communication through e-mail, instant messaging and social networking can somewhat diminish the importance of your new home’s postal address when it comes to not losing touch with your pals.
- Government institutions. There are several important government institutions such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) which should definitely be notified of your updated address information.
- Financial institutions. Banks, credit card companies, and insurance companies should also get notified of the postal address of your new home.
- Utility companies. By now you should have transferred your utilities to the new apartment or house. If you haven’t done it yet, it’s time to contact the various utility providers and inform them of your updated address:
- electricity,
- water,
- gas,
- phone service,
- Internet service,
- cable TV, etc.
- Clubs and organizations. Think of any clubs or organizations that you’re a member of and make sure you inform them of your new address as soon as you find the time to do so. That includes sports clubs too.
- Online shopping websites. If you enjoy shopping online, then you shouldn’t forget to update your address information with the online stores you shop with on a regular basis – Amazon, eBay, and other e-commerce websites.
- Service providers. Here are the most important service providers that should know your new address after you move in:
- family physician,
- dentist;
- vet,
- school,
- daycare center,
- delivery services,
- cleaning services, etc.
The list of who to notify when you move goes on and on. The thing is that you don’t really need to inform all those service providers all at once – you will inevitably do it little by little while going through your acclimatization period in the new town or city you just moved to.
Good to know: 10 essential things to do after moving
Very good advice and one which we did, however next time I move countries I would do things differently.
I would move into furnished tempory accomodation to ensure that all final bills were paid before leaving the country and that notifications to the old address had been acknowledged rather than having to make expensive phone calls from the new country.
I would also close bank accounts after selling off cars, unwanted furniture and just use cash for the remainder of the time.
I’d also ensure that the tempory accomodation arranged for the new company was in our names and not that of the company so we had proof of residency/address in order to set up bank accounts in the new country
Everything gets changed as you move to any other place. I do agree with your idea to make the list of all the things to be done before moving. There are some of the common mistakes which we usually make. You have listed the good points to change the address and how we can schedule all these things. This will help to many people.
Change of address is the most important part of the moving process. You need to notify your neighbors, the bank you have your account in, close friends and associates when you change your address. This is particularly important in case of receiving important notifications from banks.
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