Once you’ve chosen your new place, got all the paperwork on the go and that all important moving date, your main focus may be on packing, but it’s really important not to forget the admin – if you do, it can make the whole experience far more expensive.
There are a lot of people who need to know you are moving, including your employer, bank, doctor, utility providers, insurance companies and TV licensing. As with most things, the best way to tackle it all is to be methodical, and if you are certain of your move date, notifying the organisations before the big day will be a big weight off. To ensure you don’t end up paying twice for two properties, it would be best to start telling the companies who will be charging you money, first.
Surprisingly, despite it being one of the most important organisations to tell, many people forget to notify the council that they are moving and end up paying tax for an address that they no longer live in, which is costly and can take some time to resolve. Also, if you fail to tell your council tax department of your change of address, you may be fined, so it’s really important not to let this slip.
Luckily, when it comes to changing your address, council tax is one of the easiest aspects of moving. You can do it before you move and you don’t even have to talk to anyone, as you can do it all online. By simply visiting your council’s website, you can let them know when you’ll be leaving your current property and moving into your new one. If you’re moving within the same area, you will need to fill in just one form on one council’s website; if you’re moving from one area to another – for example, from Broxbourne to Stevenage – you’ll need to go onto Broxbourne Borough Council’s website to tell them you’re leaving, and Stevenage Borough Council’s website to tell them you’re moving in.
If you’re renting, your responsibility for the council tax at the property you’re moving from will end on the date that you leave. If you own the property and will be leaving it vacant when you move, you will still be responsible for the council tax, but this will be applied at a reduced rate.
Once you’ve told the council you’re on the move, the council will usually send you a final bill and you can expect this to come out as a monthly payment. They will also send you a statement, with a summary of what you have paid. Once you have moved, you will receive a prorated summary of what’s left to pay on your new property this financial year, and if you’re in the same council tax area, your direct debit details can carry on as normal. If you’re in a new area, this is another thing you’ll have to set up – a new direct debit for new council tax.
As they say, (council) tax doesn’t have to be taxing!
To find out more about how we can help your moving day go smoothly, please get in touch.