Administrative Duties of Moving

change of address, insurance, medical files

Successfully moving and getting your life back in order can be a long drawn out event. In the hustle and bustle of trying to get everything done, some tasks are easily forgotten and at the same time, they can impact your life dramatically.

In this article, we will point out some of those important items that get missed. Hopefully you will be able to use this guide as a checklist so that your move is chaos-free and somewhat smooth sailing.

Go to the post office or fill in the forms online and apply for a change of address. A small fee will be required to forward your mail but it is worth the little money to know your mail is coming to you. And remember that it usually takes 7-10 days for the redirect to become active so make sure you get this done in advance.

Also, redirecting your mail helps to safeguard you if you have forgotten to notify a particular person or company. The mail will still come to you within the allotted time frame. It is not a good idea to expect the people at your old location to put your mail back into a mailbox “return to sender”. Also, if you are expecting important documents or checks, waiting for the envelope to go through the system of being delivered to your old home, returned to sender and delivered again to your new home may take forever.

Even with a postal office change of address, you will still need to change your address with each individual company but redirecting your mail is another layer of security. In this day of identity theft, it is important to know where you personal papers end up.

Since redirecting your mail will expire at some point, it is important to remember to change your address with everyone and every company with whom you deal. To make it easier: a month or two before the move, as bills, checks and important documents come in, set them aside and start sending out change of address forms. Some companies like credit card statements have change of address forms attached to their envelopes. Other companies allow you to do it online.

For items such as house, car and life insurance which do not send statements each month, make a list of all your yearly expenditures and the list will help you to remember where changes are required. Review your bank statement for the past 6 months and use the auto debits to find other companies with which you deal.

For mail that comes from friends and family, you can send out the change of address cards the post office offers or if you like creating things on the computer, why not make your own and send them. Save yourself the stamp and email as many notifications as you can.

Magazine subscriptions will need to be changed as well as newsletters and newspapers. If the newspapers are local, be sure to call and cancel the service effective the day or so before you move.

Try to do as much in advance as companies allow. For instance, call your house and car insurance companies and inquire whether or not your policies need revision for the new city and whether the company even conducts business in the new location especially if your move is out of state. The more you do ahead of time while you are in a clearer frame of mind, the easier it will be on you after you have moved.

Two of the most often forgotten items are your medical and dental records. If you are moving long distance, request your files early on. Most doctors and dentists will want time to photocopy everything and are too busy to do it on short notice. Most also charge a fee for the service. It certainly will be safer to have the documents with you to give to the new doctor than waiting for them to arrive in the future.

For families with animals, you may want to request you pet’s files as well from the veterinarian before you leave. Be sure to have the animal’s papers to produce while travelling. You may need to show proof of rabies shots, ownership and other things about the animal’s health.

For your children, contact their new school and inquire as to whether any documents are needed from the old school. Different laws may require the new school to verify proof of vaccinations as well as their report cards and current grade status.

Lastly, the easiest way to handle all of these tasks is to make a list to start. Add to your list every time your mind thinks of another task. Start early so fewer items are forgotten. When you are traveling, keep your documents safe with you. Do not check them in with your luggage and keep this vital information close by in case it is required.