Congratulations on your new home in Barrhaven.
Whether you’re moving from the Ottawa area or somewhere else in Ontario, there are quite a few things that need to get done before you settle into your new home.
Between meeting with your lawyer, arranging finances, and sorting and packing your belongings, there’s also all the administrivia involved in having services set up or switched over and updating your address in all the right places.
Having a checklist of who needs to know you’re moving, and when they need to know, can help the process go more smoothly. Fortunately, much of the work can now be done quickly and easily online.
First and foremost, register with Canada Post to have your mail forwarded to your new address in Barrhaven. Although there’s a cost associated with mail forwarding, it’s the best protection against forgetting something critical such as your insurance renewal notification that you might only receive annually. Being inadvertently uninsured can be a costly oversight.
Consider organizing your documents, in order of importance and set reminders for when they need to be completed in your calendar.
GOVERNMENT ID AND THE POWERS THAT BE
By law, your driver’s licence and vehicle permit must be updated with your new address within 6 days and your health card within 30 days of your move. Your new driver’s licence can be mailed to you, but your vehicle permit has to be changed in person at a Service Canada location.
You’ll need to update the Canada Revenue Agency. Big Brother needs to know where you are and it’s best to get this done before tax season.
Updating other government agencies will depend on your personal situation.
Moving Checklist:
- Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security
- Ontario Student Assistance Program
- Citizenship and Immigration
- Hunting / Fishing License (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) 1-800-387-7011
- Gun License
- Passport
- Nexus Card
- Ontario Works
- Ontario Disability Support Program
- Elections Canada
KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON
If you don’t want to be sitting in a dark, cold house with no running water when you arrive at your new home, you need to arrange for your utilities to be set up before you move in. Set up or transfer these services to your new address, ideally a few weeks before your move to make sure everything is in place by the move date.
Most utility transfers are fairly straightforward with clear instructions given on the providers’ websites.
You also want to notify your insurance company at least a few weeks ahead of time as your rates may change given your change in circumstances and you want the house insured from day one.
Moving Checklist:
- Gas
- TV / Internet / Phones
- Electricity
- Water
- Insurance
MONEY MATTERS
Don’t forget about the people and places that manage your finances! There are close to a billion dollars of unclaimed balances sitting in Canadian bank accounts, much of which was probably the result of people forgetting to update their contact information with the bank and then, strange as it may sound, forgetting about that money.
Don’t forget about credit unions or GICs that you may hold outside of your traditional bank. Also, even if you hold a credit card, an investment account and chequing/savings accounts with the same bank, they may be administered separately, so more than one address change may be required.
Moving Checklist:
- The HR department at your place of employment
- Financial institutions – Bank/credit cards/Investment broker/financial advisor/Canada/Ontario Savings Bonds
- Employer’s pension plan
- Financial advisor
THE BUTCHER, THE BAKER, THE CANDLESTICK MAKER
If you’re moving too far away to maintain a relationship with your current healthcare professionals and other vital services, be sure to let them know. You may need to get your records or prescriptions forwarded to your new location. If you have your hair coloured and want to keep it the same colour, ask your hairdresser for the colour formula before you leave.
Moving Checklist:
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Optician
- Pharmacist (prescriptions)
- Veterinarian
- Medical imaging (e.g., mammogram)
- Specialists
- Lawyer
- Hairdresser
- Cleaning/landscaping/snow removal services
CHECK YOUR WALLET
Finally, don’t forget about all those services that may not seem as obvious, but you could miss out if you forget to update them before moving. One way to trigger your memory is to go through the cards you carry in your wallet.
Moving Checklist:
- University (if you’re a student)
- Alumni association
- Union or professional associations
- Preferred travel programs – frequent flyer programs, NEXUS card
- Store reward programs
- Streaming services
- Online shopping accounts (e.g., Amazon)
- Subscription services (magazines, newspapers, subscription boxes)
- Car dealership
- Charities you support
- Clubs you belong to
- Library card
- CAA
And if, after all the packing, cleaning, unpacking, and organizing, you have any energy left, make sure you haven’t forgotten the obvious. Let your daycare, schools, friends, family and neighbours know where they can find you (well, at least the ones that you want to be able to find you).
If all of this feels a little too overwhelming, there are services that will take care of it all for you. At MacDonald Property Group, we provide all our clients with a digital moving concierge service called Move Snap. Move Snap saves you time and money by updating all your information in one easy-to-use platform.
Buy and Sell with Confidence. Choose The MacDonald Property Group.
At MacDonald Property Group, we have a dedicated full-service team under one roof ready to provide the expertise you can trust. With over twenty-five years of experience in real estate, we have sold and bought over a thousand homes. We’re proud to say that we’ve helped thousands of clients in Barrhaven and across the Ottawa area close a deal with confidence and satisfaction.