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Most Searched for Questions When Moving House

Jan 31, 2022
Moving House

Being placed up there with starting a new job, moving house is commonly known as one of the most stressful things that we face in our lives. With real estate jargon flowing over your head and your whole life to pack up in boxes, it’s no wonder that as a nation we agree that moving house can leave us feeling a little more than flustered.

When the time comes in the moving process where you’re feeling a bit clueless, most of us will of course turn to Google in attempt to find credible answers. Barratt London wanted to know exactly the burning questions people moving home were asking so we can in turn know they’re certainly not alone. We collected Google search data to explore the most searched questions surrounding moving house – and here’s what we found:

council tax when moving house - 145,200 searches
changing address when moving house - 12,000 searches
who to inform when moving house - 7,080 searches
how to pack for moving house - 7,080 searches
list of addresses to change when moving house - 3,840 searches
moving in with partner who owns house UK - 3,120 searches
how long to keep a cat in after moving house - 3,120 searches
how to take over utilities when moving house - 2,520 searches
how much does moving house cost - 2,040 searches

Council Tax


The question to come out on top is:

council tax when moving house’

If you’re over 18 and living anywhere in the UK, by law you need to pay council tax. This is a general bill that you should be accustomed to paying whilst living in your old house but moving house might mean the amount your pay is subject to change. The amount of council tax you pay can be impacted by the area or ‘band’ in which you now live and how much your local council charges. This information can be easily found by entering your new postcode into the gov.uk website.

When moving, you must alert the local council that you have moved and they’ll be able to cancel your current payments and get you registered at your new property. Failing to report your move may result in an overlap of payments, which is unnecessary stress you’ll want to avoid at this time!

If you avoid paying council tax all together however, the local council are likely to take you to court in an attempt for you to pay your entire bill.

Changing Address


When moving house, you are faced with the pain-staking task of updating everything with your new address. This will include bank cards, licenses, GPs and hey, even your Amazon account. It’s best if you make a list of all the most important details you must update (as the 4th most search query may vouch for) to avoid any problems later down the line.

These problems could even take the form of unwanted fines especially when you fail to update important information such as that on your car insurance. The amount you pay for car insurance is impacted by where you live. When you move house, you must update the DVLA as well as your insurance provider or else you could be dealt a fine of up to £1000!

Who to inform


Of course, you need to inform your friends and relatives of your latest life update, but what about your utility providers?

Be sure to speak to your gas, electric, water and internet providers to let them know you’re moving so you can resolve any last payments on your current property and start paying the right amount for your new one.

Our findings showed that the query ‘how to take over utilities when moving house’ has increased by 1500% since last year, as well as ‘temporary internet when moving house’ which has also increased by 143%.

From our experience this, like many other things, could be put down to the pandemic and the dramatic rise in people making their homes their new office. As moving house now also means moving offices, people will want to be set up in their new home as quickly as possible.

When it comes to moving house, know that you’re not alone. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a frequenter of the property ladder, they’ll always be new questions that need answering. Finding experts such as Barratt London means your move will always be a smooth and stress free one.

Are you planning on finding your dream home in 2022 without all the fuss? Barratt London are always working towards providing high quality homes with plenty of developments up and down the UK. Feel free to call us today to book your appointment on 0330 057 6666.