How to change the name of your house
Every now and then, we all come across a house with the kind of name that makes us wonder…what were they thinking? Likewise, you’ve no doubt also come across a fair few quaint, charming and inspirational home names over the years too. Some choose simple names, some err more toward the creative side of things and then there are those that go for the truly weird and wonderful. But just as long as the name you choose is the name you love, who’s to say what’s right and wrong?
But how about if you find yourself in a situation where you’re not exactly in love with the name of your own home? Can it be changed? And if so, how best to go about it?
Well, the short answer to the first question is yes – you have the legal right to change the name of your home to almost anything you can think of. As for the second question, it’s not a complicated process, but one that does involve at least a little basic admin.
Name and/or Number?
You’ll first need to take into account if the house has a name and a number, or just a name. If it has a number and a name, you can go ahead and change or remove the name as and when you wish, without having to register the change. If it has a name only however, you’ll need to get in touch with the council in writing to request the change.
Before doing so, it’s a good idea to carry out a little research online, just to make things as smooth and simple as possible. The most important consideration being that of whether or not there’s already a property nearby with a name that’s the same or too similar. You might be surprised what you find out, so always have a second and ideally a third option in mind, just in case.
In addition, be mindful when it comes to the name itself in terms of how appropriate it is and whether or not it is likely to be well-received by your neighbours. There’s every chance that if you take things a little too far into weird territory, your request might be declined. That, or you’ll lose popularity around the neighbourhood!
After the Switch
Once the name has been changed in an official capacity, the process begins of making sure that everyone who needs to know about the change is appropriately informed. In terms of Royal Mail, the council has the obligation of letting them know that the name of the property has been changed, in order to ensure that your post still arrives as it should. However, as there are sometimes oversights, errors and delays, it’s still worth checking it’s been done personally with a phone call.
As for all the other people and services in your life, it all comes down to you to let them know. This will include your friends, family, utility companies, mobile phone company, banks, doctors and so on. It’s a pretty extensive list, but one that needs to be addressed from top to bottom.
On the plus side, anyone you fail to inform will still be able to find you using the Whitepages address finder, which upon entering just a couple of key details about a person will usually return their full postal address. It’s also a great tool for looking up people you may have lost contact with.
And if you find yourself in a positon where you need a little inspiration for your home’s new name, a quick web search is all it takes to discover thousands of quaint and quirky names you might never have thought of!