Changing the name of your house:

The name on our house sign is important to us all. Traditional names are popular and names that indicate their previous use – Old Rectory, The Old Post Office, The Forge, School House, portray evocative memories from the past. For this reason most advise against changing a pre-1900 name, unless it has really bad associations. However, if your house has a name you dislike or if you feel the name is unsuited to the house, it

would be worth changing the name

Make a written request to the highways or engineers department of your local council, including an alternative suggestion in case there’s already a house locally with your first choice name. You cannot change a number (apart from adding a letter for an extra dwelling) or swap a number for a name, but you can use a name in addition to a number.

The highways department will tell Royal Mail of an approved name change but it is also advisable to email addressmaintenance@royalmail.com” to be sure your details are updated. Also check that your house is recorded as a residential address as many mail-order companies won’t deliver to businesses and talk directly to your postmen.

You will also need to register the change with Land Registry, your local Council Tax Department, the Electoral Roll, BT, utility providers, mortgage lender, doctor and everyone who writes to you.

The emergency services are frequently delayed by the lack of visible numbers and names so I would write to the local ambulance and fire services and make sure your house signs can be clearly read from the road. It might be worth showing both names for some months, eg “Pear tree Cottage (formerly known as Owl Cottage)”.

There are some problems involved in changing a name. Locals may disapprove. And it could take many years for databases and mailing lists to be updated with the new house name. It may be necessary to contact each address individually and if someone tells you database can’t be altered, ask for a supervisor or the complaints department to make sure your wishes are carried out.

There is work involved in changing your address and before you can put up your new house sign, but it will be worth it in the end for the pleasure of having an address on your house sign that pleases you..