House name change

Samantha99

Is this a simple process? Does anyone know if it costs to change a name, ie register with Royal Mail?

Is it worth the bother?

27col

Anyone can call their house anything they like. There is no requirement to register it with anyone. The Post Code is mainly what matters, and then the house number.

phoebe1989seb

Samantha99 wrote: »

Is this a simple process? Does anyone know if it costs to change a name, ie register with Royal Mail?

Is it worth the bother?

IIRC in our location (South Wilts) you have to submit three alternative name choices (in case your first choice is already in use within the area) and pay a fee (£50 springs to mind) then submit to the council. They then notify Royal Mail etc.

Our village house has a name only and has historically never had a number, but if you wish to add a name to a property that already has a number I believe the process is different. For example, you can't call a property by a name only if a number already exists.

In fact a few years back when we lived in Hampshire we added a name so that our house was ***** Villa, 8 **** road (for example).......and we didn't bother notifying anyone at the council etc.....

Edited to add -
Have just checked our council website and to change the name of a house with no number (ie, ours) the fee is £50 as I suspected. It's the same for a house with number but no name apparently.

SG27

If your house has a number you can just change the name yourself. If it doesn't have number like ours I think you have to speak to the council!

seton100

My brother added a name to his house and he had to go through the council

Better_Days

Depends on the name and its suitability for the property/area. Also depends if there is any property with a similar name nearby as it could cause confusion for emergency services. Go onto your local authority website or ring them up for advice.

If you want some ideas there are some entertaining ones on this site - http://www.housenameheritage.com/default.asp

Edited to add: LA's may charge you a fee for 'processing' a name change.

Full_of_angst

Interesting thread. I have a sort back to front version of this problem.

My house is listed as a name. It's had this name for over 200 years and was originally only one of 2 houses in the lane. Over the years other houses were built and each house in the street was given a number, including mine (been there for 300 years, is a named house for over 200 years, but now has to have a number). When you do a postcode search only the house number is available, not the actual name it is listed as. I never got round to enquiring about this and I'm moving out now so probably never will. I have had to explain this anomaly to my buyer who didn't seem bothered. It's never bothered me because all I'm concerned about really is getting my post.

PasturesNew

I heard a phone in about this, 3-4 years ago. Some woman came on and she'd "done it all herself". e.g. if you use a name, you have to let the 999 services know.

Samantha99

Thanks for all this info!

The property already has a name. It's a farm but no one is farming there now or for some years so I thought maybe change it to a cottage name.

But don't know if I'll throw £50 at it though!

Maybe you could do, say,
Marsh house
Valley Farm
Etc?

Not sure that's working...

tim123456789

27col wrote: »

Anyone can call their house anything they like. There is no requirement to register it with anyone. The Post Code is mainly what matters, and then the house number.

Not with my postie

Building across the road has changed its designation from "number X" to "name AAAAA".

When mail still gets addressed to Number X, postie looks along the street and finds me "Flat X, Number Y" and thinks that must be it.

On handing it back to him I said "It's that building across the road that has different postcode to mine" and he said "Oh I never look at postcodes"

I kid you not

tim

Vectis

tim123456789 wrote: »

Not with my postie

Building across the road has changed its designation from "number X" to "name AAAAA".

When mail still gets addressed to Number X, postie looks along the street and finds me "Flat X, Number Y" and thinks that must be it.

On handing it back to him I said "It's that building across the road that has different postcode to mine" and he said "Oh I never look at postcodes"

I kid you not

tim

The post code is for automatic sorting at the sorting office. I suspect the postie has a rough idea of post codes but, like the rest of us, don't know the codes for individual streets or houses.