Introduction
Back in 1965, a law was passed in the United Kingdom which made it a requirement for every house built after 1965 to have a house number and a corresponding street name. The main reason for it was to actually make life easier for the postman, who had to sort through piles upon piles of mail before the legislation was passed.
Today, most people would like to have an interesting name for their house instead of just a boring, old number. So, what do you do if you also fancy having a name for your house? Is there anything special you need to do? What is the procedure you must follow?
Let’s start with the most basic and simple stuff.
How to Name Your House?
Names have always evoked strong emotions in us. Personalising your home by giving your house a name is a relatively straightforward procedure. In order to name or rename your house, you need to check with your local authorities if the property is numbered or not and if there are further requirements for approval.
Given that, if your house happens to have a certain number on a certain street, you can name it without telling anyone. However, you need to display your house number alongside your house name in bold since the postman or any emergency services will only identify your house via your house number.
On the other hand, your house may have an existing name that you are unhappy with – something like “Adams Cottage” because that was the name of the previous owner or “Rose Cottage” because the front garden has an overgrown rose bush. If you want to rename your
house, then you have to apply for a name change. This process needs notifying your local council in writing.
Your letter to the council will need to include:
- The full name of the owner of the house;
- The current name and address of your house;
- The new name you want for your house;
- Completing any other requirements and information mentioned in the House Name Change Form;
- Include a location map indicating the location of your property;
- Pay the administration fee of £36.
Upon receiving your request for renaming your house, the local council will check if there are or are not other houses with the same name in the same locality. If you are lucky and no other properties in the close proximity have the name you want, the council will proceed with your request and inform the Royal Mail as well as the Emergency Services in your area.
While the council will keep you updated on your new house name, it would not hurt to double-check with them. Sometimes things can get lost, right?
How Much Will Renaming Your House Cost You?
On average, renaming a house will cost as little as £40. Some councils charge between £30 and £50 for their services, while others will not charge you anything. You will have to check with your local council for the exact rates. Alternatively, most local councils in the UK have a web page of their own showing their house naming and street numbering policies.
Does Renaming Your House Increase Its Value?
Only a few people know it, but giving your house a name can actually increase its value by thousands of pounds. When it is the question of prepping our homes for sale, you know it is all about trying to get the most buck from the bargain. According to a report by The Telegraph, potential buyers are more likely to pay up to 40% more for houses that have a name rather than just a number. Considering it costs only £40 to name/rename your house, it is not a bad deal!
Rebranding is a sure way to boost the value of your house. Small changes can contribute towards big returns in terms of the final sale price on our properties. Homes that enjoy regal titles, such as Royal, Crown or Castle, can lead to a sales price appreciation of £30,000 or more. Tim Day, a London estate agent told The Telegraph in his interview that his Suffolk home became instantly more appealing to buyers only after he changed the name.
‘I changed it from the mundane Esher Cottage to the far grander Crown Cottage,’ he said. ‘It was unbelievably easy and took just 24 hours.’ (goodhousekeeping.com)
Addressing House Renaming Issues
Once you successfully change the name of your house, it is time to notify personal contacts including your bank, insurance company and the utility companies as your local council will not do so for you.
It will also take some time for the mailing lists and databases to be updated with the new name of your house, and you may have to correct them individually. Well, it all sounds a bit overwhelming, but it will be worth it once you have the name and address for your house that you want, and also in terms of the appreciation of the property value.
Final Word
Once the sole privilege of the upper class and the well-to-do estates and castles, naming or renaming one’s home is becoming increasingly popular with the mainstream properties in the
UK. Giving your house a name will transform the way you feel about it and others feel about it. Something that was just a perfunctory number once can become something entirely new and different when you personalise it.
While changing your house name is a matter of a few weeks, it has the potential of adding a staggering £5000 to the final value of your property. The latest research reveals that over 312,000 houses in the UK alone now possess a name instead of a number, and this trend is likely to continue in future as well.
“It is not surprising that house naming is something we’re noticing more of,” says Steve Rooney, who serves as the Head of Royal Mail’s Address Management Unit, “it is a great way to add your own personal stamp to your home (idealhome.co.uk)”
If you would like help or advice on renaming your house please get in touch or order our House Name Change Kit by clicking the button below:
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