Moving trends: 1 in 5 Canadians move because of work

Canada Post data shows more Quebecers move in July and Maritimers will mostly stay within city limits

OTTAWA, May 29, 2012 /CNW/ - In a red hot Canadian real estate market, it's no surprise that over 850 000 people report a move using Canada Post's Change of Address Service. With the approach of an even hotter summer—the season most Canadians consider the perfect time to move—the wheels are in motion from coast to coast. One thing is for certain: Canadians have moving on the mind, whether it is for professional or personal reasons.

Moving out of an old home and into a new one is often no easy feat. Notifying your contacts of a change in your address is one of those tasks that can help make the transition into a new home much smoother. Canada Post wants to remind Canadians of the importance of doing a change of address to ensure mail delivery without interruption.

Canada Post delivers to more than 15 million addresses across the country and with that kind of network, moving data can often reveal key insights and trends. Using the data from the 2011 Change of Address service, some regional trends show different moving patterns by Canadians. Among them:

• Reasons for moving: 22% of Canadians moving do so because of work-related reasons while 20% are upgrading their home and another 17% move for family reasons.
• Where do people move? While the vast majority of Canadian families move within the same province, the trends show that 13% move to another province and 4% move outside the country. Among all movers, Atlantic Canadians are most likely (58%) to stay within the same city.
• When do people move? Summer is generally the preferred time to move - with the numbers doubling in July (compared to January). However, Westerners are most likely to move throughout the year while in Quebec, the number of moves quadruples in July.

"The Change of Address service allows customers to continue receiving their mail from their old address at their new address without interruption; this also provides better protection of their personal information," says Alexis Zamkow, General Manager, Data and Targeting Product and Services, at Canada Post.

Filing a change of address
For residential change of address, customers can do so online (canadapost.ca/ecoa) or at their post office. It is recommended that the request be made at least 3 days prior (at the post office) or as early as possible. The service is available for a 6-month and a 12-month period; fees range from $45 (6-month period within province) to $225 (12-month period international move).

With the Change of Address service, movers will obtain free notification cards to notify all their correspondents as well as a planning list to help throughout the move. For more information, visit canadapost.ca/ecoa.