Selling Your House When You're Relocating
Moving for work or family on a tight deadline? Here's who expects to hear about your new address, with the deadlines official sources give, and how a sale can fit around your move.
- ✓Zero fees, zero commissions
- ✓Any condition — leave the repairs to us
- ✓You choose the closing date
- ✓Local, family-owned team
When you move, California law gives you 10 days to report the new address to the DMV, for your driver's license and, separately, for your vehicle registration, and USPS says to allow at least 7 to 10 business days after approval for a change of address to take effect. If the house you're leaving has the homeowners' exemption, the claimant is responsible for telling the county assessor once the home no longer qualifies. With Spark Home Offers you choose the closing date, and we can often close in about two weeks. For questions about taxes on the sale, talk to a tax professional.
Who to Notify When You Move
These offices keep separate records of your address, and only some updates carry over from one to another.
| Who | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| DMV: driver's license | Notify the DMV of the old and new address within 10 days of moving. |
| DMV: vehicle registration | A separate 10-day notice; changing the license address doesn't change the registration. |
| U.S. Postal Service | Online with a $1.25 identity verification fee, or PS Form 3575 at a Post Office; allow at least 7 to 10 business days. |
| Voter registration | A new residence or mailing address is a reason to re-register; a residence address update with the DMV or USPS carries over automatically. |
| County assessor | The claimant tells the assessor when the home no longer qualifies for the homeowners' exemption; the BOE says December 10 is the last day to end it without penalty. |
| Banks, agencies, other senders | USPS says telling them is your responsibility, and sensitive items such as bank statements aren't forwarded. |
Fees, deadlines and processing times are as the DMV, USPS, the Secretary of State and the Board of Equalization published them in October 2026.
The DMV: Two 10-Day Notices
Under Vehicle Code 14600, a driver's license holder who moves to a new residence or gets a new mailing address must tell the DMV both the old and the new address within 10 days. Vehicle Code 4159 puts the same 10-day duty on a registered vehicle owner, and it is a separate requirement from the license rule.
The DMV accepts change-of-address requests online, without an office visit, and asks you to allow up to 3 days for processing. It won't copy a new address from one record to another, so updating your license leaves your vehicle registrations as they were, and a change of address doesn't produce a new license or registration card.
Forwarding Your Mail Through USPS
USPS takes change-of-address requests online, where it charges a $1.25 identity verification fee, or at a Post Office on PS Form 3575, which comes in the free Mover's Guide packet. Its guidance is to allow at least 7 to 10 business days after approval for forwarding to begin.
Standard forwarding runs 12 months. You can pay to extend it by 6, 12 or 18 more months, and 18 is the maximum; once forwarding ends, USPS returns mail to the sender for 6 months with a label showing your new address.
The order changes your mailing address with the Post Office and nowhere else. USPS says you are responsible for telling government agencies, companies and other senders, and that sensitive mail such as driver's licenses, voter registration and bank statements isn't forwarded because senders don't allow it.
Your Voter Registration
The California Secretary of State lists a change of residence address or mailing address among the reasons to re-register to vote. It also says that if you have already updated your residence address with the DMV or the U.S. Postal Service, your registration is updated with the new address automatically, and the DMV's change-of-address system lets a registered voter ask it to notify the Secretary of State. The general registration deadline is 15 days before Election Day.
The Homeowners' Exemption on the House You're Leaving
California's homeowners' exemption reduces the taxable value of a qualifying owner-occupied home by $7,000. The home must have been the owner's principal place of residence on the January 1 lien date, and the owner claims it once, on form BOE-266, with the assessor in the county where the home is.
The exemption does not extend to a home that is rented, vacant, or a vacation or secondary home, and Revenue and Taxation Code 531.6 makes the claimant responsible for notifying the assessor when the property is no longer eligible. Fresno County's Assessor, for example, says a home can become ineligible when the owner moves out, and that exemptions are not transferred between properties: after a move, the owner files an application for the new home.
The State Board of Equalization says December 10 is the last day to terminate the homeowners' exemption without penalty. For how the sale or the move affects your own taxes, talk to a tax professional.
Selling Around Your Moving Date
Our homepage lists relocating among the situations we buy in: moving for work or family on a tight deadline. The closing date is yours to choose, a couple of weeks or a few months out, whatever fits your move. Because there's no bank financing, appraisal or inspection contingency, we can often close in about two weeks, and if you need more time to move, we can push the closing date out.
There are no showings to keep the house ready for, and we buy as-is, so you can leave the repairs to us. Take what you want to keep and leave the rest; we'll handle the cleanout and the repairs after closing.
Closing happens at a reputable local title company that handles the paperwork and makes sure the funds and title transfer properly, so you'll know exactly where and when you're getting paid. You can call or text us 7 days a week, and the offer is free with no obligation.
Three Simple Steps to Sold
Listing a house can mean months of repairs, open houses, and buyers backing out. Here's how selling to Spark Home Offers works instead.
Tell Us About Your House
Fill out the short form or call/text us. We'll reach out within 24 hours to learn your situation and schedule a quick walkthrough.
Start Here →Get a Fair Cash Offer
After a 5-minute walkthrough, we look at the home's condition and recent nearby sales, then give you a clear cash offer and explain how we got there.
Close When You're Ready
We close at a reputable local title company on the date you choose. We cover the closing costs and you walk away with cash.
Keep Reading
Relocating and Selling: Common Questions
How long do I have to change my address with the DMV?
California's Vehicle Code gives you 10 days: a driver's license holder who moves must report the old and new address to the DMV within that time, and a registered vehicle owner has a separate 10-day duty for the registration.
Does a USPS change of address update my voter registration?
The Secretary of State says a residence address update made with the DMV or the U.S. Postal Service updates your voter registration automatically. Beyond that, a USPS order only changes your mailing address with the Post Office.
Does my homeowners' exemption move with me to the new house?
Not automatically: Fresno County's Assessor says exemptions are not transferred between properties, and after a move the owner files an application for the new home. The claimant is also responsible for telling the assessor when the old home no longer qualifies.
How long will USPS forward my mail?
Standard forwarding lasts 12 months, and paid extensions of 6, 12 or 18 months are available, with 18 the maximum.
Can I set the closing date around my move?
Yes: you pick the date, and if you need more time to move, we can push the closing date out.
Are there any fees or commissions?
No. There are no agent commissions and no fees to work with us. We also cover the standard closing costs, so the offer we agree on is what you can expect to walk away with (minus any existing mortgage or liens on the property).
Do I need to make repairs or clean out the house?
No. We buy houses as-is. Take what you want to keep and leave the rest — we'll handle the cleanout and the repairs after closing.
Am I obligated to accept your offer?
Not at all. Our offer is free and there's no obligation. If selling to us isn't the right fit, we'll still try to point you toward a better option.
Moving Soon? Pick a Closing Date That Fits
Tell us your moving date and a little about the house, and we'll reach out within 24 hours. Call (559) 420-7887 or fill out the form to get started.