UK mail scanning and forwarding

[indiana_ct]

I'm about to give up my UK address (selling up) and become a full time nomadic bluewater liveaboard (sailing away). I've decided to save the family the hassle of dealing with my mail, little though it is and want to use a mail scanning/forwarding service and use their address for driving licence, ICC and banking.
Has anyone done this? Can you make a recommendation of who provides a good service. Have you any funny/interesting/ horror stories of mail forwarding services or using family addresses for correspondence?

[Triumphant]

Some thoughts based on experience

Banks can be funny about addresses (for example they would not allow a PO box address when we asked). They also inform the Inland Revenue of address changes and you can end up being registered at 2 addresses (old one and new one which can cause issues going forward.

Depending what the address is you are offered by the forwarding service, you may need to check with the organisations you want to change the address to ensure they have no issues with it

If you use a Royal Mail re direction, the maximum amount of time it will run for is 2 years (and they are not perfect in their re direction)

We still get asked for our “home” address when checking in or out of some countries and on other documentation. The concept of no land address to some officials puzzles and confuses them.

You may have an issue with retaining your GP as they will contact you every couple of years and if they get no reply they will de-register you.

You may want to try asking this question on the YBW Liveaboard forum as it is more UK centric and you may be addressing a wider audience.

Try “googling” uk mail forwarding service reviews

So bottom line keep a UK address if you can

Good luck

[indiana_ct]

Thanks Triumphant.
We do want to keep a UK address, hence the question.
I think the idea of the GP getting in touch must be a myth, at least for my current GP. They have never contacted us asking for a reply in the 18 years we've been registered, even as years have passed without a visit. In any case, there is little point trying to keep using the same GP as we have no reason to return to the area again.
Most of the mailing services offer an actual address, not just a PO Box.
My reason for wanting a mail service is to be able to provide an address for banks, DVLA and ICC without having a sibling or parent burdened with opening our post. The old address will be null and void so there is no issue in a bank telling HMRC about another address. Why should that be a problem?
This will also be the address provided for any official or friend who wants a "home" address. It wouldn't be right to use our old house. That will be someone's else's home and.we will forward our mail with the post office to catch anything where the sender doesn't know we've moved on.

I have listed four potential providers and I have found reviews but from expats in other countries, and nomads in the UK (narrowboats, motor homes). I have not found much from sailors. Other sailors I spoke to used a member of the family. We don't want to do that as mentioned above.