Moving house is one of the most stressful things we’ll do in our lifetime – and even more so when one of your precious belongings is lost or damaged in the process, like when moving your books or storing and moving a sofa. In this article, we’re going to be talking about the importance of insurance during your move – and the types of moving insurance that are available. 

Take cover

People seek insurance for lots of different reasons – in some cases, this is a legal obligation (for example, car insurance), however other folk choose to insure something which is valuable such as a piece of jewellery or item of furniture. The way insurance works is that you pay a set fee to an insurance company in exchange for a document known as a policy. Your policy will detail how much the insurance company will pay you in the event of the insured item being lost or damaged. Insurance is designed to ensure that you are not left out of pocket after the loss or damage of an item. 

What is moving insurance ?

During a house move, you or your moving company will be lifting, carrying and transporting a number of different items from one property to another. During this process, it is not uncommon for items to be lost or damaged and, while this may not be a big deal with smaller, less expensive items it can be a much larger problem with more valuable goods. 

Because of this, it’s a really sensible idea to make sure that you have insurance to cover any potential loss or damage during your move and, in this section, we’ll take a closer look at this. 

Home contents insurance

If you are selling your old home and buying a new one you are required by UK law to hold home contents insurance which provides cover should anything – such as fire or flood – happen to your home or its contents. In many cases, this kind of insurance will cover you during your house move however, this is not always the case so it is your responsibility to check the terms of your policy prior to your move. Your policy may also, for example, include specific rules such as the type of moving company that you can use and how your valuables are packed. Finally, you may need to speak to your insurance company ahead of your move to make sure that you are fully covered during the transition period. 

Moving company insurance

If you’re hiring a moving company to transport your belongings from your old home to the new it’s vital that you choose a company which holds adequate insurance for your requirements. Before signing on the dotted line, you must ask the company for proof that it holds the correct, up to date insurance in order to prevent any nasty surprises following your house move. 

Storage insurance

During your house move, it may be necessary for you to put some of your bulky belongings into storage for a period of time and, in this instance, many people choose to use a local self-storage facility.While these facilities will offer some insurance for your stored items, this will often be basic and may not cover more valuable items so it is up to you to ensure that you have adequate insurance for these items. 

Specialist insurance

We’ve already talked about some types of insurance which will cover your important belongings during your house move but these may not be enough for certain specialist items. If you’re going to be transporting items such as a piano or sensitive electrical equipment, you may need to acquire specialist insurance for these in addition to the insurance for the rest of your stuff. 

Playing it safe

When moving house, your insurance could be the difference between being home safe and ending up out of pocket. For this reason, it’s extremely important that you not only make sure that you have adequate policies for all of your belongings but, also, that you use an established, reputable insurance company. Before commiting to an insurance company, always make sure that you examine their credentials and read reviews from previous customers as, unfortunately, there are many dishonest insurance firms out there – particularly online. Finally, before signing on the dotted line, always be sure to read the fine print on your contract to ensure that your policy is rock solid.