Whether you’re moving a family home or relocating a business, most people assume their belongings are automatically protected the moment they’re loaded onto a removals van. In reality, removals insurance is more nuanced than that, and understanding exactly what’s covered, and what isn’t, before moving day can save a great deal of stress if something does go wrong in transit.

Two Different Types of Cover

There are generally two forms of insurance relevant to a move: the removals company’s own goods-in-transit insurance, and your own home or business contents insurance. These serve different purposes and it’s worth understanding how they interact rather than assuming either one covers everything.

Goods in Transit Insurance

Reputable removals companies carry goods-in-transit insurance, which covers your belongings against loss or damage while they’re being handled, transported and unloaded by the company. However, the level of cover and the exclusions vary significantly between providers, so it’s always worth asking exactly what’s included before booking, rather than assuming a standard level of protection applies everywhere.

Many policies include exclusions for items packed by the customer rather than the removals team, on the basis that the company can’t vouch for how well-protected an item was before it left your hands. If you’ve packed boxes yourself, check whether self-packed items are covered, and consider having the removals company pack particularly valuable or fragile items to ensure they’re covered under the policy.

What’s Commonly Excluded

Certain categories of item are commonly excluded or capped at a low value under standard goods-in-transit policies, including cash, jewellery, important documents, and high-value electronics or artwork above a certain threshold. If you’re moving items like this, ask specifically about additional cover, or consider transporting genuinely irreplaceable or high-value items yourself rather than relying on the removals policy.

Damage caused by inherent defects, such as furniture that was already weakened or unstable before the move, is also typically excluded, as is damage to items that weren’t properly prepared for transport, such as unemptied wardrobes or poorly secured flat-pack furniture.

Your Own Contents Insurance

It’s worth checking your home contents insurance policy before moving day too. Many policies include limited cover for belongings in transit during a house move, but the level of cover and conditions attached (such as requiring a professional removals company rather than a DIY move) vary between insurers. Don’t assume your existing policy covers a move without checking the wording directly, and consider contacting your insurer to confirm before relying on it.

Business and Office Moves

For commercial moves, the stakes are often higher, given the value of IT equipment, servers and specialist machinery involved. Business contents and equipment insurance policies don’t always automatically extend to cover a relocation, so it’s worth speaking to your insurer or broker in advance to confirm cover during the move itself, and to check whether specialist equipment needs additional cover due to its value or sensitivity.

Ask for Cover Details in Writing

Before booking any removals company, ask for written confirmation of their insurance cover, including the level of cover per item and in total, any excess that applies, and what’s excluded. A reputable company will provide this without hesitation, and comparing this information between quotes is just as important as comparing the price.

Making a Claim

If something is damaged or lost during a move, report it to the removals company as soon as possible, ideally in writing with photographs, and check their claims process and any time limits for reporting damage. Keeping an inventory of items being moved, with photographs of valuable or fragile items beforehand, makes any claim, whether against the removals company or your own insurer, far more straightforward to support.

Peace of Mind Comes From Asking Questions

Most moves go smoothly without any need to make a claim, but knowing exactly what protection is in place, and what isn’t, means you can make sensible decisions about how to pack, what to transport yourself, and whether additional cover is worth arranging for particularly valuable items. A few questions before booking can save a great deal of worry later.

If you have any questions about how our insurance cover works for your upcoming move, whether domestic or commercial, get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to talk you through it.