Avoid these home insurance loopholes when moving homes — plus, get a free fiver from our rewards club

ABOUT to move house? Then make sure you’ve got your possessions properly insured.

Today is one of the busiest days of the year for relocations, as summer rentals come to an end and families scramble to get settled into new properties before school starts again.

But a report from MoneySuperMarket reveals 46 per cent of us risk voiding our home insurance by shifting our own possessions.

While transporting your own stuff may seem a smart idea to save money, the study showed 42 per cent of insurers won’t cover a home move as standard, and one in four of us has no cover in place during a move.

With home movers shifting an average of £14,000 worth of belongings, that’s a lot of dosh to risk.

Dan Plant, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket explains: “Relocating belongings from one property to the next is always risky, but many people are doing it without insurance.

"Some don’t have any sort of cover in place, while others wrongly assume their contents policy will take care of goods in transit.”

To help you avoid a costly house move, here are MoneySuperMarket’s top tips on relocating.

1. Moving yourself? Always check with your home insurance provider that your belongings are covered. Using a recognised removals firm? Check their insurance policy too and speak with your own insurance firm to see if they are satisfied with the cover.
2. If using a removal firm, don’t settle for the first quote. and get multiple quotes for you. You can always haggle the cost down further.
3. Some firms charge fees for changing addresses on documents such as car insurance. If you are charged, ring and ask for them to be waived. If they refuse, threatening to leave can often change their minds.
4. Take final meter readings for gas and electricity and send them to your supplier before moving out. Snap pics on your mobile for extra reassurance. Then ask for a final bill to ensure you aren’t paying for anything after you’ve moved.
5. If you need to put some of your furniture or other belongings into storage during a move, ensure you are covered by your contents policy. If it doesn’t protect you, you can buy standalone cover from a specialist firm.
6. Reassess your home insurance policy for your new home. Companies have different prices for different postcodes. Also, it’s always worth checking if switching could save you money.
7. After you’ve moved to your new home, get the locks changed. You won’t know who has keys to your new home, so it’s best to play it safe

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