Furthermore, 23% of people didn’t have a home insurance policy in place when they moved, despite the average value of contents being transported standing at £14,000.
MoneySuperMarket polled over 2,000 people to gather their home insurance experiences during their most recent move. The research reveals that Brits are turning away from professional movers and opting to transport their belongings between locations themselves, not knowing that most insurers won’t pay out on damaged goods claims if they fail to hire a recognised removal company.
When asked how they moved their belongings from one property to the other in their most recent move, only 39% hired a recognised removal professional, with 28% choosing to hire a van and move the contents themselves. Overall, 46% opted to save money by taking ownership of the move, opening themselves up to the risk of damaged goods that they can’t claim on.
People will often take it for granted that their contents are automatically covered during a house move, but the research shows this is, in many situations, not the case. While some insurers will cover contents while they are in transit or storage, 42% of insurers won’t cover the move at all. The research also shows that over half (54%) of those moving did not check with their home insurance provider if they were protected during their move, assuming it was covered automatically within their policy.
Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented:
“Physically relocating your belongings from one property to the next is always a risky enterprise, but many home movers are undertaking the task without insurance. Some simply don’t have any sort of home insurance in place, while others wrongly assume their contents policy will take care of their goods while they’re in transit.
“A hefty proportion of insurers - 42% - don’t cover belongings on the road. And while other policies provide door-to-door protection against damage or loss in transit, they usually insist the move is carried out by a recognised removals firm. That means anyone hiring a van for the purpose or moving their belongings in their car might not be covered.
“Home movers should talk to their home insurer well in advance to check if they are fully covered during the move. MoneySuperMarket’s recently launched Home Movers Hub provides a tailored customer journey with a range of tips and tricks to help movers through the process and ensure nothing goes wrong.”
