Moving house can be stressful. A home insurance policy could help ease your worries, covering any loss or damage to your belongings while they’re being moved by professional contractors.
Read on for top tips to keep you and your belongings safe during a move.
Using removal companies
Unless you fancy a serious workout, the best option when moving house is to hire a removal company. As well as taking the strain out of moving all those heavy boxes and furniture, it’ll mean your things are less likely to get damaged, and if they do, they’ll likely be covered by your home insurance.
Make sure you agree with your removal company on how much packing you want them to do. This can range from packing every last item to just packing glass and china.
DIY moving plans
If you’re doing the packing yourself, begin as early as possible. Use suitable boxes that are strong enough to hold your possessions and are roughly the same size, so they can be stacked together easily in a van. Just remember not to overfill your boxes, as you won’t be able to lift them safely.
Decluttering and downsizing
Moving house is a good opportunity to declutter and get rid of all that old stuff you no longer want or need. After all, the less you have to pack, the easier your move will be. And you can have a fresh, clean start in your new home.
Plenty of your old belongings would make great donations for charity shops in your area. Or, if you’re looking to make a few pennies, you could have a car boot sale or sell some things on sites like Vinted or eBay.
For larger household items you don’t need, like cookers, fridges, or furniture, your local council will usually take them away for free or for a small fee. You can also book an appointment to dispose of them safely at your local tip.
Stay secure during a move
When you're moving house, it can be easy to forget about keeping things safe and secure when you have so much else to think about. But there are things you can do to help keep you and your belongings safe.
- To avoid becoming the victim of a crime while you're moving, consider changing the door locks in your new home, fitting locks to windows, and ideally fitting an alarm.
- If there's already an alarm, change the access code. Remember to register your details with the monitoring service if it’s connected to one.
- Also, check that you can trust your estate agent, movers and other tradespeople by checking that they’re members of a professional organisation or association. Use people recommended by friends, or check reviews online on sites like Which? Trusted Trader
- On the day of the move, make sure that your movers secure their van to stop it from being stolen when it's left alone – remember, it’ll be full of everything you own. Make sure they’re able to lock all the van doors and that it won’t be left unattended during any breaks or stops.
What to do if the worst should happen
It’s not a pleasant thought, but if something goes wrong during your move, there are a few things you should do:
- Check your home insurance policy to see if you’re covered while moving. If you are, get in touch with your insurer, and they’ll help take things from there.
- If your things are stolen or you’re the victim of a crime, you’ll need to report it right away by calling 101 or 999. Keep a note of your Crime Reference Number for insurance purposes.
Happy new home
You’ve unpacked the last box, and the removal van is pulling away – but, before you crack open the celebratory champagne, it’s important to give your new address to your home insurer as soon as possible.
If you’re a Churchill customer, you can sign-in and do this online or in the app, there’s no need to call. If you want to be super-organised you can add your new address up to 30 days before you move, and set a start date for when your new address kicks in.
Then, all that’s left for you to do is relax and look forward to the next chapter in your new property.
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