How does home insurance for moving houses work?
If you're moving to a new home, you'll be glad to know you can protect your belongings as you take them from one place to the next.
These are the three main types of cover available:
- Contents in transit. Transit insurance will cover your personal belongings while you're moving them from your old home to the new one, protecting you if your contents are destroyed by fire or traffic collision on their way to your new home.
- Accidental damage to contents in transit. This extends contents in transit cover to include protection against accidental damage while you're taking them to the new home (for example, accidentally dropping your TV out of the truck).
- Cover while you move. If you already have contents insurance, it may offer this type of cover that's perfect for your move. It protects your personal belongings in both of the homes until you're finished moving.
When it comes time to move houses, it's worth checking if your policy already covers any of the above. If it doesn't, you can likely call your insurer and get this cover temporarily added to your policy for a small fee.
"Moving home is both an exciting and stressful experience, and with so much to manage, it’s easy to overlook insurance. Many people mistakenly believe that all removalists have insurance to cover their belongings during a move. However, this isn’t always the case and can lead to a false sense of security. We strongly advise that anyone moving enquires about specific Goods in Transit Insurance (also known as Moving Insurance) so they’re covered for all eventualities."
Moving house? Here's how different insurers cover this
This cover is available in a few different ways. It's important to understand what each of them means and what limits apply. For details on exactly how your insurer covers these benefits, you should always read the product disclosure statement (PDS).
Do you have to change your home insurance if you move into a new home?
Most insurers will naturally operate in many places around Australia, so you usually won't need to switch if you don't want to. However, you will need to notify your insurer that you're moving and it will need to agree to insure your new place.
Some insurers can help make your transition smoother by covering both of the homes and your contents while you're moving. If your existing policy offers this, it might be worth it to stick with that until the move is over. It gives you one less thing to think about and there's not much downside since you can cancel your home insurance policy at any time if you find a better deal after the move.
After all, the cover with the most value for money at your old address might not be ideal for your new address.
What if I'm moving overseas?
Most Australian home insurance policies only cover your move if it's to another Australian address. If you need to insure your belongings while they're being shipped overseas, you'll need to get your insurance through your overseas removalist or an insurer that specialises in overseas moving insurance.
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