What you're actually covered for — and why the default is rarely enough

Most people booking a removal company spend hours comparing quotes and roughly four minutes thinking about insurance. That's understandable. You're exhausted, the house is half in boxes, and the phrase "goods in transit" barely registers. But the gap between a well-insured move and a poorly-insured one can easily run into thousands of pounds, and it's almost always discovered at the worst possible moment — standing in a new hallway, staring at a cracked mirror.

Here's the key thing to understand before you sign anything: a removal firm's basic liability is not the same as insurance that protects your belongings. Many companies' standard trading conditions limit their liability to a modest amount per item — sometimes as little as £40 per item or per box — unless you agree a higher declared value in writing. That figure is not a mistake or a con. It's a default, and it's your job to move above it.

Liability cover and removal insurance are not the same thing

When a removal firm talks about liability, they usually mean their legal responsibility for items they damage or lose through their own negligence. It's capped, it often excludes anything you packed yourself, and it rarely reflects what your belongings are actually worth.

Removal insurance — sometimes called goods-in-transit cover — is a separate policy that protects the full declared value of your possessions while they're in transit, and usually while they're being loaded, unloaded and stored. It's frequently offered as an optional extra when you book, and it's the one you want.

Ask specifically:

• Is insurance included in this quote, or is it an optional add-on?
• What is the maximum cover per item, and what is the overall policy limit?
• Is the excess per claim or per item?
• Does cover apply while goods are in storage, and for how long?

Get the answers in writing, ideally as a certificate or summary of cover, before the van arrives.

The exclusions that catch most people out

Nearly every removal policy has a list of things it won't pay for, and the list is longer than most people expect. Read it properly. Common exclusions include:

• Items you packed yourself. If a box you packed collapses and smashes what's inside, the firm will usually say the packing, not the handling, was at fault.
• Fragile and high-risk goods such as mirrors, glass, ceramics and unboxed artwork, unless professionally packed.
• Jewellery, cash, watches, documents, stamps and coins — these are often excluded entirely or capped at a very low figure.
• Plants, perishables and pets. Living things are almost never covered.
• Mechanical or electrical derangement — an item that stops working after the move, with no visible damage, is hard to claim for.
• Wear and tear, scratches and minor scuffs on older furniture, plus damage caused by inadequate original packaging.

There are also time limits. Most policies require you to notify damage in writing within a set period — often seven days — and loss within fourteen to twenty-one. Miss the window and a legitimate claim can be refused.

High-value, fragile and sentimental items

Standard policies usually apply a single-item limit, commonly somewhere between £1,000 and £2,500. Anything worth more needs to be declared individually, itemised and often valued. That includes antiques, musical instruments, professional equipment, large televisions and anything with a provable market value.

Photograph these items before the move, keep receipts or valuations, and label the boxes clearly. Sentimental value is not something you can claim for — insurers deal in replacement cost. If an item is genuinely irreplaceable, decide in advance whether it's worth moving yourself in the car.

Two more terms worth understanding: new for old cover replaces a damaged item with a new equivalent, while indemnity cover deducts an amount for age and wear. New for old is better, and it usually costs more.

How to make a claim that actually succeeds

If something does go wrong, your behaviour in the first hour matters more than anything you do later.

• Inspect as items come off the van and note any damage on the delivery paperwork before you sign. Signing "clean" makes a claim much harder.
• Photograph the damage, the packaging and the item from several angles.
• Keep the original packaging — insurers may want to inspect it.
• Don't repair or dispose of anything until the claim is settled, unless you're told to.
• Notify the firm and the insurer in writing within the stated deadline, even if you're still gathering details.

Be precise and unemotional in your correspondence. Dates, item descriptions, values, photographs. A tidy claim gets paid faster.

Five questions to ask before you book

• Is your firm a member of a recognised trade association, and does that membership include a dispute resolution scheme?
• Will you use subcontractors, and am I covered if you do?
• What is your liability limit if I don't take out extra cover?
• What's excluded, and what's the single-item limit?
• How long do I have to report a problem?

None of this is designed to make you anxious. It's simply the difference between hoping everything goes well and knowing you're protected if it doesn't. Read the policy, ask the awkward questions, and put the answers somewhere you can find them on moving day.