Moving House? Home Insurance Checks to Make Before You Go

Key things to know

1. Buildings cover should start at exchange of contracts in England and Wales, or the conclusion of missives in Scotland, not on moving day.
2. Selling a home does not pass your policy to the buyer; buildings cover on the old property ends at completion, so give your insurer the completion date.
3. Tell your insurer if the new home will be empty for more than a month, as many set a limit on unoccupied periods, such as 60 days.
4. Contents cover should start the day your possessions are delivered, and transit or storage cover should be confirmed before moving day.
5. Outside the cooling-off period, usually 14 days, ending a policy early may cost a fee, so compare cover for the new home before deciding.

Home insurance will not move house with you. Buildings cover is arranged for one particular property, and contents cover follows your possessions to a particular address, so a change of home needs more than a change of address. Get the dates wrong and you can end up paying for two policies at once, or with no cover at all on a home you have already signed for. Work through this checklist before exchange and again before completion day.

Why Moving House Changes Your Insurance

A move changes the property, the address and the risks your insurer is pricing, so the policy you hold today rarely fits the next home untouched.

• Buildings cover stays behind. Selling a home does not pass your policy on to the buyer. They arrange their own cover, and you must notify your insurer when the sale completes and the property changes hands.
• Contents cover travels with your things. It follows your possessions and your address, not the building, so the details on the policy need updating.
• The risk profile changes. Postcode, property type, security features and whether the home is empty during working hours all shape the terms and the price.
• Renewals do not pause. Most home insurance policies auto-renew, so telling your current provider you are moving helps you avoid paying for two policies at once.

If the split between the two types of cover is new to you, our guide to buildings versus contents insurance sets out which one pays for the bricks and mortar and which one pays for what sits inside them.

Tell Your Insurer at Exchange, Not on Moving Day

In England and Wales, exchange of contracts is the legally binding stage of buying a home. From that point you become legally responsible for the property, including insuring it, even if you do not move in for another fortnight. In Scotland the equivalent point is the conclusion of missives. Waiting until moving day is far too late.

• Arrange buildings cover from exchange. Many mortgage lenders want it in place before they release the loan, and from exchange the risk on the property sits with you.
• Insure the rebuild cost, not the market price. The Association of British Insurers offers a free rebuild cost calculator you can use when arranging cover.
• Give your current insurer early notice. Some providers ask for reasonable notice before a move so they can put the changes in place properly.
• Get written confirmation. Ask which address is insured at each stage, and when any temporary arrangement ends.

Worth doing: If your new home will stand empty for more than a month, tell your insurer before you exchange. Insurers may add special conditions, and many set a limit on how long a home can stay unoccupied, such as 60 days. After that, parts of the cover may no longer apply.

Buildings Cover: Who Insures What and When

Buildings insurance pays for repairs to the structure itself: walls, roof and floors, plus fitted kitchens, bathrooms and anything permanently fixed in place. Who arranges it, and when, depends on your position in the move.

• If you are buying: you arrange the buildings policy yourself. Your solicitor or conveyancer deals with the legal paperwork, but sorting the cover is your job.
• If you are selling: buildings cover on the property you have sold ends at completion. Give your insurer your leaving date so the policy stops when your responsibility for the house does.
• If you are keeping the old property: say so. Standard home insurance is written for a lived-in home, so letting it out or leaving it standing vacant needs a different arrangement.
• If you are renting: the landlord insures the building, and you normally need contents cover alone.

One detail catches buyers out. Some insurers class a property as occupied only once someone is living there as their main home. Dropping in regularly or staying the odd night may not be enough, and until the insurer is satisfied, parts of the cover may be limited.

Contents Cover: What Moves With You and What Does Not

Contents insurance pays to replace the personal belongings you keep indoors, from sofas and televisions to wardrobes and kitchen equipment.

• Set the start date for arrival day. Cover for your possessions should run from the day they are delivered to the new address, whether you are buying or renting.
• Ask about cover in transit. Some policies protect belongings in transit, sometimes only when professional movers are used. Check before moving day rather than after anything goes missing.
• Check belongings in storage. If your things will sit in a warehouse between homes, ask whether items held away from the insured home stay covered, for how long, and against which events. The storage company’s own contract may cap what it accepts responsibility for.
• List high-value items. Jewellery, artwork and similar possessions often need to be listed individually, so go through your list before the move.
• Make an inventory. Photograph delicate and valuable pieces and file the receipts, in case you need to claim for something damaged between addresses.

When Your Current Policy No Longer Fits the New Home

Your existing policy was underwritten for the old property, and the new one may not match. Consider a fresh policy rather than a simple address change if:

• The property differs. A larger rebuild cost, a different construction type or extra rooms all change what the insurer is covering.
• The area differs. Postcode affects the price, and the terms can change with it.
• You plan work on the home. Renovations change the risk, and the insurer needs to know.
• Cancellation costs are small. Outside the cooling-off window, which usually runs 14 days, ending a policy early can attract a fee. Our guide to cancelling insurance early explains how those charges work.
• Loyalty perks are at stake. Some insurers reward staying put with discounts or extras, so weigh what you would give up against what another policy offers.

Comparing Cover for the New Property Before You Commit

Shopping around at the point of moving makes sense, because you are buying cover for a different risk. Run these checks first:

• Compare cover, not just price. Read the policy documents with care, because one policy may exclude what another includes as standard.
• Match like with like. If your current policy bundles buildings and contents together, compare the same combination, and check exactly what level of cover you would be buying.
• Check the sums insured. Cover set below the rebuild cost, or below the true value of your belongings, is a common reason claims payouts fall short. Our explainer on underinsurance shows how shortfalls happen.
• Have the insurer’s questions ready. Expect to be asked about door and window locks, alarm systems, whether anyone is at home in the daytime, and the rebuild cost.
• Keep the renewal in mind. Once the new policy is running, our checklist for renewing home insurance shows what to review each year.

A Moving-Day Insurance Checklist

• Before exchange: buildings cover arranged for the new home, dated from the day of exchange.
• Before completion: contents cover start date set for the day your belongings are delivered.
• Before the vans arrive: transit and storage cover confirmed in writing.
• Before you leave the old home: your current insurer given your leaving date, and the end date for the old buildings cover confirmed.
• On the day: keep insurance documents and contact numbers with you, not packed in a box.
• In the first weeks: when the new documents arrive, compare them with what you agreed, update your contact details, and keep both sets of records in case a question arises about a loss around the move. Chase any post you expect but do not receive.

Start by writing down three dates, exchange, completion and moving day, then contact your insurer with all three in front of you.

Questions answered

When should buildings insurance start on the home I am buying?
From exchange of contracts in England and Wales, or the conclusion of missives in Scotland. You become legally responsible for the property at that point, even before you move in.

Does my contents insurance cover my things while they are in the removal van?
Some policies cover belongings in transit, sometimes only if professional movers are used. Ask your insurer before moving day, and check what the removal firm’s contract covers.

Can I just transfer my current policy to the new address?
Ask your insurer whether the policy can be amended or whether a replacement is needed, because acceptance depends on the new property. Many insurers will carry contents cover over to a new address, though the price may differ.

What happens to my buildings policy when I sell?
Cover on the property you have sold ends at completion. If you are keeping the old home, tell your insurer, because a standard home policy assumes the house is lived in, so a tenanted or vacant property needs separate arrangements.