The three layers, and where the gap usually is
Understanding which layer does what takes ten minutes and is the difference between a claim and a conversation.
| Layer | Who holds it | What it actually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Home contents insurance | You | Your possessions at your address. Cover in transit is frequently excluded or heavily conditional |
| Goods in transit | The removal firm | Loss or damage during loading, transport and unloading, subject to per-item and per-load caps |
| Public liability | The removal firm | Damage to property and injury to people, not to your belongings |
| Unoccupied property cover | You | The days a property stands empty. The layer almost everyone forgets |
| Storage cover | Usually separate | Contents policies rarely cover goods stored away from the home |
For a business move the emphasis shifts, because public liability and the building manager’s own requirements often matter more than contents cover does. How that works in practice is set out on our commercial removals in Edinburgh page.
Note what public liability is not. It covers a scratched banister or a cracked window, not the contents of a dropped box. People routinely see a public liability certificate and believe their possessions are covered. They are two different policies doing two different jobs.
Goods in transit: the caps are the point
Set that against the value of what is actually in the van. Industry guidance suggests a typical three-bedroom household’s total contents replacement value often lands somewhere in the £30,000 to £60,000 range once furniture, appliances, electronics and the loft are added up.
Two consequences follow, and neither is a criticism of removal firms. They are a consequence of how the cover is structured.
- A per-item cap is not a valuation. If a £900 television is capped at £50, the cap applies regardless of what the television cost. The firm is not undervaluing it, the policy simply has a ceiling.
- A total load cap can sit below your contents value. Where a cap is set toward the lower end of that range and your household is toward the upper end of the contents range, the arithmetic does not work in your favour.
The remedy is not to hunt for a firm with unlimited cover, because that firm does not exist. It is to declare the total value honestly at quote stage and to itemise anything unusual in writing beforehand. Declared items can be covered at a higher limit. Undeclared ones cannot.
Thinking about your own move?
Send us both addresses and your date. You will get a fixed written quote, usually within one working day, and an honest answer about whether your date is a busy one.
The owner-packed exclusion
This is the single most common gap between what people assume and what applies, and it becomes relevant the moment you decide to save money by packing the kitchen yourself.
It does not mean self-packing is a mistake. It means the risk moves to you, and you should price that consciously rather than discover it afterwards:
- Pack the ordinary things yourself. Books, clothes, linens and everyday crockery carry a replacement cost you can absorb.
- Have the irreplaceable things packed professionally, because that is what changes their status under most cover arrangements.
- If you do pack fragile items yourself, pack them properly. The method matters and it is not complicated, which is why we set out how to go about packing plates and glassware in full.
- Ask the specific question. Not “am I covered” but “what is your liability for the contents of a box I packed myself”.
What your home contents policy probably does not do
That last condition matters more than it looks. Guidance repeatedly notes that DIY moves with friends and family, and informal arrangements, are often excluded from home contents cover entirely. So the cheapest way to move is also frequently the least covered.
Four questions worth putting to your insurer before moving day. Ten minutes on the phone is genuinely worth more than anything else on this page:
- Does my policy cover contents in transit during a house move, and under what conditions?
- Does it require a professional or accredited removal contractor?
- Am I covered at both addresses on the day, and for how long either side?
- Is it new for old, or does it apply depreciation?
That last question decides what a settlement actually looks like. New for old replaces at current retail price. Indemnity cover deducts for age and wear, which on a ten-year-old sofa is most of its value.
The empty property nobody insures
This is the layer that gets missed because it is nobody’s obvious job. Your removal firm is not involved, your contents insurer is thinking about contents, and your solicitor is thinking about the transaction.
- Buildings cover on the new property should be live from the date of entry, not from the day you unpack.
- Tell your insurer if either property will stand empty, and for how long. Unoccupancy clauses are common and they can suspend or restrict cover after a set number of days.
- If your dates do not meet and belongings go into store, ask specifically about storage cover, because contents policies rarely extend to goods held away from the home. Where storage is quoted as part of the move, ask what cover applies during the stored period.
Where a sale and purchase do not line up, handling it as one job usually simplifies the cover position as well as the logistics. That is how removals and storage in Edinburgh is quoted, so there is one firm and one arrangement rather than a handover between two.
How to check a firm’s cover properly
What to ask for and what to look at:
| Ask | What you are checking |
|---|---|
| The goods in transit certificate | That it exists, and the total limit |
| The public liability certificate | Separate document, separate purpose |
| The name on the policy | That it matches the firm you are paying, not a subcontractor |
| The per-item limit | Usually the number that matters most in practice |
| The owner-packed position | In writing, before you decide what to pack |
| The excess | A low excess on a low cap can make small claims pointless |
Trade body membership is a useful shortcut here. Firms accredited by the British Association of Removers are required to meet minimum standards for goods in transit and public liability cover, and membership brings access to a dispute resolution scheme. Membership is worth asking about and easy to verify directly with the association rather than taking on trust.
One practical warning sign. If a quote is markedly cheaper than everything else, cover is one of the places that saving can come from. What actually drives a legitimate quote is set out in our guide to removal company prices in Edinburgh.
What is usually excluded, whatever you buy
- Cash, jewellery, documents and anything similarly portable. These should travel with you, in a bag, not in the van.
- Items you packed yourself, or their contents, as above.
- Pre-existing damage, including furniture that was already loose or repaired.
- Anything undeclared and unusually valuable. Declaration in writing is the mechanism that brings it inside cover.
- Mechanical or electrical failure where there is no external damage, since a fridge that stops working is not obviously a transit claim.
- Self-assembly furniture that has been dismantled and rebuilt, which many policies treat as inherently fragile.
When extra cover is not worth buying
- If your contents are genuinely replaceable, and nothing individually exceeds the per-item cap by much, the standard position may be fine.
- If your existing contents policy already covers professional removals properly, you may be buying the same protection twice. Check before you buy.
- If the excess is close to the value of anything likely to break, a claim would not be worth making anyway.
- If you are moving a studio flat or a few items, the arithmetic rarely justifies enhanced cover.
What is always worth doing, regardless: declaring high-value items in writing, and having anything irreplaceable packed by the people who are carrying it.
Common questions about removals insurance
Do removal companies have insurance?
Reputable ones carry goods in transit cover for your belongings and public liability cover for property and people. The two are separate policies doing different jobs, and a public liability certificate on its own tells you nothing about whether your possessions are covered. Ask for both before booking.
Does home contents insurance cover moving house?
Frequently not, or only under conditions. Published guidance is consistent that standard contents policies often exclude professional removals, and that where transit cover exists it may require an accredited professional firm. DIY moves and informal arrangements are commonly excluded outright. Ring your insurer and ask specifically.
What is goods in transit insurance?
The policy your removal firm holds covering loss or damage to your belongings during loading, transport and unloading. It is subject to caps, commonly cited at around £40 to £50 per item and a total limit per load, and it typically excludes the contents of boxes you packed yourself.
Am I covered if I pack the boxes myself?
Usually only in a limited way. Because nobody from the firm saw how the contents were wrapped, cover for the contents of owner-packed boxes is commonly restricted or excluded. Self-packing is still sensible for everyday items, but it moves the risk on fragile and valuable things to you.
Do I need separate insurance if my belongings go into storage?
Probably. Contents policies rarely cover goods stored away from the home, and transit cover applies while goods are being handled or moved rather than while they sit in a container. Ask what cover applies during the stored period specifically.
What does BAR membership mean for insurance?
Firms accredited by the British Association of Removers must meet minimum standards for goods in transit and public liability cover, and membership provides access to a dispute resolution scheme. It is a useful shortcut rather than a guarantee of any particular limit, and membership can be verified with the association directly.
Before you book
Ask your insurer whether your contents policy covers a professional removal. Ask the removal firm for both certificates, the per-item limit and their owner-packed position in writing. Declare anything unusually valuable. Those three steps take under half an hour and close nearly every gap on this page.
More practical guides to moving in and around this city are collected in our Edinburgh moving guides.
This article describes how removals cover is commonly structured in the UK, drawing on published industry and insurer guidance reviewed on 3 August 2026. Limits, exclusions and conditions vary between firms and policies. It is general information rather than insurance advice; confirm the position with your own insurer and your removal firm before moving day.
