Most guides to removals insurance either skip the detail or bury the reader in policy jargon. This one sits in the middle. If you are preparing for a house move and trying to work out what cover you actually have, what indemnity means, why new-for-old costs more, and which items you need to declare separately, the answers are below in plain language. This guide is written by the team at Alltranz, a Daventry-based removals and haulage firm with full Road Haulage Association membership, an International CPC, and Move Assured accreditation, operating out of our depot at Broad March, Long March Industrial Estate, Daventry. We move household and commercial loads across the UK and into Europe, and the declaration process described below is the one we use on every job.
Why Removals Insurance Matters
Most house moves go without a hitch. A small number do not. A picture frame catches the corner of a door, a heavy box is set down too hard on a polished floor, a lorry meets a pothole and a stack of cartons shifts. The risk is rarely catastrophic. It is almost always small, fixable damage.
Without the right cover in place, the cost of repair or replacement falls on you. With the right cover, the conversation is straightforward. The two main types of goods-in-transit policy a removals firm will quote against, indemnity and new-for-old, decide what "right cover" actually means in pounds.
What Is Indemnity Cover?
Indemnity cover pays the current market value of an item. Depreciation is taken into account. A three-year-old sofa that retailed at £1,200 will not be replaced with a brand-new £1,200 sofa. The payout reflects what that same sofa, three years old and in fair condition, would sell for now.
This is the standard form of cover offered as part of most removal policies. Premiums are lower than new-for-old because the insurer is not on the hook for the full retail price of replacements.
How Indemnity Value Is Calculated
The insurer looks at the original purchase price, age, condition, and current resale value of comparable items. For damaged items, the payout is repair cost or indemnity value, whichever is lower. If an item is destroyed, you receive indemnity value, not the original purchase price.
When Indemnity Cover May Not Be Enough
Indemnity cover works well for solid furniture, kitchen equipment, and white goods that hold their value. It suits older items less well than newer electronics, mattresses, or soft furnishings that depreciate quickly. A four-year-old television may have an indemnity value well below what it would cost to replace, leaving you out of pocket on a straightforward claim.
What Is New-for-Old Cover?
New-for-old cover replaces a damaged item with a modern equivalent of similar specification, regardless of age. The four-year-old television above would be replaced with a current-model television of similar size and features, not its second-hand market value.
This option usually costs more as a policy add-on. The insurer is taking on more risk, so the premium reflects that.
How New-for-Old Value Is Calculated
The insurer calculates what a current equivalent costs to buy new today. For older items with no direct equivalent, the calculation uses the closest current product of similar specification.
When New-for-Old Cover Is Worth Considering
New-for-old cover becomes useful when the contents of your move include items that depreciate quickly or that you would replace immediately if damaged. Households with newer electronics, recent appliances, or modern furniture often see better value from the upgrade option, since indemnity payouts can fall short of replacement cost on anything bought in the last three or four years.
Indemnity vs New-for-Old: A Simple Comparison
What it covers
Indemnity cover: Current market value of the item
New-for-old cover: Cost of a modern equivalent
How payout is calculated
Indemnity cover: Original price minus depreciation
New-for-old cover: Today's price for a like-for-like product
Best suited for
Indemnity cover: Older items, items that hold value, established households
New-for-old cover: Newer items, recently bought electronics and appliances
Typical cost difference
Indemnity cover: Lower premium, often included as standard
New-for-old cover: Higher premium, usually a paid upgrade
What Counts as a High-Value Item?
Most removal policies set a per-item limit on standard cover. Anything above that limit needs to be declared separately. The threshold varies between firms and underwriters, so confirm yours in writing before moving day.
Common categories that often exceed standard per-item limits:
Jewellery and watches - Engagement rings, heirloom pieces, designer watches.
Antiques and fine art - Original paintings, signed prints, sculptures, antique furniture, rare books.
High-spec electronics - Latest-generation televisions, professional cameras, recording equipment, gaming systems with peripherals.
Musical instruments - Pianos, professional-grade guitars, brass and string instruments, anything with a maker's name and a serial number.
Designer items - Couture clothing, designer handbags, limited-edition pieces.
Collectables - Coins, stamps, wines and spirits, vinyl records, sports memorabilia.
Per-item limits on standard cover are often a few thousand pounds. Anything above that figure, declared separately, gets its own line in the policy with its own valuation.
Why Declaring High-Value Items Matters
Declaring is not paperwork for the sake of paperwork. It is the only way an insurer can price the cover correctly and the only way a claim can be paid in full if something happens to that item.
If a high-value item is not declared and is later damaged or lost, the claim may be reduced to the standard per-item limit, or refused entirely. The remover and the insurer cannot cover what they did not know about. A £6,000 painting that was never declared sits on the policy as a single carton of fragile contents worth a fraction of that.
Declaration also changes how the job is run. If we know an item is valuable, we crate it differently, label it differently, load it differently, and assign the right crew to it. Declaration changes the handling before it changes the policy.
Questions to Ask Your Removal Company About Insurance
Before you sign a quote, the answers to these questions should be in writing.
What type of cover do you offer as standard, indemnity or new-for-old, and is new-for-old available as an upgrade?
Is the cover included in the headline price, or is it a separate add-on?
What is the per-item limit on standard cover?
What exclusions apply? Common ones include items packed by the customer, electrical or mechanical breakdown, and pre-existing damage.
How do I make a claim, what is the time limit for notification, and what evidence is needed?
What do I need to declare, by when, and in what format?
A removals firm that cannot answer these clearly is one to think carefully about.
How Alltranz Handles Insurance and Declarations
We use a clear declaration of value process built into the booking from the start. When you book a move with us at Broad March, Long March Industrial Estate in Daventry, we ask you to declare items of high value before moving day, so cover is in place before the lorry arrives at your door. Every declaration goes onto the survey form before the crew is allocated, ensuring that handling protocols match the actual contents of the job. The form is straightforward, the conversation is direct, and the result is a policy that matches what is actually on the lorry.
This process is standard on our domestic house removals and especially important on our international removals, where transit times are longer, handling points are more frequent, and a single missed declaration can mean the difference between a paid claim and a rejected one. Professional handling reduces the chance of needing to claim in the first place. The right declaration makes sure the cover is there if you do.
Services
UK-wide home moves from our Daventry depot, with a declaration of value process built into every booking.
European and worldwide moves where insurance declarations are especially important. One point of contact from survey to delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does my home contents insurance cover a house move?
Some home contents policies include limited cover for goods in transit during a house move, but the cover is often capped, time-limited, and subject to exclusions. Read your policy schedule carefully and check the wording on "removal of contents" or "transit". If the cover does not match the value of your contents, the removals firm's own policy or a separately arranged goods-in-transit policy is the gap-filler.
Q: What happens if I do not declare a high-value item?
If a high-value item is not declared and the worst happens, a claim against the removal policy is likely to be limited to the standard per-item cap, or refused outright on the grounds that the item was not disclosed. Declaration is the mechanism by which the insurer accepts the risk on that specific item at that specific value.
Q: Can I take out separate removals insurance myself?
Yes. Specialist goods-in-transit insurance is available from independent providers, usually as a single-trip policy for the duration of the move. This can sit alongside your removals firm's policy or replace it, depending on your circumstances. If you go this route, check whether the marketplace policy covers crew handling and equipment, since some policies only cover the goods themselves and not the operational side of the move.
Q: What is not covered by a standard removal policy?
Standard removal policies typically exclude items packed by the customer rather than the crew, pre-existing damage present before loading, mechanical or electrical breakdown not caused by the move, and items not listed on the inventory. Perishables, cash, and documents are also commonly excluded. Read the exclusions list before moving day, not after, and ask the firm to clarify anything that is not clear.
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