Moving house in NZ: an insurance checklist for before moving day

Before moving day: give the insurer a clear timeline

If you are moving house, tell your insurer before the move and ask what needs to change on your house and contents policies. ICNZ lists moving house and putting contents in storage among the changes that may need to be disclosed. A new address on a bill is not proof that an insurance policy has moved with you.

Write down the old and new addresses, the date you leave one property and the date you take possession of the other. If those dates differ, ask what applies at each location during the gap. For a house you own, identify who is arranging cover for each property and the date you need it to start. Renters can focus on their contents and any liability terms in their policy. Do not assume both addresses are covered at once.

Check belongings while they are being moved

Ask whether your contents policy covers items while you, friends or a moving company carry them between addresses. Find out whether packing, breakage, theft, vehicle loading or overnight stops have different rules. Get the answer against the current policy wording rather than a general description of “contents cover”.

If you hire a mover, read the mover's written terms as well. Consumer Protection warns that loss or damage during a house move may not otherwise be insured. A carrier's liability terms and your own insurance are separate questions; neither should be assumed to fill every gap in the other.

Ask about a storage unit or temporary address

A few days between homes can turn into weeks of stored boxes. Tell the insurer where items will be stored, for how long and whether the space is shared or self-storage. Ask which items and events the policy covers there, whether a different limit applies, and what evidence the insurer would need after a loss. ICNZ's disclosure guide specifically mentions contents in storage.

Separate valuable items from ordinary boxes when asking. A contents policy may have item or category limits; ICNZ's contents checklist suggests checking the address, significant new purchases and limits for items such as jewellery, cycles and artworks. Whether your own items need to be specified depends on your policy.

Keep a short move file

Save the current policy schedule and wording, the insurer's response, any revised documents and the mover's terms together. Note who answered your questions and when. Take a few photographs of valuable or fragile belongings before packing, then keep receipts or other genuine records where available. Our home contents inventory guide shows how to organise those records without treating a list as a promise of cover.

After the move, compare the updated documents with the agreed dates and address. If an answer is missing, ask again. A policy change should be confirmed through the insurer's actual documents, not inferred from a conversation.

What should you ask next?

• On which dates and at which addresses do my house and contents policies apply?
• What happens to belongings in transit, in a mover's care or in temporary storage?
• Do any item limits, excesses or exclusions change during the move?
• Which updated schedule or endorsement will confirm the change?

These questions help you prepare; the answer comes from the insurer and your policy. If you want to discuss your wider personal insurance arrangements, contact James with the move dates and a brief outline. Keep addresses linked to sensitive financial documents and policy numbers out of the initial web enquiry.