Start with one written timeline
Contact your insurer once your sale, purchase and moving dates are reasonably clear, and before you pack or put anything into storage. Give them both addresses, the settlement dates, the day the movers arrive and any gap between homes. Include who will occupy each property and whether either home will be empty.
Ask the insurer to confirm the arrangement in writing. Consumer Protection advises checking the policy wording, including what is covered, what is excluded and what you must tell the insurer. Your own policy and the insurer's written answer matter more than a general moving rule.
House cover belongs to the property, not the moving van
Do not assume an existing house policy follows you automatically. Confirm when cover starts on the home you are buying and when it ends on the home you are selling. The insurer confirms cover, the lender may require it, and your lawyer confirms the contractual dates and responsibilities. Keep those answers separate.
Natural-hazard cover also depends on the private policy. NHC Toka Tū Ake says NHCover generally applies where a residential building has a current private insurance policy that includes fire cover. Ask your private insurer to confirm how that works for each address and date.
Check the journey, not just each address
Ask whether contents are covered during packing, loading, transit, unloading and any overnight stop. Check whether self-packed boxes, fragile items and valuables are treated differently. A contents policy, separate transit cover and a mover's liability are three different things.
Read the mover's written terms before accepting the quote. Consumer Protection explains that carrier liability depends on the type of carriage contract and recommends discussing insurance for valuable goods. Photograph important items before packing, keep the inventory, and note the deadlines for reporting damage.
Treat temporary storage as a separate address
Tell your insurer before anything enters a storage unit. Confirm the facility address, dates, security requirements, exclusions, maximum cover, valuables limits and whether the trips into and out of storage are included.
If the storage company offers cover, compare its document with your contents policy. Neither should be assumed to protect every item. Our self-storage insurance and inventory guide gives you a practical room-by-room record to take into that conversation.
An empty home can change the risk straight away
Check the policy's unoccupied-home conditions before moving out. Do not rely on a commonly quoted number of days. Your wording may define when a home becomes unoccupied and may require notice, regular inspections, secure locks or other precautions.
If settlement is delayed, tenants leave early or you move out sooner than planned, update the insurer immediately. Use the vacant and unoccupied home guide to record inspection and security questions while the house is waiting for settlement.
Budget for a planned accommodation gap
Do not assume a temporary-accommodation benefit pays for a planned gap between selling and buying. Check the event that triggers the benefit, who is covered, its limits and whether approval is needed. Unless the insurer confirms otherwise, put ordinary accommodation, storage and double-moving costs into your moving budget.
Your moving-insurance call checklist
- When does cover end at the home being sold?
- When does cover begin at the home being bought or rented?
- Are both homes covered if dates overlap?
- Are contents covered while being packed, moved and unloaded?
- Does self-packing change transit cover?
- Are items covered in a storage unit, and for how long?
- What unoccupied-home rules apply?
- Do high-value items need to be listed separately?
- Should house and contents sums insured change at the new address?
- Does the vehicle insurer need the new garaging address?
- What proof of ownership or inventory would help with a claim?
- Can the insurer confirm the agreed dates and cover in writing?
Read the new schedule before filing it away
Check the address, start date, house sum insured, contents total, specified valuables, security details and occupancy. Update the vehicle garaging address too. Take a room-by-room photo inventory and keep receipts or valuations for important items. If anything differs from what you agreed, ask for a corrected schedule.
Plan the whole move
Put insurance beside storage, accommodation and moving costs.
Use the moving-cost guide and private Selling Plan to record the dates, questions and budget items that still need confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Should I cancel insurance on settlement day?
Only after your insurer and lawyer have confirmed the correct end date for your circumstances. Cancelling too early can create a gap; cancelling too late may mean paying for unnecessary overlap.
Does a moving company automatically insure everything?
No. The mover's liability depends on its written carriage contract, while your contents or transit cover has separate terms. Check both before the move.
Are belongings covered in self-storage?
Not always. Tell your insurer before storage begins and ask whether existing cover continues or separate short-term cover is needed.
Will temporary accommodation be covered between homes?
Do not assume so. Temporary-accommodation benefits commonly respond to an insured event, not an ordinary timing gap. Confirm your policy and budget separately for a planned gap.
Official sources
Reviewed 15 August 2026. Policy terms vary; your insurer's current written policy and confirmation control your cover.
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