Proper planning and getting the necessary help and support for a move are vital to ensuring all goes well. While glitches in any move are not uncommon, major gaffs and problems can be alleviated with proper planning and hiring of professional services to help ensure things go smoothly.
Whether moving with the help of a professional moving company or moving with friends and family help, there are some basic tools that every move should have. Renting or buying dollies, purchasing sturdy moving boxes and renting moving cloths for wrapping fragile furnishings should all be considered a wise investment in protecting items in a move.
Protecting Personal Items During a Move
The good news is there are ways to protect against problems with personal items during a move. Damage to belongings is often the number one risk to a move no matter what the distance is. The best way to protect against losses during a move is through the purchase of moving insurance.
When using a professional moving company, there are options for property protection that are often built-in to the cost of the move. However, many of these protections fall short of covering actual replacement cost for things that get damaged or destroyed. That is why buying an extra insurance policy is advisable.
A separate insurance policy for moving is also a good option for people who are self-moving. While most people who are self-moving are careful with their items, things can get damaged in the truck because of weather and road conditions.
Moving insurance protects items in the moving truck while it is being transported and sometimes while it is in storage. This is an important insurance policy that offers extra protection so that items in storage are protected against damage from temperature or potential rodent or insect infestation or movement from the storage facility.
Protecting Against Damage and Loss
When using a mover, it is important to understand that the insurance coverage they often provide is limited. Much of this will directly depend on the policy coverage the carrier holds or the one the customer chooses from the moving company. Most moving companies offer add on insurance benefits to protect personal items during a move. However. many of these policies fail to cover certain items in the move or certain circumstances that cause damage.
If the mover offers full value protection coverage and an item is lost or damaged in the move, the policy usually offers the property owner of the item or items to get coverage to:
• Have the Item Repaired
• Have the Item Replaced with one of Similar Amenities
• Offer cash to the property item’s owner for either the repair or replacement cost of the item or items.
This coverage is only intact if the person has secured this type of comprehensive policy that some movers offer. However, even their best policies fall short of comprehensive protections in many ways. If the value of the item is higher than the insurance policy will pay because, it was not itemized properly, age or assumed condition, the personal value will be reduced.
Many mover insurance policies do not cover:
• Acts of God- Such as Natural Disasters
• Self-Packed Boxes
• Failure to Properly Report Items Missing or Damaged in a Timely Way
• Having Caustic or Perishable Items Packed that Caused Damage to Other Items Without the Movers Knowledge
• Failure to Properly Report Items of Extraordinary Value to the Mover
Acts of God- Such as Natural Disasters-When it comes to acts of God it can be anything such as blizzards, tornadoes, flooding, flash flood, fire, hurricane or hail just to name a few. With many moving companies, there are clauses to protect against their liability for this type of damage.
Self-Packed Boxes- This can be a concern for people who handle the packing of their own boxes. The moving company will usually limit their liability for things they did not prepare or box for the move. This is one of those areas where the liability for the mover is very limited.
Failure to Properly Report Items Missing or Damaged in a Timely Way-This can be a significant problem. Moving companies and their insurance carriers will not allow an unending liability for objects during a move. If an item is in a box that goes unpacked for months, the liability by the mover will be limited at best. In some cases, the claim may be completely denied.
Having Items Packed that Caused Damage to Other Items Without the Movers Knowledge- This can be a significant problem if the owner of the items has paint or chemicals or perishable items packed that they fail to let the mover be aware of. If these items permeate into boxes or on furnishings, liability by the mover or their insurance is usually limited. In most cases such as this, the liability will be on the owner of the items or furnishings and not the movers. This is important to understand.
Insurance companies and movers will state they cannot be liable because the movers were unaware of this risk and could not, therefore, plan accordingly. In many cases, these types of items are banned from being moved in the main moving truck because of liability concerns.
Failure to Properly Report Items of Extraordinary Value to the Mover- This is an important concern that is also relative to the owner of the item not making proper disclosures. In most cases, items of extraordinary value should be moved separately. If this is not possible, notifying the mover in writing about the items and working extensively with the movers is essential to securing insurance coverage. However, even providing them with proper information, may be insufficient to get full coverage restitution. This is when an extra insurance policy should be purchased to make sure these items are covered at the right value during the move.
Buying a Separate Moving Insurance Policy
The benefits of buying separate insurance policies for moving are many. This is a relatively lower cost policy that is usually worth the cost. The policy is specifically geared towards complete coverage even for “Acts of God” and self-packed boxes.
One of the most common items that can be damaged during a move is electronics. Computers are notorious for becoming damaged during a move because of the sensitive nature of electronic components. Plasma televisions are another item that is widely known to be problematic to secure during a move. A good moving policy of insurance will cover these items even if the damage is not noticeable on the outside.
It is important to understand that homeowner’s insurance policies and renter insurance policies do not typically cover items in a move. Policyholders for either type of policy should verify with their carrier to find out what their policy covers. Often the items are only covered while they are in the home or apartment unit. Buying a good supplemental insurance policy for a move can put property owners at ease, so they know the most important items they have are completely and comprehensively protected.
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