The Moving Insurance Story Every Seller Should Hear Before Packing
This is a story every seller should hear before packing a single box, especially if you're planning to move yourself. It involves a real family, a rental truck, three deer, and an insurance lesson that could save you thousands of dollars.
A Flipped Truck and an Insurance Gap
We recently closed on a home for a wonderful Wilmington family who was relocating across the country. It was bittersweet. Honestly, who leaves Wilmington? But life calls, and we wish them the best.
They got quotes from professional movers and decided, like a lot of people do, to save money and handle the move themselves. They rented a large U-Haul, loaded everything they owned and hit the road. Somewhere along the highway, three deer came out of nowhere. The truck swerved and flipped.
Everyone was okay, and that's what matters most.
Here's where it got financially painful. At the counter, they had bought the extra coverage for the truck itself, the protection for damage to the vehicle. Smart move, and the truck damage was covered. But their belongings, everything packed inside, were not covered. Furniture, electronics, clothing, keepsakes: all of it was sitting in a flipped truck with no contents coverage.
The Silver Lining Most People Don't Know About
Because the sale of their house had not yet closed and recorded when the accident happened, the home was still legally theirs. And their homeowner's policy included coverage for personal property that wasn't at the home. That off-premises coverage was limited to a percentage of their contents coverage, but it still made a real difference. They were still working through the claim when I shared this story, and that one policy detail saved them a significant amount of money.
Before you move, especially if you're doing it yourself, call and ask: (1) Does my homeowner's policy cover my belongings while they're in transit? (2) How much of my contents coverage applies away from the home? Off-premises coverage is often limited to a percentage of your contents coverage, so check your policy.
You may have more protection than you think, but only if you know to ask.
This isn't meant to scare anyone away from a DIY move. Plenty of people do it successfully. It is meant to get you on the phone with your insurance agent before you load a single box. The call costs you a few minutes. Finding out after an accident that you had no coverage could be devastating.
What to Check Before Moving Day
1. Call your homeowner's insurance agent first
Ask specifically about off-premises personal property coverage: whether it applies to belongings in a moving truck, how much of your contents coverage it includes, and whether it still applies after your sale closes.
2. Look closely at the rental company's options
Rental truck companies offer protection packages, and damage coverage for the truck is often separate from coverage for your cargo. The cargo piece is the one people skip. Don't skip it without knowing what it covers and up to what limit.
3. Ask about a separate moving policy
Standalone moving insurance for household goods in transit is available. It can be worth it for high-value items like artwork, antiques, electronics or jewelry that other coverage may not fully protect.
4. Document everything before you load
Take a video walkthrough of everything going into the truck and write down serial numbers for electronics. If you ever need to file a claim, the adjuster will want proof of what you had and what condition it was in.
5. Coordinate your closing with your move
As this family found out, the timing of your closing relative to your move can affect your coverage. Talk with your insurance agent and your real estate team about how to line up your closing date and moving date. That's the kind of detail we help sellers think through; we don't just hand over the keys and walk away. Learn more about how I help sellers.
Or Hire the Pros
If you'd rather skip the insurance questions altogether, hire professional movers, who carry their own liability coverage. Personally, I use Jason and his team at Coastal Movers for everything. I'm not risking my back to save a few hundred dollars, and I'm grateful to be able to pay for that peace of mind. If you can too, it's worth it.
Plan Smart, Move Smart
The family in this story did a lot right. They planned, they compared quotes, they insured the truck. One gap in what they knew is what cost them. Real estate works the same way: small gaps can turn into expensive lessons. That's why I share stories like this one.
If you're getting ready to sell and want help thinking through the whole plan, from pricing to closing day to the move, call or text me at (910) 395-1000, or see what your home is worth. You can find more seller stories on our blog.
