What about the contents insurance in case of temporary storage?
Is your new house not ready yet, but do you have to leave your current home? Or do you have no room in your house for your furniture while you are doing odd jobs? Then of course you can store them in a temporary storage facility. But what if something happens to your belongings while they are in storage? Are your belongings in temporary storage insured under your home contents insurance?
Temporary storage: what is covered in case of fire, theft or damage?
In many cases, items in temporary storage are covered by your own home contents insurance. However, this can differ per insurance company. Each insurance company has its own conditions. It is therefore important that you always look carefully at the policy conditions to see what your home contents insurance will pay out if your belongings are damaged or stolen while in temporary storage.
Most home contents insurers insure your belongings for water damage, fire damage and theft damage. This is all covered under the basic coverage of your household insurance.
How long are my belongings insured in temporary storage?
How long your household effects are insured in temporary storage differs per insurer. There can be big differences between insurers. At Centraal Beheer your belongings are insured for a maximum of 2 years, while at OHRA it is one year. At Inshared your belongings are insured for a maximum of 9 months, at Nationale Nederlanden only for 3 months. There are considerable differences in this respect. If the renovation of your house will take 6 months, it is not practical if your belongings are only insured for 3 months. Therefore, always check with your insurance company how long your possessions are covered when they are in temporary storage.
AutomAutomated household insurance for temporary storage?
Also check the terms and conditions of the storage company where your belongings are stored. Some storage companies automatically take out insurance for you when you rent a storage unit. The cost of this is often already included in the rent. There are also storage companies that require you to prove that your home contents insurance meets their requirements. Is this not the case? They can often provide you with temporary household insurance.
Temporary storage checklist
- Check what exactly your home contents insurance covers in the event of temporary storage. What kind of damage are you insured for when your belongings are in temporary storage?
- Check whether you need any additional cover, such as outdoor cover. Some insurers want you to take out extra cover to be insured when your belongings are in temporary storage. However, with most insurers it will fall under the basic coverage of your home contents insurance.
- Make sure your household contents are insured for the right value. This prevents you from being underinsured in the event of damage or theft.
- Check the maximum period for which your household effects are insured. There are sometimes major differences between insurers in this respect. Therefore, please check well in advance how this is regulated by your insurer to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- Check if there are any other conditions that the temporary storage must meet according to your insurer. For example, some insurers have included in their terms and conditions that the storage facility must have preventive facilities, such as controlled access that you can only get through with an access card.
Are youmoving your belongings to your new address? Make sure to notify your new address to your home insurance company!
Don't have household contents insurance yet? Take out one through Alpina\.nl!
Home contents insurance is one of the most important home insurances there is. Make sure your household contents are always properly insured, even when they are in temporary storage. With our online comparison tool, you can easily compare different home contents insurances. Have you found the right home contents insurance for the best terms? Then you can take out the insurance quickly and easily!
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