What Happens to Your Insurance Cover When You Move House in Nigeria?

Moving house in Nigeria is exciting, but it is also one of the most exposed moments for what you own. Items are wrapped in a hurry, loaded onto a truck, carried through traffic and unpacked in a place you do not yet know well. Yet many people never ask what happens to their insurance during all this.

The short answer: your cover is tied to what you insured and where. When either changes, you should tell your underwriter.

Why moving is a risk moment

A few things go wrong more often during a move than at any other time:

• Breakages: TVs, screens, glassware and appliances get knocked about.
• Theft and loss: boxes go missing, and movers or helpers have access to everything.
• Road accidents: a loaded truck on a busy road faces the same dangers as any vehicle.
• Damp and weather: a rainy-season move can soak furniture and electronics left uncovered.
• Gaps in cover: the old address is empty and the new one is not yet set up.

None of this means moving is unsafe. It means you should plan for it.

Tell your underwriter before you move, not after

Contents cover is usually written for a specific address. The risks at a new place can be quite different: a different area, a different building type, different security, a different flood exposure. Underwriters price and accept risk based on those details.

If you move without saying anything, you may find that your cover does not respond the way you expect when something goes wrong. Wording differs between policies, so do not guess. Ask before moving day:

• Does my cover transfer to the new address, and from what date?
• Is there any overlap period while I am moving between two places?
• Will my premium change because of the new location?
• Are my items covered while they are in transit?

If you have a vault with VaultCova, you can raise this with Cova, and the arrangement will be confirmed with the licensed underwriters who carry the risk. Cover is provided by those underwriters, so the final terms always come from them.

Are your items covered in the truck?

This is the question people forget. Standard contents cover often focuses on your belongings at the insured address. Whether goods are protected while being moved depends on the policy wording. Some policies include limited transit protection, some need an extension, and some do not cover removals at all.

Also check who is doing the move. A professional removal company may carry its own liability cover, but that is often limited and may not pay the full replacement value of your items. A friend with a pickup truck will have no such cover at all.

For your most valuable or fragile items, such as a TV, laptop, camera or jewellery, consider carrying them yourself in your own vehicle rather than putting them on the truck. If you have insured them individually, confirm that this cover applies away from home. Our guide to all-risks cover explains how that kind of protection usually works and where it stops.

Update your values and your address

Moving is the perfect time to refresh your records. A weaker naira and rising replacement costs mean that what you bought a few years ago may cost much more to replace today. If your sum insured is too low, the average clause can reduce your payout. Read more in the average clause explained.

Before you pack:

• Go through your vault and remove items you are selling, giving away or throwing out.
• Add anything new you bought for the new home.
• Refresh values using replacement value, not what you paid or what you could sell the item for.
• Update the address on your records.

If it has been a while, how often to update the value of what you own is a useful read.

Photograph everything before it goes in a box

The best proof of condition is a photo taken just before the move. If a screen arrives cracked, you will want to show it was fine at the old house.

• Take clear photos of each valuable item, including serial numbers and model labels.
• Keep receipts and warranty cards together in one folder, digital if possible.
• Note any existing scratches or damage so there is no dispute later.

Our guide on how to photograph and document your valuables walks through this step by step. If you ever need to claim, you will need proof of ownership and value, and for theft a police report.

Check the new place before you unpack

Once you arrive, look at the new risks:

• Is the area prone to flooding? See our guide on flooding in Nigeria.
• How is the power supply, and will you rely on a generator? Surges can damage electronics.
• Are there working locks, gates and lighting?
• If you are renting, read insuring your belongings as a tenant, because the landlord's insurance, if any, will not cover your things.

If you are moving from renting to owning, you may also need to think about the structure itself. Buildings vs contents insurance explains the difference.

A simple moving checklist

• Contact your underwriter or Cova at least a week before the move.
• Confirm the new address and any change in premium.
• Ask about transit cover.
• Update values and remove items you no longer own.
• Photograph valuables before packing.
• Carry the most valuable items yourself.
• Report any damage or loss quickly, with your documents ready.

If you take out new cover for your new address, remember there is a 14-day cooling-off period with a pro-rata refund if you change your mind.

Start with your vault

A well-kept vault makes moving much easier, because you already know what you own and what it is worth. If you have not started one, logging your items is free, and you can insure when you are ready. Talk to Cova about your move and we will help you work out what to update.