Home removers reveal £30k hidden cash, family cats and a watch worth £5,000 are just some of the things misplaced during the move

• 39% of people found unexpected items in their new home after moving
• 20% of Brits confess to taking items from their old home that they should have left for the new occupants
• Removal team expert recalls finding £30,000 of cash hidden in a wardrobe
• A cat, aircraft chassis, bottles of expensive whiskey, children’s teeth and used nappies amongst more unusual items found by new homeowners

Admiral home insurance has teamed up with a panel of removal team experts with over 50 years of experience between them to share their stories, tips and tricks to help homeowners enjoy a hassle-free house move and reduce the risk of unnecessary mishaps.

Admiral asked the panel of experts for their advice after its latest investigation revealed that almost half (47%) of homeowners in the UK have lost or misplaced something while moving home. More than one in five people (21%) admitted to losing something with a high price tag, with the average cost of items that go missing during the home moving process around £410, while some people have lost items worth more than £1,000 (3%).

Meanwhile, 12% of Brits say they have misplaced items with more sentimental value while moving home.

Most misplaced items during the move

While books (19%), photographs (19%), jewellery (18%), pictures (17%) and DIY equipment (16%) were the most common items to get lost during the home moving process, the panel of home removal experts highlighted some other commonly misplaced items for homeowners to keep an eye out for when moving home.

One Wolverhampton-based expert from removal company, Burke Bros, says: “From our experience, some of the most common things that people forget or leave behind during a move are mirrors, wall clocks or photographs. People often leave them behind because they’re so used to seeing them on their wall, it doesn’t occur to them to take them down!

“Documents are also often misplaced during the move. There’s been countless times when customers have packed their passports and driving licences into boxes that have gone into storage. This is a real problem when customers are moving internationally. We’ve had customers put their ID into boxes which have been packed into shipping containers and are on the water before the customer has realised what they’ve done.”

Another expert from Clockworks Removals, in Scotland, added: “Bolts and screws for flat pack furniture are easily the things that get lost most often, which can be tricky if furniture needs to be dismantled and assembled on the moving day – they’re very important. TV remotes and phone chargers are other items that often go walk-about during the move.”