Students and people undertaking small removals are very likely to want to pack themselves.

Whereas self packing will save money, it muddies the water as far as both insurers and removers are concerned. Spurious claims, poorly defined responsibility (e.g you packed it badly), and the high administrative cost of 'adjusting' claims for small amounts, all mitigate against good value for the customer. Policies are so diluted by exclusion and excess clauses, that they are usually ineffective against breakages.

You should however, insure your property - against theft, and complete loss or destruction. Moreover you should take a policy independent of a removal company's cover (talk to a student insurance specialist). I will go further: If a remover insists you buy insurance from them find another company...

Why? - Consider this: if a removal company is acting as an agent for an insurer, he cannot allow his business to become a funnel for claims. the remover will himself look a bad risk and be uninsurable. Not only that, but the remover will be contractually obliged not to admit liability on behalf of the insurer (like in motor insurance). The removal company may thus be an impediment to your claim. That is not to say that removers are not themselves covered by their own insurance:- as a minimum they will have public liability cover.

Protect yourself with an independent policy in your name.

Your money is well spent on proper packaging and packing. Most breakages are the result of a lack of, or inadequate preparation. If you take the all too common view that your mover should just pick an item up and load it on a van, you will become another statistic. When you have agreed a collection and delivery type of arrangement (rather than a packing service), then the mover will have no further responsibility beyond loading your property as it is presented to him.

So,to help start you thinking about packing for any move that you might be planning:- Here are a few common examples of shocking packing:

Kitchen crockery and glass piled up in an open avocado box - rattle shake and break!

Stereos and computers covered by bin liners