Germany - Shipment Insurance

It is almost more important to insure your belongings when they are being shipped than to have regular house and contents insurance, as your belongings are more likely to be damaged or lost during shipping. You may be able to extend the policy you have with your present home and contents insurer to cover your goods while in transit. The shipping company you use may also provide insurance cover themselves or through an insurance partner. Make sure that you don't just accept the minimum coverage. If your goods are not insured for their entire value, then it's not worth bothering to insure them at all.

No matter what policy you choose, make yourself aware of the fine print. Shipping company insurance policies often only cover damaged goods if their employees have packed the items. Boxes you pack yourself may not be covered.

If you do know you are moving, a good thing to do is to start taking inventory of all the things you own.  Go room to room, writing down everything that will go with you to your expat destination and then estimate a value.  This is a time consuming and difficult thing to do, so getting a head start is a good idea.  One thing to check with the insurance company is the type of value needed.  Is it replacement value or price paid?