Type of cover
- Extended: fire, storm, water, burglary
- Comprehensive: including your own mishaps while doing DIY
- Note the definition of storm and rainfall
- The exclusions are the same in both forms
Conditions · sum insured · exclusions
Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): what to look out for?
Anyone searching for the Consumentenbond and buildings insurance is usually looking for an independent comparison. We are advisers and not a testing organisation, but we can show where policies really differ from one another.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Opstalverzekering vergelijken: waar let u op?.
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The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert.nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out your own premium with the calculator.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Comparisons by the Consumentenbond or other independent bodies rarely look at the premium alone. They weigh the conditions: which events are covered, which limits apply, how high the excess is and how the insurer handles claims. On this page we do not reproduce any test results and publish no scores; we do set out the points that come up in every serious comparison.
The first point is the type of cover. With the extended form, named events are covered; with comprehensive cover , unnamed sudden causes as well. The second point is the sum insured: only if the rebuild value has been set correctly does the guarantee against underinsuranceapply. A policy with a low premium but without that guarantee works out more expensive on a large claim.
If you want to compare objectively yourself, use the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that every insurer publishes for each product; it summarises the cover and exclusions in fixed sections, so that policies can be compared with one another. Complaints about an insurer or adviser can be put to the Kifid. See also how the premium is made up.
Where policies really differ
Three points that come up in every independent comparison.
Sum insured and guarantee
The rebuild value determines whether you are paid in full when you claim.
- The insurer's value calculator or address scan
- Guarantee against underinsurance, or not
- Annual indexation of the sum insured
- Valuation for a listed or unusual property
Limits and excess
The small print determines what is left after each claim.
- A separate, often higher excess for storm
- Maximums for the garden, outbuildings and solar panels
- Glass sometimes separate or at an additional premium
- Payment for temporary accommodation elsewhere
What is covered
| Situation | Extended | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, storm and water damage to the home | Yes | Yes |
| Clearance costs and emergency measures | Yes | Yes |
| Your own mishap while doing DIY | No | Yes |
| Garden landscaping, paving and planting | Provided that | Provided that |
| Rainwater entering without storm damage | Provided that | Provided that |
| Subsidence, pile rot and deferred maintenance | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Comparing for yourself without falling into the trap
Four points on which a comparison stands or falls.
Compare equal sums insured, not equal premiums
A lower premium often comes from a lower sum insured, a higher excess or a more limited form of cover. So compare quotes with the same rebuild value and the same excess. Also note whether the amount quoted includes 21% insurance premium tax and policy charges; not every comparison site shows that in the same way.
A guarantee against underinsurance weighs more than ten euros of premium
Without that guarantee you carry the risk that the sum insured turns out to be too low; the insurer then pays proportionately. With the guarantee that risk is covered, provided you completed the value calculator in full and reported refurbishments. For unusual properties, a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code the value for a fixed period.
Use the insurance card as an objective yardstick
Every insurer publishes an insurance card (verzekeringskaart) for each product with fixed sections: what is insured, what is not insured, are there restrictions in cover. Because the layout is the same, you quickly see where policies differ. Also read in the full conditions the definition of storm and the provision about rainfall; it is precisely there that the differences that count on a claim are found.
The exclusions are much the same everywhere
No comparison produces a policy that covers everything. With virtually every insurer the following are excluded: subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot, damage caused by deferred maintenance, wear and design faults, and damage caused by vermin, mould and slowly penetrating damp. Flooding caused by the failure of a primary flood defence also falls outside the cover, and intent or recklessness is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value — the main basis for calculation
- Construction type and roof covering — brick, timber or thatch
- Year of construction and state of maintenance — older premises, higher risk
- Postcode area — burglary, storm and water risk
- Type of cover and excess — extended or comprehensive
- Extensions — glass, solar panels, outbuildings
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Do you publish the Consumentenbond's test results?
No. Test results belong to the organisation that carries out the research and change from year to year in any event. We do not reproduce scores. What we do is set your situation alongside what several insurers offer and show, policy by policy, where the cover, the sum insured and the exclusions differ.
Where can I find an objective comparison of conditions?
Start with the insurance cards insurers publish for each product. They use fixed sections, which makes policies comparable with one another. Then read in the full conditions the definitions of storm, rainfall and water, and the provisions on the excess and on maximums. That is where the differences that are noticeable on a claim are found.
Is the cheapest buildings insurance also the worst?
Not by definition, but a lower premium always has a cause. Usually that is a higher excess, a more limited form of cover, lower maximums for the garden and outbuildings, or the absence of a guarantee against underinsurance. So compare at the same sum insured and the same excess, otherwise you are comparing two different products.
Where can I go with a complaint about my insurer?
First to the insurer or adviser themselves, through the internal complaints procedure. If that does not resolve matters, you can put the complaint to the Klachteninstituut Financiële Dienstverlening, the Kifid (the financial services complaints institute). It handles consumers' complaints about financial service providers. The route to the courts also remains open.
Is switching worth the trouble?
That depends on your current policy. If the sum insured has not been revised for years or there is no guarantee against underinsurance, switching is mainly an improvement in cover. If the cover is in order, the difference is often limited to the premium and the excess. We work both versions out for you.
Read more
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Prefer a single comparison tailored to you?
Request a quote without obligation; we compare the premium, the sum insured and the conditions side by side.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.