Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for new build

Have the policy start on the completion date, not on your moving date

Insurers will let a buildings policy start on a future date; arrange this as soon as the completion date is known. If completion is postponed, pass on the new date rather than letting the policy run or cancelling it. Your mortgage lender will normally ask for proof of cover as at the day of transfer. A gap of a single day is not a formality: a fire while you are fitting out the house falls precisely into that gap.

Vacancy and building work must be reported

A house that has been completed but is not yet occupied is a different risk to an insurer than a lived-in home. Under a number of policies, cover during vacancy is restricted to fire, storm and impact, which means water damage and burglary drop away. So report how long the house will stand empty and that finishing work is being done. If you do not, the insurer can rely on Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code when you claim.

Building defects go through the builder, not the policy

A crack caused by settlement of the new foundations, a leaking roof penetration that was fitted incorrectly, a structural fault in a load-bearing beam: these are completion and warranty items. They belong with the builder and with the completion and warranty scheme of the guarantee institute. Buildings insurance covers sudden and unforeseen events, not workmanship errors. Record completion items in writing and keep track of the warranty periods for each component.

The exclusions that come up most often with a new home

Construction moisture, efflorescence on the brickwork and shrinkage cracks in plaster are not damage but a normal phenomenon in the first year, and they are excluded. Damage to the garden and to paving that has not yet been laid usually falls outside the cover as well. Damage that arose during construction but is only discovered after completion is a matter for the builder. Report damage promptly yourself; Article 7:941 DCC obliges you to do so as soon as you become aware of it.

Rebuild value for a new-build home

Use the contract price as your starting point, but add extra work, the kitchen, the bathroom and landscaping. These are often not included in the contract price.

A guarantee against underinsurance is not automatic

If you fill in the insurer's rebuild value calculator correctly, you will usually receive a guarantee against underinsurance: in the event of a claim the actual amount is paid, even if the sum insured turns out to be too low. Your policy schedule states whether you have that guarantee. Without it, the proportionality rule applies, and that also affects small claims.

Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)