Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a chalet
Whether your chalet is insured as a building or as a movable unit depends on the foundations, on whether it can be moved and on the rules of the park where it stands.
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 for yourself what it would cost.
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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Legally a chalet sits between two products. If it stands on brick or concrete foundations, is connected to fixed services and cannot be removed without being dismantled, insurers treat it as a buildings. If it rests on concrete slabs or piers and can be moved in a day, it is more likely to fall under a holiday or static caravan product with a different basis of value.
That distinction determines more than the name of the policy. With buildings cover the basis is the rebuild value. For a movable unit, market value or a fixed depreciation scale is more often used, so that an older chalet pays out considerably less in the event of total loss. So ask in advance on which basis you are accepted and have that put on the policy schedule.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Through the towing vehicle
Liability
Damage you cause to others with the trailer.
Covered while coupled
Under the car's third-party liability cover
Uncoupled: no longer covered
The object itself
Third-party, fire and theft
External causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft after forced entry
Hail, depending on the policy
Full
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Collision and manoeuvring
Vandalism
Contents as a separate section
What is covered
Situation
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Theft after forced entry, with the prescribed lock
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm damage on the pitch
Yes
Yes
Hail damage to roof and walls
Provided that
Yes
Collision damage while manoeuvring
No
Yes
Contents in the caravan or trailer
Provided that
Provided that
Damp, wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
A trailer or caravan is not an independent motor vehicle and therefore has no insurance requirement of its own. Damage you cause to others with it falls under the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle, as long as the combination is coupled (Article 2 WAM). Once the trailer is uncoupled and has come to a standstill, that cover no longer applies.
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Foundations and mobility determine the product
When you apply, state what the chalet rests on, whether it is anchored and whether it can be moved as a whole. Those three answers determine whether you get a buildings policy or a product with depreciation. If the chalet is later placed on fixed foundations after all, or released from them, declare it: that is a change to the insured property and not merely an alteration.
The spacing on the park is an acceptance question
Chalets stand close together and are often built of timber or finished with timber cladding. Fire spreading to the neighbours is therefore the biggest scenario. Insurers ask about the distance to the adjoining unit, about the presence of gas bottles and about canopies or fences between the pitches. The park rules are decisive here. If your situation differs from them, declare it.
Moving and transport fall outside
Damage arising while the chalet is being lifted, moved or sited is excluded on virtually every policy. That risk belongs with the haulier doing the work. Damage to the ground, the paving and the connections during a move also stays outside the cover. Have it recorded who carries out the transport and whether that party is insured for it.
Standing empty in winter and frost damage
A chalet often stands unoccupied for months and is lightly built, so it cools down quickly. Draining the water or maintaining a minimum temperature is a condition with almost every insurer. A burst pipe without that measure is not paid for. Also, on many policies cover for break-in and vandalism falls away during long absences. Only fire, storm and lightning strike then remain.
What does your premium depend on?
Construction type of the chalet. Timber frame construction with timber cladding is assessed differently from a chalet with masonry elements or a hard roof covering.
Foundations and anchoring. Fixed foundations lead more readily to a buildings policy on rebuild value; loose siting to a product with depreciation.
Year of manufacture. With older chalets, the condition of the electrics, the gas installation and the roof covering weigh heavily in acceptance.
Pitch and park conditions. The distance to neighbouring units, the presence of management and the fire precautions on the site all count.
Hours of use per year. Recreational use for a few months differs from a chalet lived in all year with the local authority's consent.
Letting to third parties. If you let the chalet, even for a few weeks a season, that is commercial use and a separate acceptance question.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your 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.
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.
That depends on the construction. A chalet on fixed foundations, connected to drains, water and electricity and not movable in one piece, is usually accepted as a building. If it rests on piers or concrete slabs and can be wheeled away, a holiday or static caravan product comes into play, with market value as the basis.
Am I covered when the chalet is moved?
No. Damage during lifting, moving and siting falls outside the buildings cover and belongs with the haulier. Ask that party for evidence of insurance before the work starts. Damage to the ground, the connections and the paving during the move is not for your insurer's account either.
May I let my chalet to holidaymakers?
Only if you declare it and the insurer allows it. Changing guests increase the fire risk and the chance of damage, and the park rules often set their own requirements about this. If letting is not declared, the insurer can reduce the payout under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, even for damage unrelated to the letting.
Are the veranda and the store included?
Only if you declared them when you applied. An attached veranda, a canopy, a timber store or a terrace are separate items with their own value, and they also increase the risk of fire spreading to the neighbours. Give the dimensions and materials, otherwise they will not be on the policy schedule when you claim.
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.
