Administrative saving
- Paying annually instead of monthly
- Insurance policies in one package
- Removing double glass cover
- Ending unnecessary extensions
Premium · excess · guarantee
The cheapest buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): where do the differences lie?
A lower premium for buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) can almost always be explained. Below you can read where the difference comes from and which savings you only repay when you claim.
- 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: De goedkoopste opstalverzekering: waar zit het verschil in?.
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
The premium for buildings insurance follows from the rebuild value of your property, adjusted for the type of construction, roof covering, year of construction, postcode area, use, form of cover and excess. A provider that comes out cheaper usually does so on one or more of those points. So it is worth finding out where the difference lies before you switch.
There are savings without risk. Paying annually instead of monthly makes a difference with many insurers, bundling policies in one package can produce a discount, and removing duplicate cover costs you nothing: glass that appears on both the buildings and the contents policy only needs to be insured once.
And there are savings that cost money at the wrong moment. Reducing the sum insured or switching off the annual indexation lowers the premium, but leads to underinsurance: the insurer then pays proportionately, including on small claims. A policy without a guarantee against underinsurance places that same risk with you. See also how the premium is built up.
Where the lower premium comes from
Three kinds of difference, with very different consequences when you claim.
Excess and type of cover
You pay less premium and in return bear more yourself.
- A higher voluntary excess
- Extended cover instead of comprehensive
- A separate excess for storm damage
- Weigh it against your reserves
A lower sum insured
The premium falls, but so does the payment on every claim.
- Underinsurance works proportionately
- Switching off indexation falls behind
- Not reporting a refurbishment counts
- The guarantee lapses on an incorrect declaration
What is covered
| Situation | Lowers the premium | Without additional risk |
|---|---|---|
| Paying annually instead of monthly | Yes | Yes |
| Removing double glass or contents cover | Yes | Yes |
| Choosing a higher voluntary excess | Yes | No |
| Going back from all-risks to extended | Yes | No |
| Lowering the sum insured or switching off indexation | Yes | No |
| Declaring the type of construction or use incorrectly | Yes | 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.
Four points before you choose on price
What a lower premium means in practice at the moment you need the policy.
Compare on the same sum insured
Two quotes are only comparable if they use the same rebuild value . If one provider fills in the value via an address scan and the other via your own declaration, you are comparing two different covers. Also check whether both amounts quoted include 21% insurance premium tax and policy charges; not every comparison shows that in the same way.
Without a guarantee you carry the valuation risk
With underinsurance the insurer pays proportionately: with a shortfall of twenty per cent you receive twenty per cent less, even on a claim of a few thousand euros. With a correctly completed rebuild value calculator you usually have a guarantee against underinsurance. For unusual properties, a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code the value for a fixed period.
A low premium removes no exclusions
With every insurer, expensive or cheap, the same risks remain outside cover: subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot, deferred maintenance, wear, rust, wood rot and construction or material defects, and damage caused by vermin, woodworm, mould and slowly penetrating damp. Groundwater and flooding caused by the failure of a primary flood defence also fall outside the cover. Intent and recklessness are excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Saving is fine, giving incorrect information is not
Getting a lower premium by declaring the type of construction, roof covering, use or previous claims incorrectly is not a saving but a problem for the future. On taking out the policy, the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code; an incorrect disclosure can reduce the payout or cause it to lapse (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code). If damage occurs, report it as soon as reasonably possible (Article 7:941 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 — extended or comprehensive
- Excess and payment term — annually or monthly
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.
Can I simply take the cheapest policy?
You can, provided you know where the price difference comes from. Check the sum insured, the guarantee against underinsurance, the form of cover, the excess and whether glass, solar panels and outbuildings are included. If those points are the same for your situation and the premium is lower, there is no objection. If one of them differs, you pay the difference later.
Is reducing the sum insured a good way to save?
No. The sum insured is not a dial to turn but a reflection of the cost of rebuilding. If you lower it, underinsurance arises and the insurer pays proportionately, including on a small claim. So you are moving the cost to the moment when you can least afford it.
May I switch off the annual indexation?
With some insurers you can, but it is rarely wise. Indexation adjusts the sum insured for rising building costs and wages. If you switch it off, the sum stays where it is while rebuilding becomes more expensive, and the gap between cover and reality grows quietly. Often the guarantee against underinsurance lapses with it.
Does a higher excess save much?
It makes a difference to the premium, but how much varies by insurer. More important is whether you can bear the amount yourself at any given moment. Note too that some policies apply a separate, higher excess to storm and hail damage; that is separate from the amount you choose voluntarily and applies precisely to the kind of damage that occurs often.
What does switching cost?
The switch itself usually costs nothing. Your current policy often runs to the contract renewal date, though, and after the first year most insurers allow cancellation on any day with one month's notice. Make sure the new cover starts at the moment the old one ends, so that there is not a single day without cover.
Read more
Within Opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekeringthe main page
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Also relevant
Are you paying more than you need to?
Request a quote without obligation; we compare premiums and conditions on the same sum insured.
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.
