Test score · conditions · your property
Comparing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) on more than a test score
Independent comparisons score policies against a standard home with a standard occupant. Your property is rarely that, and it is precisely the differences that determine whether a claim is paid.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Opstalverzekeringen vergelijken op meer dan een testscore.
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- 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
A comparative test ranks policies on a fixed set of criteria: does the policy cover storm, burglary and water damage, how high is the premium, how quickly are claims handled. That is useful information, but it is a judgement on a model situation: an ordinary house, owner-occupied, without a thatched roof, without listed status, without room letting, without a business at home. As soon as your situation differs on a single point, the ranking shifts.
What tests almost never score are the provisions that only count after a claim: the guarantee against underinsurance, how long a rebuild value calculation remains valid, the separate excess for storm, cover for landscaping and boundary fencing, the treatment of damage to foundations, and whether the cost of mitigating the loss and of clearance comes on top of the sum insured. Two policies with the same rating can be far apart on those points. See also what to look for when comparing.
The definitions differ too. One insurer calls its widest option comprehensive, another speaks of extended cover and includes more under it than a competitor does under comprehensive. So do not compare the name of the cover but the list of events and the exclusions behind them. For the structure of the product itself: what buildings insurance is.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering).
What to look out for
Four points usually missing from a comparison table.
Exclusions that come back everywhere
Almost every buildings policy excludes faults in construction and design, gradual exposure to damp, earthquake and flooding from primary flood defences, vermin and damage caused by poor maintenance . A high test score changes none of that. The difference lies in the detail: some policies do cover the consequential damage from a structural fault, others do not.
Rebuild value tool and guarantee
If you complete the insurer's rebuild value tool correctly, it often gives a guarantee against underinsurance for a set period. If that period expires or you carry out building work in the meantime, the guarantee lapses. Without the guarantee, an amount that is too low leads to proportionate payment, even for a claim of limited size.
Unusual use is an underwriting question
Letting, room letting, permanent occupation of a holiday home, a practice at home or a long vacancy fall outside standard underwriting. The provider with the best test score may then not accept your property at all. See the risks of not reporting how the property is used.
The premium is not the only cost
A lower premium usually goes together with a higher excess, a narrower list of covered events or a stricter regime for storm and water. Work out what you would bear yourself in a realistic claim rather than comparing only the annual amount; background at the cost of buildings insurance.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value — established with a valuation tool or a survey
- Construction type and roof covering — masonry with tiles, timber or thatch
- Year of manufacture — decisive for pipework, electrics and foundations
- Use of the home — owner-occupied, let or a second home
- Excess — general and often separate for storm
- Type of cover — the list of events, not the name
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
What is covered
| Situation | Extended | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| You drill through a water pipe in the wall while hanging a cupboard | No | Yes |
| A tin of paint falls over and damages the newly poured resin floor | No | Yes |
| At force six a roof tile blows off and rain comes in | No | No |
| The foundations settle after a dry summer and cracks appear in the facade | No | No |
| Lightning strikes the chimney and the roof beneath it has to be repaired | Yes | Yes |
| A heating pipe in an unheated extension freezes and splits | Provided that | Provided that |
Set these six situations alongside the quotes you are comparing; a test score says nothing about any of the six.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Is the best tested policy also the best one for me?
Only if your home resembles the model used in the test. A thatched roof, listed status, letting or a timber outbuilding changes both the premium and the underwriting. So first work out what is unusual about your property and then look for the insurers who accept that; only after that does comparing on price make sense.
Why do premiums differ so much for the same cover?
Insurers weigh postcode, year of construction, construction type and claims history differently and apply their own underwriting limits. The excess and the treatment of storm and water damage also differ. Two quotes that look the same on paper can lead to a very different amount when a pipe bursts or a roof tile blows off.
Does a quality mark say anything about the cover?
A quality mark says mainly something about the way a provider deals with customers: understandable conditions, complaints handling, accessibility. It is not a statement about the substance of the cover for your particular property. The exclusions and the clauses on your policy schedule ultimately determine what is paid, not the logo on the website.
Can I always switch to a better tested policy?
You can switch, but the new insurer will assess your property afresh. You have to answer truthfully questions about the use, previous claims and any earlier cancellation; Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code govern that duty of disclosure. Only cancel the old policy once the new one has been accepted in writing.
Read more
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