Insuring home and art through Hiscox
In a leak or a fire the damage cuts straight across the policies: the building, the contents and the works on the wall. One cover for all three keeps you from being caught between insurers.
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Work out for yourself what it would cost.
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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.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
Finass Advies compares the offering of several insurers objectively. Hiscox is one of the parties that runs combined cover for home, contents and collection. The practical advantage lies not in the premium but in claims handling: one loss adjuster, one excess and no argument about whether a damaged item was contents, a valuable or part of the building. See also Hiscox.
With separate policies that line is the problem. A fitted cupboard, a fixed mural, an antique fire surround or a bespoke stair rail sits somewhere between buildings and home contents. With a single event and two insurers that costs time and sometimes part of the payment. On one policy that question is no longer relevant, provided the description and the amounts are right.
Do note that the bases of value differ within the same policy. The building is paid at rebuild value, the contents at replacement value and the art at the valued amount. For the building an up-to-date rebuild value assessment is needed to avoid underinsurance. For the works, a valuation that is still valid. Both must be kept up to date, even where the policy continues. See art insurance for the valuation of works.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare valuables insurance.
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Get coveredWhy arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
What to look out for
Four points with combined cover for a home and a collection.
Underinsurance on the buildings section
A collection is usually valued, the house often not. If the rebuild value has been set too low, a large loss is paid proportionately, even though the art section is in order. After alterations or an extension, have the cost of rebuilding established again; an out-of-date figure works against you.
Building work: the most dangerous year
During building work there is dust, hot work, temporarily no alarm and strangers in the house every day. Policies have a building work clause for that which limits the cover, and damage the contractor causes is his liability, not your property insurance. Report the building work in advance and ask for written confirmation of what remains covered while the work is going on.
Second home, letting and vacancy
If part of the collection hangs in a second home, its own regime applies there. Vacancy, letting to third parties or a long absence restricts the cover for theft and water damage on almost every policy. If you let the property temporarily, report it, because the use of the property is a fact on which acceptance was based.
What the buildings section never covers
Excluded are construction and design faults, deferred maintenance and slow-acting influences such as penetrating damp, dry rot and wet rot. As the owner you are also liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for damage caused by a defective building, for example a loose roof tile that hits a passer-by. That is a liability question and not property damage.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value of the home: including outbuildings and grounds
- Value of collection and contents: the valued part named separately
- Construction and listed status: a thatched roof or listed status changes the repair risk
- Security: alarm, monitoring connection and occupancy
- Use of the premises: main residence, second home or let periodically
- Excess: one amount per event instead of per policy
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Buildings and contents separately | Home and art on one policy |
|---|---|---|
| A leaking radiator lets water run over a sculpture standing on the floor | Provided that | Yes |
| A bespoke library cabinet is damaged in a kitchen fire | Provided that | Yes |
| While rehanging a painting you drop it and the frame breaks | No | Yes |
| A work from your collection is on loan to a gallery and is damaged there | No | Provided that |
| The antique fire surround cracks from the heat of a well-stoked fire | No | No |
| Sunlight slowly fades the colours of a watercolour in the hall | No | No |
Works that hang elsewhere temporarily, are being restored or are in transit call for a separate entry on the policy schedule.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
What is the advantage of having home and art on one policy?
With a single event, for example a leak that affects the ceiling and two works, there is one insurer, one loss adjuster and one excess. With separate policies an argument can arise about which policy bears which part, and you sometimes pay two excesses. The drawback is that when you switch you move everything at once; so have each part compared separately.
Do I have to have a valuation carried out for the house as well?
For a home it is about the rebuild value. A rebuild value calculator is often enough, but with a listed building, a thatched roof or a great deal of bespoke work in the interior a valuation by an expert is wise. It fixes the value and prevents a reduction for underinsurance. See also the exclusive buildings insurance.
Is theft of art from my second home covered?
Only if that property appears on the policy schedule as a location of risk and the security conditions have been met. For homes that stand empty for a large part of the year, stricter requirements or a lower maximum often apply. So state precisely where which works hang and how long the property is unoccupied. That falls under the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What if a contractor causes damage to a work?
That is in the first place his liability. Hold him liable in writing under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and report the damage to your own insurer at the same time, so that the period in Article 7:941 DCC is met. If your insurer pays, it takes over the claim against the contractor. Keep the order confirmation and photographs from before the work.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare valuables insuranceThe main page
- Art insurance through HienfeldCollection at home, sculptures outdoors, building work
- Fine art insuranceValued amount, comprehensive, loss in value
- Insuring fine artTransport, loans, storage
- Renaissance insurance through HienfeldAntiques and interiors, repairability, clauses