A valuation instead of a calculator
- Fixed under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code
- Valid for an agreed period
- No discussion about underinsurance
- Have it reassessed after building work
Valuation · outbuildings · landscaping
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for your villa: why a luxury home needs extra protection
With a villa the standard route runs out: the rebuild value tool stops at ordinary houses. The sum insured therefore comes from a valuation.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Opstalverzekering voor uw villa: waarom een luxe woning extra bescherming vraagt.
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
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Most buildings insurance policies work with a rebuild value calculator: you enter the volume, construction type and number of rooms and the system calculates the sum insured. That tool is built around the average Dutch home and stops at a certain volume or level of finish. A villa with natural stone, bespoke joinery, a cellared volume or a climate installation falls outside it. If you complete the tool anyway, you get a sum insured that does not cover the actual rebuilding cost.
The solution is a valuation by an expert, carried out under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code with the additional provision on rebuild value. Such a valuation fixes the value for a set period. Within that period the insurer cannot rely on underinsurance: the figure in the report is the starting point when you claim. With a villa that is not a luxury but the heart of the policy, because the difference between the estimated and the actual rebuilding cost can run into hundreds of thousands here.
A villa also rarely consists of a single building. A pool house, guest accommodation, garage, garden wall, fencing, drive and landscaping are all structures or boundary features, but they are not automatically in the sum insured. Also look at buildings insurance for a villa and the additional cover for high-end homes.
Where a villa policy differs from a standard policy
Three elements determine whether your cover for a high-value property is actually right.
Outbuildings and garden landscaping
Everything outside the main building has to be named and valued separately.
- Pool house, guest accommodation, garage
- Garden walls, fencing and gates
- Paving, drive and lighting
- Planting often limited or excluded
Special materials
Thatch, natural stone and heritage elements make repairs more expensive and slower.
- Thatched roof: higher fire load
- Listed building: material and permit requirements
- Bespoke work has no standard price
- Longer repair time, higher costs
What is covered
| Situation | Standard policy | Villa policy |
|---|---|---|
| Rebuild value established with a valuation tool | Yes | No |
| Valuation with the effect of Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code | No | Yes |
| Outbuildings such as a pool house and guest accommodation | Provided that | Yes |
| Landscaping, paving and boundary fencing | No | Provided that |
| Thatched roof or listed status | No | Provided that |
| Subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot | No | 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 that make the difference with a villa
Where things usually go wrong with a high-value property, and how to stay ahead of it.
The rebuild value tool stops here
Valuation tools are calibrated for ordinary house building. Above a certain volume, or with an unusual construction and finish, the tool no longer gives a reliable figure. Insurers therefore almost always accept a villa only on the basis of a valuation report. Have that report drawn up with the additional provision that it establishes the rebuild value and not just the market value. With a villa those two are far apart.
Outbuildings and the garden are not a side issue
A garden wall that falls over, a drive destroyed by firefighting after a fire, a pool house that burns down: these are losses in their own right. Many policies apply to garden layout and planting a limited payment or a closed list of covered causes, in which storm and frost damage to planting remain outside the cover. Have every outbuilding stated on the policy schedule with its floor area, construction type and use.
Underwriting goes beyond the premium
For high-value properties, insurers set requirements before they accept: certified locks and fittings, sometimes an intruder alarm with an alarm response service, a lightning conductor system or requirements for the chimney and flue with a thatched roof. If you do not meet them when you claim, the insurer can reduce the payout. Treat those requirements as part of the cover, not as advice.
What is never covered, even with a villa
A more expensive policy does not widen the exclusions. Outside the cover remain subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot, damage caused by deferred maintenance, wear and tear and construction or material faults, and damage caused by vermin, woodworm, mould and slowly penetrating damp. Flooding caused by the failure of a primary flood defence also falls outside the cover, and intent or recklessness is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Agreed rebuild value: the basis of calculation for the policy
- Construction type and roof covering: natural stone, timber or thatch
- Listed status: material and permit requirements
- Outbuildings and garden landscaping: pool house, walls, paving
- Security and alarm response: an underwriting condition for higher sums
- Type of cover and excess: extended or comprehensive
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
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
This is what people ask us most.
Why can I not use the rebuild value tool for a villa?
The tool is calibrated for ordinary house building and works with standard prices per cubic metre. A villa differs in volume, construction and finish: natural stone, bespoke work, cellars and installations do not appear in the model. The tool then gives a figure that is too low. Insurers therefore almost always accept this type of property only on the basis of a valuation report.
What does a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code give me?
Certainty about the sum insured. A valuation by an expert fixes the rebuild value for a set period. Within that period the insurer cannot rely on underinsurance: when you claim, the assessed amount is the starting point. If you carry out major building work or the period expires, have the report drawn up again, otherwise that effect lapses.
Do my pool house, garden wall and drive fall under the buildings insurance?
Only if they have been named. Outbuildings, boundary features and paving belong structurally to the plot, but they are not automatically in the sum insured for the main building. Have every structure stated on the policy schedule with its floor area, construction type and use. For landscaping and planting, a limited payment and a limited set of covered causes often apply.
Is a thatched roof or listed status a problem?
It narrows your choice and raises the premium, but insurance is possible. Thatch increases the fire load, so insurers set requirements for the flue, the distance to the chimney and sometimes for lightning protection. With a listed building, repair costs are higher because of material and permit requirements and repairs take longer. Both points should be expressly reflected in the valuation.
Is comprehensive cover always the better choice for a villa?
Not by definition. Comprehensive cover also includes unnamed causes, such as an accident of your own while working on the house, and with an expensive finish that is valuable. The standard exclusions do remain, however: settlement, poor maintenance, wear, structural faults and vermin fall outside the cover under comprehensive as well. Weigh the extra premium against the actual extra cover in the policy conditions.
Read more
Within Opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekeringthe main page
- Villa of landhuis verzekeren dit moet je weten over de beste opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekering voor luxe woningen hoe bescherm je je villa tegen schade
- Villa verzekeren welke opstalverzekering past bij een hoogwaardig pand
- Exclusive buildings cover: insuring your home on the basis of a valuation
- Exclusieve opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekering villa welke extra dekking heb je nodig voor exclusief wonen
Similar pages
- Insuring a villa or country house: what you need to know about buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for luxury homes: how to protect your villa against damage
- Insuring a villa: which buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) suits a high-value property?
- Exclusive buildings cover: insuring your home on the basis of a valuation
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a villa
- Compare exclusive buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for your own home: what counts as buildings and structures?
- Insuring a villa: valuation, finishes and valuables
Insure a villa on a valuation basis?
Request a quote without obligation. We will arrange the valuation and set out the outbuildings and landscaping separately.
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.