Buildings and contents
- Walls, roof, foundations and floors
- Fitted kitchen and bathroom
- Outbuildings on the plot
- Loose items fall outside the structure
Structure · rebuild value · contents
The basics of buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
Anyone buying a home for the first time is confronted with a lot of insurance terms in a short space of time. This page sets out the basics of buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): what is insured, which value is used and where the limits lie.
- 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 basis van de opstalverzekering.
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
Buildings is the building itself, including everything permanently attached to the home: walls, roof, foundations, window frames, floors, kitchen, bathroom, central heating system and fixed wiring. Outbuildings on the same plot, such as a shed, garage or boundary fence, are usually included as well. What you take with you when you move is home contents and belongs on a different policy. You do not insure the land: it is not lost in a claim.
The sum insured is the rebuild value and not the WOZ value or the sale price. Rebuild value is what it costs to build a similar property in the same place to the building standards now in force. You establish that value with a rebuild value calculator, with the insurer's address scan or, for unusual properties, with a valuation report. If you complete the calculator in full, you usually receive guarantee against underinsurance.
There are two forms of cover. An extended cover names the insured events; comprehensive cover also covers sudden and unforeseen damage whose cause is not on that list. The exclusions are the same in both forms. If you want a complete picture of the cover, read the page on buildings insurance.
Three terms you need
Anyone who understands these three terms can read any buildings insurance quote.
Rebuild value
The cost of rebuilding in the same place, without the value of the land.
- Not the same as the WOZ value or the sale price
- Determined by value calculator or address scan
- Valuation for a listed building or thatched roof
- Indexed each year for building costs
Underinsurance
Too low a sum insured leads to a proportionate payment.
- Applies to small claims too
- Guarantee if the value calculator is correct
- Refurbishment raises the value
- A valuation fixes the value temporarily
What is covered
| Situation | Extended | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, lightning strike and explosion | Yes | Yes |
| Storm, hail and water damage to the building | Yes | Yes |
| Burglary damage to doors, frames and locks | Yes | Yes |
| Drilling through a pipe or another mishap of your own | No | Yes |
| Glass breakage and solar panels | Provided that | 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 basic rules
The four principles on which every buildings insurance policy in the Netherlands is built.
The insurance pays for rebuilding, not for buying
Buildings insurance restores your home to its condition before the loss. That is why the insurer works with the rebuild value and not with the market value. For a 1930s home with unusual detailing, the rebuild value can be higher than the WOZ value. For a flat in an expensive region, far below it. The land is never included: after a fire it is simply still there.
Too low a sum insured costs you money on every claim
With underinsurance the insurer pays proportionately. A shortfall of twenty per cent means twenty per cent less paid out, even on a claim of a few thousand euros. If you complete the rebuild value calculator correctly, you usually receive a guarantee against underinsurance. For listed buildings and thatched roofs, a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code the value for a fixed period.
There is a fixed list of exclusions
With every insurer, 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.
The policy follows what you declare
On taking out the policy, the duty of disclosure applies under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code: you must correctly declare the type of construction, the roof covering, the use and previous claims. If the declaration is wrong, the payment can be reduced or refused (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code). If anything about the home or its use changes, report it. If damage occurs, the duty to notify under Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Codeapplies: as soon as reasonably possible.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value: the basis of calculation for the policy
- 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 extensions: glass, solar panels, outbuildings
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.
What exactly counts as part of the structure?
Everything permanently attached to the home: walls, roof, foundations, window frames, poured or glued floors, the fitted kitchen and bathroom, the central heating system and the fixed electrical installation. Outbuildings on the same plot are usually included as well, such as a shed, garage, carport or boundary fence. Loose items that you take with you when you move belong to the contents.
Why can I not use the WOZ value?
The WOZ value is a tax valuation of the home including the land and the location. Buildings insurance pays for rebuilding, and rebuilding costs something other than buying. For older properties with a lot of detailing, the rebuild value is often higher than the WOZ value. For new build in an expensive region, lower. Some insurers use the WOZ value at most as supporting information in an address scan.
Do I need buildings insurance if I rent?
No. Buildings insurance belongs to the owner of the property, so to the landlord. As a tenant you insure your own belongings with home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering), and if you wish, items you have installed yourself through tenant's interest cover, for example a kitchen, floor or sun blind you had fitted.
And with a flat?
With an apartment right, the owners' association insures the whole building with a single buildings policy. You contribute to it through the service charge and do not take out separate buildings insurance yourself. The division regulations, for which Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code provides the basis, determine what is communal and what is for the individual owner's account.
What is a guarantee against underinsurance?
An undertaking by the insurer that it will not invoke underinsurance, even if the sum insured later turns out to be too low. The condition is that you completed the rebuild value calculator fully and correctly or used the insurer's address scan, and that you report later refurbishments. Without that guarantee, you carry the valuation risk yourself.
Read more
Within Opstalverzekering
Similar pages
- These mistakes cost you money when taking out buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
- Why buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) protects your biggest asset
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): rebuild value and exclusions
- What does buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) do?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for your own home: what counts as buildings and structures?
- What does buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) cover and what does it not?
- What is the best buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for your home?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): what is it and what does it cover?
Would you like to talk your situation through first?
Request a quote without obligation. We check the rebuild value and compare the forms of cover side by side.
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.