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Releasing equity almost always changes something about your home, and that is precisely why your buildings insurance often no longer fits afterwards.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
For the mortgage itself we refer you on. We act as an intermediary in non-life insurance and not in loans. See our mortgage page. This page is about what changes on the insurance side once the money is in your account. Equity is rarely released to sit still: it goes to an extension, a dormer window, a kitchen, sustainability measures or a second property. All those purposes affect the cover on your home.
The key point is the rebuild value. Buildings insurance pays for rebuilding your home, not its market value. If you build on or increase the floor area, that rebuild value rises. If the sum insured stays unchanged, you are underinsured and, in the event of a large claim, the insurer pays proportionately less: including for damage to the old part of the house. A rebuild value calculator or a valuation prevents that.
A refurbishment is also in itself a change of risk. Scaffolding, open roofs, stored materials and workmen in the house change the chance of burglary, water damage and fire. Report the refurbishment to your insurer in advance; that follows from the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and from the provisions on change of risk in your conditions. If the equity goes into a home you are going to let, that calls for buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a let home added.
Please note: borrowing money costs money. Finass Advies B.V. holds a licence for non-life insurance and does not act as an intermediary for credit or mortgages. This page is informative. For an application we refer you to a provider with a licence for consumer credit or mortgage credit. Every licensed provider consults the BKR (the Dutch credit register) for credit of € 250 or more with a term of longer than one month.
A mortgage, loan or investment often touches your insurance too. We look at the bigger picture and point you to the right specialist whenever something falls outside insurance itself.
Financial
Overview
AdviceThe structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
We compare Mortgage with several insurers.
What we do
| What we do | At Finass | Direct with Hypotheek |
|---|---|---|
| Comparison across several insurers | Yes | No |
| Advice based on your own situation | Yes | Sometimes |
| One point of contact for claims | Yes | Sometimes |
| Cancellation with your current insurer arranged | Yes | No |
| We decide whether Mortgage is the best choice | Yes | No |
| Advice fees for you as a customer | No | No |
This overview concerns our service, not the cover. What is actually covered is set out in the policy conditions and on the insurer's insurance card (verzekeringskaart); you receive both before you take out cover.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
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.
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
An extension or a roof addition raises the rebuild value of your home. If you leave the sum insured as it is, the proportionality rule applies when you claim: the insurer pays in proportion to the shortfall, even if the fire started in the old part. So update the rebuild value as soon as the refurbishment is finished. If you use the insurer's rebuild value calculator, there is usually a guarantee against underinsurance as long as the details given are correct.
While the work is going on your house is open. Materials lie outside, a roof is temporarily covered over and there are people about who are not normally there. Insurers therefore impose requirements on unoccupied or partly unoccupied properties and on how long they stand empty. If you do not report the refurbishment, you risk a burglary or water damage claim being refused. For larger works there is a separate construction insurance that covers the works themselves.
If the foundations of the neighbouring house subside or scaffolding blows away, you can be held liable as the owner under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for a defective building. If a builder carries out the work for your business, Article 6:171 of the Dutch Civil Code also comes into play. Your personal liability insurance covers damage you cause yourself as a builder only to a limited extent. Check what the builder has insured and have it confirmed in writing.
If you use the money released to buy a home to let, a holiday home or business premises, an ordinary private buildings insurance does not fit. Letting, letting by the room and voids have their own acceptance conditions and often more limited cover. If you nevertheless take out cover under the wrong heading, that amounts to an incorrect statement. Report the actual use, even if the letting only starts later or is meant to be temporary.
This is what people ask us most.
No. We advise and act as an intermediary in non-life insurance. For releasing equity we refer you to a mortgage adviser. What we do is put in order the insurance that changes as a result: the buildings cover after the refurbishment, the contents cover at a higher value and a suitable policy if the money goes into a second property.
Yes. A refurbishment changes the risk and most conditions require you to report it in advance. It concerns the nature of the work, its duration and whether the home is temporarily unoccupied. If you report nothing and damage arises connected with the works, the insurer can reduce or refuse the payment on the basis of the duties of disclosure and notification.
Underinsurance means that the sum insured is lower than the actual rebuild value. The insurer then pays proportionately: if part of the value is not insured, every claim is reduced by that same proportion. That affects small claims too, not just a complete rebuild. After an extension or a roof addition, adjusting the amount is therefore not a formality.
You have to check that for each assignment. A builder normally has public and employers' liability insurance, but cover for damage to the object being worked on is often limited or excluded. Ask for evidence of insurance and record in writing who carries out which part of the work. For larger works, a separate construction insurance is the safer route.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
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 compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.
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