Insuring a villa: valuation, finishes and valuables
With a villa the insurance problem lies not in the cover but in establishing the value: a calculation model based on cubic metres does not know your finish.
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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Rebuild value tools work with average building costs per unit of volume for common types of house. Natural stone, bespoke joinery, stained glass, a resin floor with underfloor heating in several zones or a home automation system are not in that average. The difference only comes to light when you claim.
The solution is a an agreed value valuation by an expert: that fixes the sum insured and takes the argument about underinsurance out of the claims process. Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code still applies, in the sense that insurance may not put you in a better position than before the loss.
A villa also calls for attention to the surrounding plot and to security. Anything loose in the house does not belong on this policy; art, jewellery and collections belong on separate valuables insurance.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The basis
Rebuild value
What it costs to rebuild the premises.
Not the market value
Not the WOZ value (the Dutch property valuation)
Guarantee against underinsurance
Permanently fixed
What is included
Everything permanently attached to the building.
Building and installations
Outbuildings
Boundary fences
Optional
Extensions
What is excluded as standard.
Glass
Garden landscaping
Inherent defect and foundations
What is covered
Situation
Standard
With extension
Fire, smoke and lightning strike
Yes
Yes
Storm from force 7 upwards
Yes
Yes
Water damage from a burst pipe
Yes
Yes
Glass breakage
Sometimes
Yes
Groundwater coming through the floor
No
No
Wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Have a valuation carried out, including what is not visible
A valuer records not only the floor area and volume but also the level of finish, the installations and unusual constructions: a cellar with a swimming pool, a lift, a heat pump with a ground loop or a roof covered in zinc or slate. Ask for a report with photographs and descriptions of materials. When you claim, that report is the document the loss adjuster works from, and it saves you having to prove afterwards what was there.
Lead times extend the repair period
With bespoke work the bottleneck is not the money but availability: handmade window frames, cut natural stone and glass blown to size have long lead times and specialist installers. So look at the period over which the cost of alternative accommodation is paid. A standard period geared to a terraced house is often too short for a villa.
The plot counts only in part
A pool house, guest accommodation, garage, swimming pool, garden wall and entrance gate belong to the property, but they are only insured on the policy if you have declared them separately. Planting and landscaping are usually excluded or covered only for fire, not for storm or burglary. Have the valuer record all the structures on the plot and check that the list on the policy schedule matches.
Security is an underwriting condition
For high-value properties, insurers set requirements for locks and fittings, for a monitored intruder alarm system and sometimes for camera surveillance on a remote plot. Those requirements appear as a clause on the policy and cut both ways: if the system is not in operation or the maintenance contract has expired, the insurer can refuse the theft cover. Keep certificates and maintenance reports.
What does your premium depend on?
Agreed rebuild value. The amount from the valuation report, not a figure from an online calculation model.
Level of finish. Natural stone, bespoke work and unusual installations raise the rebuilding cost per unit.
Outbuildings on the plot. Guest accommodation, a pool house, a garage and a swimming pool are declared separately.
Burglary protection. The security grade, alarm response and monitoring determine the theft conditions.
Location of the building. A remote plot means longer response times for the fire brigade and security firms.
Period for alternative accommodation. The period over which repairs and temporary accommodation are paid for.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your 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.
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.
Certainty about the basis. A valuation by an expert records what is there and what rebuilding costs, so that after a claim there is no argument about whether you were insured for enough. Without a valuation the loss adjuster works from their own calculation, and with an unusual finish that usually works out unfavourably. Have the report renewed in good time, because building costs and material prices move.
Are my art and jewellery insured on the buildings policy?
No. Buildings insurance concerns what is permanently attached. Paintings, jewellery, watches and collections are contents, and on a contents policy a sub-limit applies to them that is quickly too low for valuable pieces. There is separate valuables insurance for that, with a valuation per item; requirements for a wall safe and security are a standard part of it.
Does my swimming pool fall under the buildings cover?
A built-in swimming pool is a structure and can be insured, provided you declare it and the valuation names it. The plant, the cover and the heating are separate items. Frost damage to pipework is a point to watch: many policies require the system to be drained before winter. Free-standing above-ground pools are not included.
What is not covered with a villa?
Besides the usual exclusions for groundwater and wear, faults in construction and inherent defect fall outside the cover as well, as does damage during building work that you did not report. Landscaping and planting usually stay out of the picture, and theft is refused where the prescribed security was not in operation. So read the clauses on your policy schedule line by line.
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.
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