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
In structural terms a second home is an ordinary house. What makes the insurance different is that nobody is there for long periods. A dripping joint, a blocked gutter or a heating system that has cut out therefore goes unnoticed until your next visit. What in an occupied house costs a bucket and a plumber is here a soaked floor, warped frames and mould in the cavity.
Insurers deal with that through conditions rather than premium: a winter regime, a compulsory periodic check and a clause that narrows the cover as soon as the property is unoccupied for longer at a stretch than the conditions allow. That narrowing takes effect by itself and you are not notified of it. Also there is the duty to report under Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code, which starts to run as soon as you could reasonably know about the damage.
What does buildings insurance for a second home cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Most chosen
Extended cover
The named perils: fire, storm, water, burglary and collision.
Fire, smoke and lightning strike
Storm from force 7 upwards
Water damage and leakage
Burglary damage
Widest form of cover
Comprehensive
All sudden and unforeseen damage from outside, unless excluded.
Unnamed causes included
A small mishap while doing DIY
Less discussion when you claim
The essentials
Basis of value
Rebuild value with a guarantee against underinsurance, or a valuation.
Rebuild value calculator
Valuation under 7:960 DCC
Guarantee on your policy schedule
What is covered
Situation
Extended
Comprehensive
Fire, smoke and lightning damage
Yes
Yes
Storm damage from force 7 upwards
Yes
Yes
Water damage from a burst pipe
Yes
Yes
Burglary damage to doors and frames
Yes
Yes
Drilling through a pipe while doing DIY
No
Yes
Subsidence, pile rot 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.
Damage that runs on for weeks before you see it
A leak in an empty house does not stop by itself. By the time you open the door, the damage is no longer sudden but has arisen gradually, and gradual effects are excluded in virtually every policy. So report immediately after discovery, as Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires; if you report later, the insurer may reduce the payout in so far as its interests have been harmed as a result. Photograph the situation before you clear up.
The winter regime is a policy condition
Virtually every policy requires you to drain the water pipes and empty the system during the heating season, or to maintain a minimum temperature. If you did not, frost damage is excluded, and where there is deliberate negligence Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Codealso comes into play. Record what you did and when, for example with a dated photograph of the drain cock or a thermostat that can be read remotely. An automatic water shut-off limits the damage if something does break.
You remain the owner of the building, even when you are not there
If a roof tile blows off your second home onto the neighbours' car, or a neglected fence falls over, you as owner are liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. That liability is independent of whether you did anything wrong and of whether you were present. Your personal liability insurance does not automatically cover a second property; check that and keep maintenance records for the roof, chimney and trees.
Two addresses means two policies and active declarations
The buildings and contents insurance for your main home does not extend to a second address. For this property you take out separate cover, with its own limits for contents and stricter security requirements. If anything changes, such as a renovation, letting or a longer period standing empty, declare it straight away: incorrect or withheld information falls under Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Do you let the property?
Occasional letting must be declared too. Without a declaration, damage during that period falls outside the cover.
A guarantee against underinsurance is not automatic
If you fill in the insurer's rebuild value calculator correctly, you will usually receive a guarantee against underinsurance: in the event of a claim the actual amount is paid, even if the sum insured turns out to be too low. Your policy schedule states whether you have that guarantee. Without it, the proportionality rule applies, and that also affects small claims.
Number of weeks of occupation per year. The more often someone stays there, the sooner damage is noticed. This is the most heavily weighted detail in acceptance.
Longest unbroken period without supervision. Determines whether and when the unoccupancy clause takes effect and the cover narrows to a few basic perils.
Measures against frost and water damage. A drain cock, frost protection, a water shut-off or a thermostat that can be read remotely reduces the chance of a pipe burst running on.
Supervision and a key holder nearby. Someone nearby who checks periodically shortens the time between damage occurring and being discovered.
How visible the absence is. A property with no car, no lights and no post is a recognisable target; locks and fastenings and a monitored alarm therefore count heavily.
Type of cover and excess. A policy that keeps the full cover running during absence costs more than one that narrows at that point.
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.
Does the policy for my main home also apply to my second home?
No. Ordinary buildings and contents insurance assumes permanent occupation of the address on the policy schedule. For a second home you take out a separate policy, or a policy with a clause for limited occupation. If you insure the property on the ordinary conditions, you run the risk that a claim fails entirely on that point.
When must I report damage that I only discover weeks later?
As soon as you are reasonably aware of it, so immediately on the first visit at which you see it. That is the standard in Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code. If you report later, the insurer may reduce the payout in so far as it has been prejudiced by the delay, for example because the cause can no longer be established.
Am I liable for damage to the neighbours while I am not there?
Yes, as the owner of the building you bear the strict liability under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. If a roof tile falls, a chimney breaks off or a poorly maintained fence blows over, your absence is no defence. Check whether your liability insurance includes this second property; that is not standard.
What must I arrange before I leave the property for the winter?
Usually draining the water pipes and emptying the system, or maintaining a minimum temperature, plus an agreed checking frequency. What exactly applies is set out as a clause in your conditions. If you do not comply with it, frost damage is excluded. Record when you did it and who looks at the property in the meantime.
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.
