Unigarant · compared independently · advice from Finass
Buildings insurance through Unigarant
With Unigarant's buildings product everything turns on the risk description: how the home is used (permanently occupied, for recreation, let or temporarily empty) determines whether you have cover when you claim.
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
Every buildings policy contains a short sentence recording what kind of property it is and how it is used. That description of the risk is not an administrative formality: the insurer has based the premium and the underwriting on it. If the use changes — you start letting, the house stands empty for six months after you move, or you now only use it in season &mdash. That sentence has to be amended.
We regularly use this product for homes that are not occupied all year: a second home, a holiday home on a park, or a house on the market while you have already moved. It is precisely there that insurers set additional requirements. See also our pages on buildings insurance for an empty home and the a let home.
The basis for this is Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code: when taking out the policy you must state all the facts you understand to be relevant to the insurer. If it emerges afterwards that you did not pass something on, Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code gives the insurer the option of reducing or refusing the payout, depending on what it would have done had the information been correct.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Basic cover
The basic cover insures the essentials. We show what Unigarant and other insurers offer here.
Fire & lightning strike
Storm & precipitation
Explosion & induction
Smoke & soot damage
Extended cover
As well as fire and storm, also burglary, theft and water damage to your home.
Burglary, theft & vandalism
Rebuilding at rebuild value
Glass breakage
Comprehensive cover
The most complete cover. We compare Unigarant's extended versions with the market.
Clearance costs & costs of mitigating the loss
All external causes
Solar panels & installations & paving
Solar panels & installations
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
Provided it is declared
Yes
Groundwater coming through the floor
No
No
Wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
What we do
What we do
At Finass
Direct with Unigarant
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 determine whether Unigarant 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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
If the use changes, report it in writing
A home that is permanently occupied is a different risk from a property that stands empty during the week. So report it if you start letting, if you leave while the house has not yet been sold, if building work is being carried out or if rooms are occupied by others. Do so in writing and keep the confirmation: when you claim, that is the only way to show that the insurer was aware.
Unoccupied periods bring clauses with them
If the house stands empty for a longer period, insurers often limit the cover to fire, storm and lightning, and cover for burglary, vandalism and water damage lapses. Practical conditions apply as well: draining the water pipes before winter, closing the stopcock, or keeping the heating at a minimum setting. These are warranty conditions. If they are ignored and frost damage results, there is no payment.
Letting to third parties is a different policy
If you let the home, permanently or through a booking platform, the risk changes fundamentally: there are changing users, there is no supervision and damage is discovered later. Vandalism by a tenant is usually excluded, and so is theft without signs of forced entry to the property, because the tenant had a key. We then place you with a policy expressly intended for letting.
The exclusions where the use is unusual
Not covered are: damage during a vacancy or squatting, damage arising during unreported building work, consequential damage from poor maintenance of the roof and gutters, and water coming in from the ground or the drains. Intent and recklessness are excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. With a holiday home, cover outside the season may also be restricted; check that expressly.
Business interruption insurance
Machinery & installations
What does your premium depend on?
Nature of use. Permanently occupied, used for recreation, let or temporarily empty: each has its own rate.
Rebuild value of the home. Derived from the volume, number of storeys and finish. With holiday homes often lower than expected.
Construction type and roof covering. Timber frame construction and chalet construction are assessed differently from masonry with tiles.
Supervision at the location. A guarded park with a barrier and a manager counts differently from a detached property in a rural area.
Security and prevention measures. Locks and fittings, alarm response and draining the pipes in winter.
Package structure and excess. Combination with contents and liability cover, and the amount you bear yourself per event.
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.
You can, but only if the recreational use is expressly stated in the risk description. A holiday home is assessed differently from a main residence: there is less supervision, and outside the season the cover may be restricted. If you also let the home to third parties, that has to be stated separately. Without that entry you risk a claim outside the season not being paid.
What happens if my home becomes empty?
Report it as soon as you know. The insurer will usually then adjust the cover to a restricted form, generally fire, storm and lightning, and set conditions about checks and draining the pipes. If you do not report it, damage from burglary or water during that period can go unpaid. Cancelling the insurance is not a solution: the property is then insured against nothing at all.
Do I have to report building work?
Yes. During building work, windows and doors stand open, scaffolding is in place and naked flames are used. The property is also often unoccupied. Insurers usually accept that, but with additional arrangements about the duration and the security in place. Report the work in advance and ask for written confirmation setting out the period and the cover.
What if I forget to report something?
That depends on what the insurer would have done had the information been correct. If it would have accepted the home at a higher premium or with a clause, the payout is reduced proportionately. If it would have refused, the claim is lost entirely. That follows from Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code. If you are unsure whether something is relevant, pass it on. It cannot be put right afterwards.
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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