Permanently attached · outbuildings · boundary fencing
What does buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) cover?
The discussion after a claim is rarely about the cause and almost always about whether the damaged item belongs to the buildings. These are the borderline cases.
- 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: Wat valt onder 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 your own premium with the calculator.
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
The main rule is simple: whatever is permanently fixed to the house falls under the buildings. That means the foundations, walls, floors, the roof, window frames and glazing, the staircase, the boiler, the mechanical ventilation, the meter cupboard and the fixed electrical installation. The kitchen, sanitary ware, fitted cupboards, a fixed floor such as tiles or glued-down parquet and an attached conservatory belong to it as well.
Outside the house the line narrows. Outbuildings on the same plot such as a garage, shed or garden house are usually insured, provided they are named on the policy schedule or in the conditions. Boundary features, paving, a drive, flagpoles, external lighting and fixed sun blinds usually do fall under the buildings, but with a limited perils cover: often only fire, explosion and impact, and expressly not storm.
What you would take with you when moving does not belong on this policy. Curtains, loose lamps, garden furniture, a movable shed and a free-standing dishwasher are home contents. If you rent the home, your own alterations are not buildings but tenant's interest, which you insure on your home contents insurance . Exactly which perils apply is set out on the hub about buildings insurance.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering).
The borderline cases listed
Four elements that regularly fall between two policies.
Floors, kitchens and bathrooms
Tiling, resin floors and glued-down parquet belong to the buildings; click laminate on an underlay and rugs are contents. A fitted kitchen falls under the buildings, including the built-in appliances, while a free-standing fridge or cooker does not. With a leak affecting both the floor and the possessions on it, two files therefore run side by side.
Shed, garage and carport
A brick garage on the plot is almost always insured. A free-standing timber garden house, a carport or a log cabin by no means always is, and where it is, often with a lower limit and without storm cover. If the structure stands on another plot or on the public highway, report that expressly.
Garden, fence and paving
Landscaping is usually only paid for after fire, lightning, explosion or an impact, so not after storm or frost. Fences, planting and paving in practice account for the largest share of refused storm claims. A shared boundary feature can also be partly your neighbours', which splits the settlement of the claim.
What is never covered
The the land under the house cannot be insured and does not count towards the rebuild value. Also excluded are damage caused by subsidence and settlement without a covered cause, by vermin, tree roots and mould, and to structures put up without the required permit. The cost of building work in progress does not belong here either but on a contract works policy.
What does your premium depend on?
- Number and nature of the outbuildings — a brick garage counts differently from a timber store
- Rebuild value including the extension — an extension, conservatory and dormer window belong in it
- Level of finish of the home — the fitted kitchen, sanitary ware and floors determine the rebuild amount
- Solar panels and heat pump — fixed installations raise the sum to be insured
- Landscaping included — a separate section with its own list of perils
- Cover and excess chosen — the list of perils determines what the outbuildings are covered for
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
What is covered
| Situation | Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) | Home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) |
|---|---|---|
| The boiler fails after a lightning strike | Yes | No |
| Hail cracks your solar panels | Provided that | No |
| Burglars force the electric door of your attached garage | Yes | No |
| A removal van knocks over the brick garden wall | Yes | No |
| The free-standing fridge and the curtains are lost in a kitchen fire | No | Yes |
| The pump of your underfloor heating wears out and starts to leak | No | No |
In a fire both sections usually go through the same insurer, but the sum insured is tested for underinsurance separately for each section.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Are my sun blinds buildings or contents?
A screen or awning fixed to the facade belongs to the buildings; internal blinds such as roller blinds fall under the contents. Do note the list of perils: with many companies, external sun blinds are excluded from storm damage, because damage to them is almost always caused by wind. Check that before you have an expensive installation fitted.
Is a swimming pool or hot tub in the garden included?
An in-ground swimming pool is permanently joined to the ground and can be counted as part of the buildings, but it does have to appear on the policy schedule. An above-ground pool or a movable hot tub is contents. In both cases a limited set of perils applies, and damage caused by frost, wear or a defective pump remains outside the cover.
Who insures the communal parts of a flat?
With an apartment right, the owners' association insures the whole building, including the communal parts. You insure your own contents and your owner's interest: the improvements you have made in your own flat that are not in the collective cover. Ask for the association's policy schedule before you take out any additional cover yourself.
Do the foundations belong to the buildings?
Yes, the foundations form part of the building and count towards the rebuild value. Even so, damage to foundations rarely leads to a payment, because the cause is usually subsidence, timber piles drying out or pile rot. Those are gradual processes and not a sudden event. Only where a covered peril damages the foundations, such as an explosion, does the policy come into play.
Read more
Within Opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekeringthe main page
- Wat is allemaal opstal van een huis
- Wat valt er onder de opstalverzekering
- Contents and buildings: which damage belongs on which policy?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): borderline cases between buildings and contents
- Inboedelverzekering woonhuis
- Opstalverzekering opstalverzekering
Similar pages
- What does buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) cover?
- What exactly counts as buildings?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): what is it and what does it cover?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): borderline cases between buildings and contents
- The basics of buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
- Contents and buildings: which damage belongs on which policy?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for your own home: what counts as buildings and structures?
- What does buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) cover and what does it not?
