What does insurance actually cover?

The starting point

Insurance covers uncertain events. That is set out in Article 7:925 of the Dutch Civil Code: there has to be uncertainty at the time cover is taken out.

That is why damage that already existed or was unavoidable is never covered, however you word it.

What is excluded almost everywhere

Wear and tear and ageing. A sofa that sags or an appliance that stops after eight years is not sudden damage.

Deferred maintenance. A roof that leaks because it has needed replacing for years falls outside it.

Intent and damage you caused deliberately.

Gradual damage: damp that slowly rises, a leak that went unnoticed for months.

What differs from policy to policy

Care, custody and control, inherent defect, damage away from home and specific activities. Those are the places where policies really differ from one another.

What to look at

The exclusions matter more than the description of the cover. They set out what you will not get, and that is where disappointment arises.