A higher excess
- Often an amount you may choose yourself
- Sometimes a separate and higher amount for storm
- You then stop reporting small claims
- Weigh this against your own reserves
Premium · excess · underinsurance
What is the cheapest buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)?
There is no policy that gives the lowest premium for every home. What can be explained is where a low premium comes from, and what you give up in return.
- 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 is de goedkoopste 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 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
- 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 premium for buildings insurance is calculated per home. It follows from the rebuild value, adjusted for the construction type, roof covering, year of construction, postcode area, form of cover and excess. Insurers weigh those details differently. An insurer that comes out lowest for a post-war terraced house can be the most expensive for a converted farmhouse with a thatched roof, or refuse the application altogether. That is why no name and no amount appears here.
A low premium almost always comes from somewhere. When it comes to it from three directions: a a higher excess, a a more limited form of cover (extended instead of comprehensive, or a basic version with fewer named events), and the absence of a guarantee against underinsurance. The last of these is the quietest of the three: you notice nothing until there is a claim.
There are also savings that cost nothing. Paying annually instead of monthly, bundling policies into one package, removing duplicate glass cover on the buildings and contents policies, and choosing an excess you can bear yourself. What is not a saving: entering a sum insured lower than the valuation tool indicates. That is deferred risk.
Where a low premium comes from
Three levers lower the premium. Each of them shifts risk to you.
Narrower cover
Extended is cheaper than comprehensive. A basic version names fewer events still.
- Your own accidents while working on the house not covered
- Glass sometimes only for an extra premium
- Solar panels sometimes outside the cover
- Outbuildings sometimes to be insured separately
No guarantee against underinsurance
Without that guarantee you bear the risk of a sum insured that is too low yourself.
- Proportionate payment where the sum is too low
- It applies to small claims as well
- You prevent it with a valuation tool or a survey
- Check this before you choose on premium
What is covered
| Situation | Extended | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, storm and water damage to the building | Yes | Yes |
| Damaging a pipe or floor yourself while working on the house | No | Yes |
| Breakage of glass in windows and doors | Provided that | Provided that |
| Payment in full even if the sum insured is too low | Provided that | Provided that |
| Damage during renovation or a long period of vacancy | Provided that | Provided that |
| Settlement, pile rot, wear and poor maintenance | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Four points for those who go by premium
You can save, but not equally sensibly on every element.
Skimping on the sum insured is not a saving
The sum insured is the rebuild value: what it costs to build a similar property again, excluding the land. If you enter a lower amount than the valuation tool indicates, the premium falls immediately — and underinsurancearises. The insurer then pays proportionately less than your loss, even for a leak of limited size. Working with the WOZ value is the same mistake in a different guise: that value includes the land and serves a tax purpose.
First check whether the guarantee is included
If you take out the policy using the insurer's valuation tool or address scan and complete it truthfully, most policies give guarantee against underinsurance. If it is missing, the policy is cheaper and the risk is yours. With listed buildings, converted farmhouses and thatched roofs, a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Codeis used instead: within the period stated in the policy, the assessed value counts as an agreed value.
What no premium buys you out of
The exclusions are largely the same everywhere and do not disappear with a more expensive policy. Not covered are subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot, damage caused by deferred maintenance, wear, design and material faults, and damage caused by vermin, woodworm, mould and slowly penetrating damp. Groundwater coming through the floor or wall is also outside the cover, and intent or recklessness is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Only compare once the details are the same
Two quotes are only comparable with the same sum insured, the same form of cover and the same excess. Also check that the amounts quoted include 21% insurance premium tax and policy charges; not every comparison site shows this in the same way. Finally, report all special features in advance: the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code applies when the policy is taken out, and a breach can reduce the payout or cause it to lapse (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code).
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value: the basis of calculation for the policy
- Construction type and roof covering: brick, timber or thatch
- Year of construction and state of maintenance: older premises, higher risk
- Postcode area: burglary, storm and water risk
- Excess: higher amount, lower premium
- Type of cover and extensions: comprehensive, glass, solar panels
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and 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.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
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.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Why do you not name the cheapest insurer?
Because the answer differs by address. Insurers each weigh the rebuild value, construction type, year of construction and postcode differently, and some do not accept certain properties. Naming one would be wrong for most readers and for some even impossible. A calculation on your own details takes a few minutes and does give a usable answer.
Can I save by lowering the sum insured?
The premium falls, but you create underinsurance. The insurer then pays proportionately: if the sum is a quarter too low, you receive about a quarter less even on a small claim. In a large claim that weighs many times more heavily than the premium saving. So never reduce the sum below the result from the valuation tool.
How much difference does a higher excess make?
That varies by insurer and by form of cover. There is no fixed percentage. The trade-off is always the same, though: the amount you save in premium, you pay yourself on the first claim. So choose an excess you can meet from your own resources without difficulty, and watch for any separate, higher excess for storm.
Is basic cover enough?
That depends on your property and your behaviour. Extended cover comprises fire, storm, burglary, water, lightning and impact. Comprehensive adds sudden accidents of your own, such as a drill hole through a pipe. If you do a lot of work around the house or live with children, that extension is more often useful. What you get under neither form are the standard exclusions.
Does switching save on the premium?
Often yes, certainly if your policy has run for years and the sum insured has been indexed several times. Do compare on the same basis and check whether the new policy gives a guarantee against underinsurance. Make sure the start date connects with the end date of the old policy, so that there is not a day without cover.
Is insurance premium tax already included in the premium?
Yes, non-life insurance is subject to 21% insurance premium tax. Most insurers show the amount including that tax and including policy charges, but not every comparison site does. Check that before you set two premiums side by side; otherwise you are comparing a gross with a net amount and the difference looks bigger than it is.
Read more
Within Opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekeringthe main page
- Wat zijn de kosten van een opstalverzekering
- Wat is de beste opstalverzekering
- Goedkoopste opstalverzekering
- Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): what to look out for?
- Wat beinvloedt de kosten van een eigendomsverzekering ontdek het hier
- Wat doet een opstalverzekering
Similar pages
- What does buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) cost?
- What are the costs of buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)?
- Is there such a thing as the best buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)?
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- The cheapest buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): where do the differences lie?
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- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): rebuild value and exclusions
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Also relevant
Would you like to know what your home costs?
Request a quote without obligation. We compare the premium and the conditions on your own details.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
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.
This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.