What to look out for when taking out buildings insurance

Which building insurances are there?

Imagine water damage caused by a burst water pipe. Maybe your ceiling or your walls are damaged. Of course, then there is only one thing you want and that is to restore everything to its original state as soon as possible. This brings with it a lot of costs. If you are insured with home insurance, this insurance will compensate the damage to your home. Note: a building insurance does not compensate damage caused by poor maintenance. When you want to take out a building insurance, you have the choice between two different types of coverage, namely: the extensive coverage and All Risks.

The extended coverage

Would you like to take out a basic policy for the building insurance? Then choose the comprehensive coverage. This insurance covers damage caused by: fire, explosion, storm (from wind force 7), unforeseen water damage, burglary, vandalism, oil, collision, falling trees and damage caused by shards from windows or mirrors.

All-risk

All-risk insurance covers all damage to your building, except for damage that is excluded in a number of situations. These include earthquakes, floods, wars, etc. You also have the option to choose additional insurance, such as glass coverage.

Prevent underinsurance

If you insure your house for an amount that is lower than the reinstatement value, this means that you are underinsured. The amount for which you insure your house is also the maximum amount that the insurer will pay out in the event of damage. If the damage costs are higher than the reinstatement value, the costs are for your own account. When taking out building insurance, it is therefore important that you insure yourself with the correct reinstatement value.

Home insurance

Do you live in a flat? Then it is not always necessary to take out building insurance. In most cases, the Owners' Association (VvE) takes out building insurance for the entire building, including the flats. In the case of a VvE building insurance, the insurer pays for the costs of the common parts of the building, such as the walls, floors and façades. If you have renovated your flat, you can choose to insure this additionally. Home improvements are often not included in the building insurance of the owner's association. Are you going to move into a flat or do you live in a flat? Check with the owner's association to be sure that the complex is insured.

Costs of building insurance

We have already talked about the amount to be insured. Did you know that you can get home insurance for as little as 6 euros a month? The insurance premium that you pay periodically for your building insurance is calculated on, among other things:

• The place of residence;
• The reinstatement value of the property;
• Prevention measures;
• The contents and finish of the house;
• The damage history;
• The desired coverage.

Compare Home insurance

In the most favourable situation, you should have home insurance with the best conditions at the lowest price. A discount on your building insurance contributes directly to this. Many building insurance companies give a discount on your regular premium when your house is well secured and has a 'Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen' or 'Borg' certificate. Insurers estimate the risk of damage to be much smaller in that case.

Alpina is happy to help you in your search for the best home insurance by providing you with a complete and up-to-date range of home insurance policies from our affiliated insurers. Use our calculation module of and we will search for the building insurance that best suits your home. Besides saving a lot of time in manually comparing different insurance policies, you will often find the most advantageous home insurance policy at Alpina.