(5) Home insurance

What’s also important, is to note the difference between home insurance (opstalverzekering) and contents insurance (inboedelverzekering.)

Let’s picture your favourite apple pie (bear with me while I explain.) Home insurance (opstalverzekering) covers the structure of your house — like a pie crust. Whereas contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) covers items that would usually be left in your home — like the delicious filling. 

This means that basically anything you can pick up and take with you if you were to move house, will be covered by contents insurance — but not the actual house. You need home insurance for that.

Home insurance covers the various structures that make up your house — such as the chimney, the roof and the windows. If a particularly bad storm sends a tree trunk flying through your roof, for example, the damage would be covered by your home insurance. 

In the Netherlands, home insurance or opstalverzekering is not technically compulsory. However, very often if you’re applying for a mortgage, it is required that you take out a policy. Sneaky, but smart.