You don’t want to think about it: damage to your Tiny House. A branch blows onto your roof, you get a leak, a broken window, a kitchen fire… accidents can happen anywhere. Although the repair or replacement costs will probably not be too bad compared to a larger home, they are expenses that you probably don’t welcome. Insuring your Tiny House properly gives you peace of mind, knowing that if there is damage, the costs for repair or replacement are covered.
But what insurance do you need, and is it really that easy to insure your Tiny House? Let’s take a look at that.
Not difficult
Insuring a Tiny House is in principle not much different from insuring a regular house. This applies on the condition that your house complies with the Building Environment Decree (Bbl, formerly Building Decree 2012) and you have an environmental permit for construction. A Tiny House is a full-fledged home, only more compact. What does differ is that it usually concerns timber construction. Insurance companies consider this to be riskier, for example due to fire hazard. However, because timber construction and bio-based construction are becoming increasingly popular, insurers will also have to go along with this.
Any insurance advisor can help you with insurance for your Tiny House. It is important that it is clear that it is a full-fledged home, and not a holiday home, provided that you actually live in it. If you insure your Tiny House as a holiday home and it later turns out that you live there permanently, this can pose a problem when paying out damages.
Image above: Huisje van Hout
Three in one
To insure your house and everything attached to it, you need home insurance. It is useful to have contents insurance for everything that is loose in and often around your house, such as garden furniture. You also need liability insurance, so that you are insured against damage that you unexpectedly cause to others. This has nothing to do with your Tiny House, but these three insurance policies are often mentioned in the same breath. A complete package: residential insurance. Nice and easy.
The home insurance
No matter how small your Tiny House is, damage to your home can happen to anyone and the costs for repairs can be significant. This damage is covered if you have home insurance. But what exactly is home insurance? Home insurance covers damage to your home caused from outside. This includes damage to all fixed parts of your tiny house, such as the bathroom, (built-in) kitchen and floors. Anything loose in your home is not covered. The petty thief that you have attached to the wall is also considered household contents.
With home insurance you can often choose from different options or coverage, such as insuring glass damage or remediation costs. Remediation costs are the costs incurred for cleaning up, removing, or repairing contamination or damage to your home. Consider, for example, repairing environmental damage after a fire or leak. You can include remediation costs in your home insurance to cover these costs.
Check the policy conditions carefully to know which damage is covered and which is not. A guarantee against underinsurance is also worth considering; This ensures that you can rebuild your tiny house if it is irreparably lost due to damage.
Image above: Dutch Wooden Houses
Home contents insurance
Home contents insurance is required for everything loose in your tiny house, if you want it. Maybe you live such a minimalist lifestyle that the value of your belongings is negligible. However, remember that everything loose in your house is considered contents, including those precious lithium batteries. It does not necessarily have to be damage that means you have to incur costs, burglary and theft also occur in Tiny Houses and are covered under home contents insurance. Be sure to check the conditions carefully, for example there may be requirements regarding your hinges and locks.
Being insured against damage to your home and belongings in your home gives you a safe feeling, so that you can live in your Tiny House in peace and enjoyment. The monthly costs are generally manageable. Isn’t some peace of mind worth it to you? Of course, it remains your own decision to what extent you insure your Tiny House. Hopefully, the information in this blog will help you make an informed decision.
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