Houseboat insurance
Just like a house, a houseboat should also be well insured. To be able to get a mortgage, a good all-risk hull insurance is even required.
A houseboat in reasonable condition will usually be easy to insure. The base (the hull) must be reliable (proven by a hull survey) and the houseboat should be safe to inhabit. A houseboat with a concrete hull will be less of a risk than one with a steel hull.
The insurance is generally higher than for a house because it is a movable good with additional risks, such as collision or sinking. Depending on the location, the insurance can be three times as high. Most insurance companies want to see a valuation report or they send an expert to check the houseboat. One can insure for replacement value or for reinstatement. The insurance company often takes a combination of both.
If a houseboat is going to be dragged (eg for yard visits), one should often be insured extra for this, because a houseboat is more at risk while being moved. The tower is only insured for liability and he will have very limited liability when he sailes under towing conditions.
The normal personal liability insurance does not cover all the risks for residents of houseboats. So it is wise to insure these risks as well, with the right insurance.
A good contents insurance should be taken separately. In almost all cases, the furniture is not covered by the houseboat insurance. The content insurance for a houseboat is more expensive than for a house. The insurance can cost twice as high.
For a houseboat insurance you can turn to big insurance companies and to specialized organizations. The large insurance companies often insure houseboats, but sometimes they treat the object as a normal house. It is possible that in such cases not all (houseboat) risks will be covered.
There are several smaller insurance companies who often specialize in insuring barges and other (residential) ships, who have specific policy conditions, such as:
- Midden Friesland Assurantiën and their new website Woonbootverzekeraar
- Henskens Yachtverzekeringen
- DOV Scheepsverzekeringen
- NHV Verzekeringen
- Scheepsassurantiekantoor DMW
- Arkotheker
A comparison of policy conditions is extremely useful if you plan to take an insurance. Of course, not only the price of the insurance is of interest, but also the other aspects (exclusions, etc.).
