12 Great Ways to Lower Your Homeowners Insurance Costs

The price you pay for your home insurance can vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on the insurance company you buy your policy from. Here are some things to consider when buying homeowners insurance that could you potentially lower your homeowners insurance costs.

Here are a few ways you to lower your homeowners insurance costs

Raise your deductible

Deductibles are the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance company starts to pay a claim, according to the terms of your policy. The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premiums. Nowadays, most insurance companies recommend a deductible of at least $500. If you can afford to raise your deductible to $1,000, you may save as much as 25%.

Remember, if you live in a disaster-prone area, your insurance policy may have a separate deductible for certain kinds of damage. If you live near the coast in the East, you may have a separate windstorm deductible; and if you live in a state vulnerable to hail storms, you may have a separate deductible for hail.

Don’t confuse what you paid for your house with rebuilding costs

The land under your house isn’t at risk from theft, windstorm, fire and the other perils covered in your homeowners policy. So don’t include its value in deciding how much home insurance to buy. If you do, you will pay a higher premium than you should.

Buy your auto and home policies from the same insurer (carrier)

Some companies that sell home, auto and liability coverage will take 5% to 15% off your premium if you buy two or more policies from them. But make certain this combined price is lower than buying the different coverages from different companies.

Make your home more resistant to disaster

Find out from your insurance agent what you can do  to make your home more resistant to windstorms and hail, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. You may be able to save by reinforcing your roof, adding storm shutters or buying stronger roofing materials. Older homes can be updated to make them better able to withstand hurricane wind and water. In addition, consider modernizing your heating, plumbing and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage.

Home Security Improvements

You can usually get discounts of at least 5% for a smoke detector, burglar alarm or dead-bolt locks. Some companies offer to cut your premium by as much as 15 or 20 percent if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that rings at the police, fire or other monitoring stations. These systems aren’t cheap and not every system qualifies for a discount.

Seek out other discounts

Companies offer several types of discounts, but they don’t all offer the same discount or the same amount of discount in all states. For example, since retired people stay at home more than working people they are less likely to be burglarized and may spot fires sooner, too. Retired people also have more time for maintaining their homes. If you’re at least 55 years old and retired, you may qualify for a discount of up to 10% at some companies.

Maintain a good credit record

Establishing a solid credit history can cut your insurance costs. Insurers are increasingly using credit information to price homeowners insurance policies. In most states, your insurer must advise you of any adverse action, such as a higher rate, at which time you should verify the accuracy of the information on which the insurer relied. To protect your credit standing, pay your bills on time, don’t obtain more credit than you need and keep your credit balances as low as possible. Check your credit record on a regular basis and have any errors corrected promptly so that your record remains accurate.

Stay with the same insurer

If you’ve kept your coverage with a company for several years, you may receive a special discount for being a long-term policyholder. Some insurers will reduce their premiums by 5% if you stay with them for three to five years and up to 10% if you remain a policyholder for six years or more. But make certain to periodically compare this price with that of other policies.

Review the limits in your policy and the value of your possessions at least once a year

You want your policy to cover any major purchases or additions to your home. But you don’t want to spend money for coverage you don’t need. If your five-year-old fur coat is no longer worth the $5,000 you paid for it, you’ll want to reduce or cancel your floater (extra insurance for items whose full value is not covered by standard homeowners policies such as expensive jewelry, high-end computers and valuable art work) and pocket the difference.

Look for private insurance if you are in a government plan

If you live in a high-risk area — say, one that is especially vulnerable to coastal storms, fires, or crime — and have been buying your home insurance through a government plan, you should check with an insurance agent or company representative or contact your state department of insurance for the names of companies that might be interested in your business. You may find that there are steps you can take that would allow you to buy insurance at a lower price in the private market.

When you’re buying a home, consider the cost of homeowners insurance

You may pay less for insurance if you buy a house close to a fire hydrant or in a community that has a professional rather than a volunteer fire department. It may also be cheaper if your home’s electrical, heating and plumbing systems are less than 10 years old. If you live in the East, consider a brick home because it’s more wind resistant. Choosing wisely could cut your premiums by 5% to 15%.

Remember that flood insurance and earthquake damage are not covered by a standard homeowners policy. If you buy a house in a flood-prone area, you’ll have to pay for a flood insurance policy.. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides useful information on flood insurance on its Web site at www.fema.gov/nfip/.

Call us today and speak to an agent about ways to lower your homeowners insurance costs.

courtesy of www.iii.org