Everybody who owns a home needs to insure it. Not every homeowner knows how to get the best policies and the best bargains though. Homeowner’s insurance is such a broad field and the costs are so high, just a little learning can have a very big effect. Here are a few tips to stretch your insurance dollar further.
When considering home insurance, consider how important it is to have a higher or lower deductible. With a lower deductible, your rates will be higher throughout the year, but you’ll have to pay less for damages to your house. With a higher deductible, you keep more money in your pocket in terms of paying your premium, however most smaller claims will cost less than your deductible amount.
Before you buy a home, find out how much insurance runs in the area you are considering. In some locations, homeowners insurance is very high due to a number of factors. For example, if the home is located in a flood zone or an area where hurricanes are to be expected, high insurance rates are also to be expected.
Keep an up to date inventory of the items in your home to process claims quicker. Anyone who has suffered a catastrophic loss will tell you how hard it is to remember everything that was in the house during a time like that. Photos or video are the best way to get a full inventory.
Flood Insurance
If you want to be sure your home and belongings are covered in the event of a flood, the time to buy flood insurance is not the moment it begins to rain. Most flood insurance plans will not cover flood damage incurred within the first 30 days of purchase, so you need to make that call today, rather than putting it off.
The home you have just bought is probably the largest investment in your life. It is a natural instinct to protect the value of your property. The way to do that is to purchase a home owner insurance policy, which is basically a contract between an insurance company and the home owner. As long as the home owner keeps paying the monthly premiums, the insurance company pays for certain losses such as damage caused by human actions or natural disasters.
Don not, under any circumstances, allow your hazard insurance on your home to lapse. Most mortgage companies have a clause in the agreement you signed that in the event you don’t pay it, they will find a new policy for it, sparing no expense, and charge you for the premium. It will usually be at least double what you were paying before. You are better off doing whatever you need to in order to keep your policy current.
Remember safety when you rent, to keep costs down on insurance. Having detectors for fire, fire extinguishers and burglar alarms may make your insurance policy less costly. It might save your life too, so make certain to buy these things, learn to use them properly and keep them current.
Guaranteed Replacement Value
Consider a policy that offers guaranteed replacement value when shopping for home owners insurance. Guaranteed replacement value means that if your home is destroyed the insurance company will pay the cost to rebuild it, regardless of what that cost is. Considering that the cost of construction often increases over the years, this is especially important if you will be in your home long term. Having such a cushion can offer you true peace of mind.
Get an estimate of damages to your home prior to filing a claim on your home owners insurance. If it is not going to cost you much more than the deductible to repair, do not file the claim. Each claim that you file will cause your premium to increase for the year.
Be sure to update your policy if you make changes to your property. If you do things such as remove a trampoline or a swimming pool or pay off your mortgage, you will see a decrease in your premium. If you add a security system it will reduce your rates as well.
Increase your home owner’s insurance deductible. There are quite a few pros and cons to increasing the deductible amount on your insurance. However, if you are having trouble paying your home owner’s insurance, you might want to seriously consider it. It can end up saving you anywhere from 10% to 37% off your premium.
List your expensive possessions separately in order to protect them. Miscellaneous possessions are included in standard coverage packages, but those with a high-value are subject to an enforced policy limit. Should the policy fail to cover the entire value, there will be instructions for receiving the most assistance possible. These instructions are listed in the policy contract and should be understood ahead of time.
When you are shopping for homeowner’s insurance you can save a lot of money by choosing a higher deductible amount. This means you will pay more up front for each claim that is filed. However, it is important to check with your mortgage company before choosing your insurance to be certain how much of a deductible they will allow you to have.
Find a company that will give you multiple policy discounts. If you have your homeowners, auto, life and disability insurance all under one roof, so to speak, then you can often get a substantial discount on your rates. Ask your current company if this is an option for you.
If you can, pay off your mortgage to reduce your home owner’s insurance rates. Insuring a home without a mortgage or lien often results in lower premiums. Insurance companies consider a homeowner without a mortgage to be a lower risk in many cases and make certain assumptions about how well-maintained the property is when there is no lien.
Hopefully these homeowner’s insurance tips have been of some benefit to you. This insurance is for helping you in case of disaster; you want to get the best, most cost-effective coverage you can. If you ever need to make a claim, you will appreciate every bit of time and effort you take to find the best deal on homeowner’s insurance now.
