Homeowners insurance is a very important protection to have in place. Not only will homeowners insurance protect your home in the event of a disaster, but it will also protect your personal property inside of your home. Additionally, your homeowners insurance may even protect you against claims by third parties that get injured in your home. As such, homeowners insurance provides a very large layer of protection. However, like all insurance, homeowners insurance coverage is not absolute and does not protect you against every conceivable damage or danger. But, for the most part, homeowners insurance is vital.
Depending on your location in the country and the possibility of being struck by a natural disaster (for example, a hurricane, tornado, flood, etc.) homeowners insurance rates will vary greatly. However, absent moving to a different part of the country, there is not much you can do about the insurance rates based upon your chosen home location. This does not mean that the homeowners insurance rates available to you cannot be reduced.
*Security Measures:
Most insurances companies provide discounts on their policies if the homeowner has certain security measures installed in his/her home. For example, installing an alarm system, certain kinds of locks on your doors and windows, and other kinds of security measures can decrease the price of your policy. Check with your insurance company to see if they offer these discounts.
The reason that discounts are offered for these security measures is that your home has less of a risk of being broken into if you have security measures.
*Bundling:
In an effort to keep and expand your business, insurance companies usually offer a discount on all of your insurance policies if you obtain more than one policy from an insurer. For example, if you use a particular company for both your home and automobile insurance, you may get a discount on both. As such, if you are happy with your current home insurer, see if they offer discounts for bundling, and see if their auto insurance rates are better than your current auto insurer’s rates.
*Fire Proof Materials:
This is not an option for many homeowners, but if your home is built with fireproof or fire resistant materials, you are most likely eligible for a discount. Again, absent rebuilding your home from scratch, you may not be able to take advantage of this discount if it is offered. However, you may want to consider such materials as a criterion for a subsequent home purchase.
Remember, the best way to reduce homeowners insurance costs is to install certain security measures. However, before purchasing and installing such items, make sure that your insurer offers and you are eligible for such a discount if you install such security measures. Try bundling numerous insurance policies from one insurer. Finally, fireproof and fire resistant materials are a great way to minimize your fire risk and possibly obtain a discount on your insurance.