You probably use the phrase “home, sweet home” whenever you arrive home after a long trip and feel the warmth, comfort, and safety of your own place again. But a home won’t become truly sweet unless you have comprehensive home insurance. It will be even sweeter if you can lower your home insurance rate. This has become a concern for many people since home insurance rates are rising very fast in some states.
Some people think there’s no way to cut the costs of home insurance and save more money, but that’s not true. There are a lot of insurance companies with different policies and there’s always intense competition between them to win over customers. Increasing your knowledge of the different aspects of home insurance, the discounts and offers available, and generally, the ins and outs of this business will help you get a fair deal.
The following tips will guide you through the home insurance buying process, helping you save more money and make sure you’re not getting ripped off on your home insurance.
Think Twice
Many insurance companies will be more than happy to offer you their services. Each of them can give you different discounts and special offers that are unique to them. Do not rush into signing a contract with the first company you come across. Check all the available insurance firms, carefully compare their customer service, prices, and coverage, and then choose the one that best fits your bank account and goals.
If you are a busy person who does not have time to search for insurance, you can hire a broker to do everything for you. A broker who is not tied to any particular insurance company would make all the necessary calls for you and ensure that you get the best home insurance policy with the best coverage and the cheapest rate.
Increase Your Deductible
Most ordinary people who don’t have basic information about insurance policies want to have a low deductible when it comes to any type of insurance. What they don’t know is the fact that the lower the deductible, the higher the premium for home insurance. So if you have enough money in your bank account, it’s a good idea to raise your deductible, pay less money on your monthly premium payments, and save a lot of cash in the long run.
Upgrade Your House
The current condition of your home has a big impact on the amount you have to pay for insurance. The newer and more modern your property is, the more discounts you’ll receive. A very old-looking house is a red rag to insurance companies, they aren’t willing to insure these types of houses because the risk of breakdowns in these properties is much higher.
You should change the plumbing if it’s rusty and old, replace paint and flooring, and upgrade the heating and electrical systems to give your home a modern look, and make insurance agents more willing to give you discounts.
Make Your House More Secure
Improving the security of your home not only benefits your wallet but also your safety. Insurance companies are in love with alarm systems. Many insurers provide discounts for properties equipped with burglar and fire alarms, fire extinguishers, water detectors, gas leak detectors, smoke detectors, door locks, and storm shutters. If you already have any of these systems, you should let your insurer know.
Bundle Insurance Policies
A very effective way to lower your home insurance rate is to purchase multiple policies from one company. This way, you can not only get a substantial bundling discount from the insurer but also keep track of your insurance policies.
The most common bundling strategy is to bundle home and car insurance, but you should not forget that you can also bundle business insurance, life insurance, pet insurance, travel insurance, etc., and get a multi-line discount.
Stay Loyal
Most insurance companies love their loyal customers and reward them with loyalty discounts if they stay with them for a long period. The longer you stay with a company, the more discounts you receive. Some companies even increase the percentage of discounts for their long-time customers every year.
Keep Comparing Every Year
While it’s true that you can get discounts by staying with the same company, you should check other companies’ quotes and premiums at least once a year to make sure you’re getting the best coverage possible. Even if you can’t find a better company to switch to, doing so will give you peace of mind. You can do your annual research on your birth month so it becomes a habit and you don’t miss it.
Stay Claims-Free
You shouldn’t claim home insurance for small events. Remember that insurance is for catastrophic events. If you have more than two claims in five years, you’ll give yourself a bad reputation and providers won’t be happy to insure you.
Stay Curious
Don’t be afraid to ask about all the discounts insurance companies offer. Different companies offer discounts for different things, such as a new home or new buyer discount, an employee discount, a military discount, an automatic payment discount, a senior citizen/retiree discount, a smart home discount, and many more discounts they may not tell you about unless you ask.
Get Rid of Useless Policies
Take a look at the full list of policies provided to you. Think carefully about each one and cross off those that don’t apply to your situation. For example, if you don’t own a garage or jewelry, why would you want to pay extra money for insurance?
Bonus Tip: Stop Smoking
This isn’t just a tip for your home insurance, but for your life in general. If you quit smoking, you can live healthier and lower your insurance costs at the same time. Many companies offer discounts for non-smokers, so let them know you’ve quit smoking.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that home insurance is a must. Even if you’re the most careful person in the world, accidents happen and there is no way to avoid them, so home insurance is necessary to cover the costs in such situations. When choosing the right company to insure your property, you should consider the above tips to ensure that you get the best and most affordable coverage.
If you need further assistance, you can always rely on our insurance experts and contact us at The Kind Insurance for the best advice.