| How much are you paying for homeowners | | | | being located well. It's important to keep your |
| insurance right now? Chances are, if you didn't | | | | home in tip-top condition. It doesn't have to be |
| take time to select an insurance cover carefully | | | | too much, but just make sure that you get things |
| and take into account certain factors, you could | | | | fixed as they break. Whenever insurance |
| actually be paying less for the same value that | | | | assessors come round to value it, they look for |
| you're getting now. | | | | signs of disrepair and will charge you for it. They |
| There are certain things that will drive your | | | | will also give you higher premium rates because |
| homeowner insurance premium rates down, and | | | | they know that they may be compensating you |
| they are not complicated or hard to achieve. | | | | soon. |
| Considering that homeowner insurance premiums | | | | 3. Take security seriously - install burglar alarms, |
| are owned usually for long periods of time, it's | | | | secure doors and gates. A secure home means |
| important that you save every penny that you | | | | that there is little likelihood of a break-in, so the |
| can because eventually it will amount to | | | | homeowner's insurance company is more |
| something. Imagine if you saved $1 every month. | | | | confident that they will not be compensating you |
| That's $12 every year, and then multiply that by | | | | soon. Whenever you install a security device, |
| the number of years you own the home - and | | | | make sure that you keep the installation |
| that's just from saving a dollar. | | | | certificate and present it to the insurance |
| Here are some ways to make sure that you get | | | | company and ask that they lower your premiums |
| your homeowner's insurance rates at a minimum: | | | | based on that. |
| 1. Shop around before you buy. It makes a lot of | | | | 4. Get your electrical and water installations done |
| sense to see in a broad sense what the market | | | | professionally. Many times, fires will be caused by |
| is offering. Some insurance companies are huge | | | | faulty wiring. As much as you can, get a |
| and famous and we tend to go with them | | | | professional to do it for you. This is for your own |
| because we feel that they are the most reliable | | | | security as the owner and occupier, but also for |
| since they are big. True, but they may be | | | | the insurance company. They take poorly done |
| unnecessarily expensive. You'll be surprised to find | | | | electrical wiring and plumbing very seriously |
| that medium and small sized insurance companies | | | | because they know that fires and flooding can |
| will make an equally good deal with you but for | | | | happen any time. |
| less. Make sure you look at several options in all | | | | If you notice, apart from the 1st point, all the rest |
| tiers before you settle. If you discover that you | | | | are about the state in which you keep your |
| can get a cheaper deal somewhere else, just wait | | | | home. It is only reasonable that you protect what |
| for your current premium to elapse and move - | | | | is likely your biggest asset against loss, and one |
| you'll be saving lots. | | | | way of doing that is to make sure that it's in |
| 2. Fix your home. Many people will buy homes and | | | | good condition all the time. Apart from being able |
| let them fall into dishevelment. That's why you | | | | to attract lower insurance premium rates, you'll |
| may eventually find that when a valuation is done, | | | | get a much better value for it in the end. |
| the property is worth next to nothing despite | | | | |