Save 20% on Your Home Owners Insurance Without Spending 20% of Your Savings
Author: Anthony M. Peck
Source: ezinearticles.com
Wouldn’t you love to be able to save 20% or more on your home owners insurance? The problem is, many of the repairs and upgrades needed to dramatically lower the cost of your home owners policy are going to take a bigger bite out of your savings account than most Americans in today’s stressed economy can afford.
Fortunately, state insurance divisions from coast to coast realize this. That’s why they’ve broken down the top secret algorithm used to decide on the cost of your insurance, shedding light on inexpensive ways you can shave 10% or more off your insurance without bleeding your bank account dry.
First and foremost, did you know that simply taking the time to compare home owners insurance quotes can save you a bundle? Many home owners, particularly those who are buying for the first time, make the mistake of believing that one home insurance provider is the same as another. As a result, they sign on the dotted line with the first company that offers them respectable coverage at a price they can afford.
In reality, however, home owners insurance providers are all different-and each one is going to offer you a different price on your premiums. There is no universal guideline for the discounts an insurance company should offer to their policy holders, so one company may be able to offer you five or six more discounts than another. Or a higher percentage reduction for certain discounts. Or-you get the picture. If the prospect of hunting through the huge assortment of home owners insurance companies operating in the United States is daunting, consider using a quote finder tool to shop for home owners insurance online.
However you decide to do it, make sure you do your homework first.
The second thing to do is look at the fire prevention tools available in your house. Do you have smoke detectors? How about a fire extinguisher? Believe it or not, spending $50 or less to purchase these items from your local WalMart can save you 10-15% or more on your insurance premiums. Damage resulting from household fires is among the most commonly filed home owners insurance claims, and minimizing the damages these fires can cause will go a long way toward lowering the amount you’re going to pay for your home owners insurance.
Finally, take a look at your windows and doors. When people purchase home owners insurance they usually think of it in terms of protecting them if a storm sweeps through town-or a fire breaks out-or winter snows send their roof caving in. They forget that their homeowners insurance policy is also there to protect them if there’s a break-in and a thief with more ambition than sense decides to help themselves to their television, radio, computer and antique jewelry. Defending your home against B&E professionals can shave 15% or more off your home owners insurance premiums.
Electronic security systems can be a bit pricey, but they’re the most effective way to shave 20-30% off the cost of your home owners insurance. Especially if they happen to connect directly to local law enforcement. If you can’t afford that, however, consider going down to your neighborhood hardware store and investing in new locks and deadbolts for your front doors. Most homes are sporting dollar store specials as their front line of defense, and between the fact that lock bumping directions are currently available on YouTube and lock-picking kits that can be bought for ten dollars or less on the web, it pays to have a lock that’s going to offer more defense against intruders than the relative protection of a Kleenex.
When it’s all said and done the suggestions above should cost you less than $100-200, but it can drop the cost of your home owners insurance by at least 20%.
Anthony M. Peck is the Senior Developer, Software Project Manager and Director of Business Development for QuoteScout.com, a company dedicated to helping homeowners get the best deal on their home owners insurance. For more information on saving 20% or more on your home owners insurance, visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.
