Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Home Insurance -- Factors That Drive Down Costs

By Chimezirim Odimba

There are things you must understand and apply if you're really serious about getting considerable discounts. I'll show you some of them here...

Your building material can save you a great deal in premiums. Frame homes are more resistant to earthquakes while brick homes are more resistant to high winds. This means that those who live in the East will save if they opt for a frame house. But if you reside in the West, a frame home will save you much more. Expect to save a minimum of 5% if you opt for a building with the recommended material.

Make sure you do NOT leave ladders lying just anywhere. Keeping it in such a manner would be making a thief's operation much easier. In the same manner, do NOT leave your tools or machinery on the lawn. Like ladders, tools and such could aid a burglar in breaking into your house. All such things will ultimately increase premium if you do not keep them in the properly.

Increase your deductible.

A deductible is an amount an insured is expected to pay before his/her insurance company becomes bound by law to pay as indicated in the terms of their policy. $250 appears to be the smallest deductible selectable in home insurance. You'll easily make savings of about 12% on your premium if you increase your deductible from this minimum to $500. If you elect to make it $1000 you might easily get discounts of up to 24 percent. Ask your agent for how much you'll save as all insurance companies don't have the same discounts..

A swimming pool is certainly one important feature that makes it a dream home. But do you appreciate that it increases your rates substantially especially if you don't take adequate precautions?

While I will not tell you to NOT have a swimming pool on your property, make sure you take all needed safety measures. Doing otherwise will make you pay much higher premiums.

Shatter-proof windows will bring good savings. You will get very reasonable discounts by replacing your windows to these if you reside in an area where hail storms and high winds are frequent. Always remember to keep your agent informed whenever you take a step like this. I recommend that you discuss this with your agent even before you undertake the replacement as he or she might make inputs that will result in more savings.

Finally...

You can save a lot of dollars by visiting at least 5 quotes sites. If you do this, you will get the lowest quotes possible as five sites will present up to 25 quotes altogether.

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