Friday, May 15, 2009

Do You Need Homeowner's Insurance?

By Calvin Wapasa

You might be required by your mortgage lender to have homeowners insurance but that does not mean you cannot shop around for the best deal and find ways to reduce the amount you pay. Let's face it; there are numerous other things to invest your money in than just an insurance therefore any cash saved in this area can be used elsewhere.

Most insurance companies that retail insurance plans, other than homeowners insurance, will recommend people look over other types of policies they have. For example, if your auto insurance underwriter also sells homeowners insurance, you might get a discount of up to 15 percent off your premium for having both products from them.

You must also not forget to add any new expensive items to your homeowners insurance each year to guarantee continued coverage but some items will also depreciate as well, especially electronic goods. Another overlooked area is that of having too much insurance which happens when people either have insurance cover for things they do not own or where the item is already insured via another policy.

A particularly good way to reduce your insurance premium, although many people do not even think about it, is to increase the limit of your deductible form the minimum (normally 250 dollars) to a more realistic 1,000 bucks which may save anything up to twenty five percent on your monthly payments. You will also find it worthwhile taking some basic steps to secure your house and fit safety items like smoke detectors which will reduce you insurance premium along with panic alarms and shutters to protect against storms for instance.

Individuals who buy new house also benefit more often than not from homeowner's insurance premium reductions because they have homes that are built to higher standards and have additional safety and security measures as standard. Seniors are often awarded discounts on their householders insurance if they are over 55 and retired, or if they've been a client of the same company for a long time. Gated communities, security locks on doors and windows etc. regularly present you with lower payments.

If you have been a smoker for a long time then you will have noticed that your Homeowners insurance premium has been higher but if you have stopped smoking, a reduction is normally due thus do not forget to inform the insurer. The number of fires caused by cigarettes in the USA is over 20,000 per year therefore you can see why non-smokers can receive preferential rates.

It is surprising how many householders also forget to deduct the value of the land their house is built on from the overall evaluation which will reduce the monthly premium they have to pay. This can be a substantial saving considering the cost of land increases over recent years because the likelihood of the land being damaged is minimal.

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