1. Shop around:
One of the easiest ways to save money on your homeowners insurance is to simply shop around to look for the best deal. If you get quotes from multiple insurance providers and find a company that offers the same or better coverage for less money than you are currently paying, then by all means switch companies.
There are many websites where you can get instant quotes online by filling out a simple form with some of your information. You can also make some phone calls and talk to insurance agents or check consumer guides to find companies which might provide a better bargain.
2. Raise your deductibles:
The deductible is the amount of money that you are required to pay toward a loss before your insurance company starts to pay for a claim. Many insurance companies have a deductible of $500. If you were to raise your deductible to $1000 you could save as much as 25% on your monthly premiums.
3. Monitor your credit report:
More and more insurance companies these days are using credit information to set the price of a homeowners insurance policy. Anything you can do to improve your credit score could help you save money on your homeowners insurance.
4. Stay with the same insurance company:
If you remain with the same insurance company for several years, you may be able to receive a special discount for being a long-term policyholder. Some insurers will discount premiums by 5% if you've been with them for three to five years and by as much as 10% in you've been a policyholder for six years or more.
5. Use one company for different types of insurance:
If you use the same company for more than one type of insurance you may be eligible for a discount. For example if you use one company for homeowners insurance, health insurance, and car insurance you may be able to get a reduced price for all three.
6. Quit smoking:
It may sound strange but non-smokers can generally pay less for homeowners insurance than smokers. The reason for this is because a large percentage of house fires are caused by cigarettes. If you are a non-smoker there is less of a risk of your house being damaged or destroyed by fire thus, you may be eligible for a discount on your premiums.
7. Install a home security system:
Installing a home security system may also make you eligible for a discount on your homeowners insurance premiums. Houses with security alarms are far less likely to be burglarized. Since your insurance company would pay for any damage caused by a person breaking into your house as well as replacing any personal property that was stolen, the fact that a security alarm reduces the chance of this happening may make you eligible for a discount with your insurance provider.
8. Ask for additional discounts:
Another use a way to save money on homeowners insurance is to simply ask about any possible discounts. There may be discounts that you are eligible for that you don't even know about. By simply calling your insurance agent and asking about any possible discounts you may be able to get a reduced rate.
9. Review your policy:
You should review your insurance policy once per year. If you review your policy and learn that you have more coverage than you need, you can reduce your coverage and pay lower premiums. On the other hand, after reviewing your policy you may decide that you need more coverage. If this is the case your premiums would increase but you would be protected in the future if you ever needed to make a claim.
For example if you were to build an addition to your house you may want to actually increase the amount of coverage that you have because if your house were to burn to the ground in the event of a fire you would want to make sure that your policy would pay to repair or rebuild your house. If you made a major addition and did not upgrade your policy your insurance may not cover the "new" value of your house.
Hopefully these tips offered you some food for thought. You should always talk to a competent professional regarding any major financial decisions but the tips in this article give you some good ammunition so that you are prepared for that conversation.
