7 cost-saving tips for home insurance buyers – The Ararat Advertiser

7 cost-saving tips for home insurance buyers – The Ararat Advertiser

Home insurance is an inevitable expense, but there are ways to save money on it. Photo: Adobe Stock.

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As a new homeowner, it’s imperative to ensure that your dream house is adequately insured if you’re fortunate enough to purchase it. Aside from mortgage protection, the other type of insurance coverage that you need is home insurance, which helps protect your investment in the event that something unexpected occurs.

However, although home insurance offers peace of mind, it can be expensive. Fortunately, there are some cost-saving tips you can consider as a home insurance buyer, and these include the following.

Shop around for the best value

One of the ways to enjoy savings when looking for the best home insurance policy for your needs, is to shop around and compare house insurance quotes. To do this, you need to keep in touch with two or more reliable insurance companies and compare their policy coverage and quotes.

As you shop around, remember that the cheapest policy doesn’t always provide the best value. Many home insurance policies exclude coverage for floods and other natural disasters. Therefore, if natural disasters are frequent in your region, you should consider getting home insurance that covers property protection.

Remember that the insurance industry is highly competitive. If you’re armed with valuable information on every policy, never hesitate to negotiate for the most affordable rate possible.

Avoid too much coverage

When buying home insurance coverage, you must avoid being over-insured or under-insured. Being over-insured means you’re paying too much for unnecessary coverage, while being under-insured means you don’t have enough coverage to protect your assets.

One of the ways to avoid being over-insured and spending your hard-earned money on useless policies is to keep your home insurance in check. This is done to avoid nasty surprises that can result in needless reductions in your budget. Carefully check the policy and pay attention to possible floaters. They can be additional insurance for things that aren’t covered in your policy, such as artwork and jewelry.

Maximize your voluntary excess

When it comes to insurance, voluntary excess is the amount you want to pay towards a claim aside from the compulsory excess set by the insurance company. If you wish to pay a high amount of voluntary excess for your home insurance policy, it’s possible to get a more affordable premium. Just be sure to set your voluntary excess at the amount you can afford should you make a claim.

Bundle up

Purchasing two insurance policies from the same provider can make a difference in reducing your monthly premiums. For instance, you can combine home and auto insurance policies to get discounts from your insurance company.

You’d be paying more expensive premiums if you have a high-value property. So, combining such premiums with your car insurance premiums makes more sense to get better discounts from your insurer.

If you don’t know the types of insurance packages you can bundle up, it’s wise to ask for help from your insurance company. Most insurance agents give helpful recommendations or suggestions about the best insurance policies you can combine.

There are things that can be implemented to reduce home insurance costs, like bundling with auto insurance, or safe-guarding your home from weather events. Photo: Adobe Stock.

Increase your property’s resistance to catastrophic events or disasters

Home safety doesn’t only revolve around improving your property’s security. Making your home storm-ready can reduce the risk of unexpected damages in case of catastrophic events.

For example, if you’re living in an earthquake zone, ensure that your home has a strong foundation. If your area is prone to storms, invest in storm shutters. If you often experience harsh winters, upgrade your roof. The more you invest in home upgrades, the more you’ll reduce your monthly insurance premiums.

Never neglect the importance of research

Buying a home insurance policy can be a daunting task. With the numerous insurance providers offering various options, it makes the process more challenging. However, make sure you take time in doing research about the insurance provider you prefer.

Check the insurance company’s policies, their website, client testimonials, and ratings as necessary. When researching offline, asking others who have previously purchased home insurance policies can help you learn more through their experiences and the top service providers available.

Once you’re done with research, you’ll get ideas about the range of coverage or services being provided by different insurance companies. Plus, you’ll have a clue on the possible cost of buying the right home insurance for your property and its unique requirements.

Install safety equipment

As previously discussed, most home insurance providers tend to lessen the cost of your monthly premiums if you install safety equipment in your house. This may include carbon monoxide detectors, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, deadbolt locks, and a smart thermostat. Such safety gear won’t only improve your home’s safety, but it can also reduce your home insurance premiums.

Home insurance may be an additional expense for homeowners, but it’s a crucial investment to protect your belongings or property from any damage that incur costs. This is why it’s essential to spend more time searching for the right home insurance coverage that won’t cost you more than what you can afford. So, regardless of what you’re looking for in a home insurance policy, use the above tips to save money and make a wise decision.

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