When people purchase a home they should immediately add home insurance coverage to their house. This insurance coverage is added to a home to protect homeowners in the case that they befall an accident and their new home incurs some type of property damage. A homeowner’s insurance policy pays for repairing or rebuilding a home if it is damaged or destroyed by fire, hurricane, hail, lightning, or other disasters listed in their policy. Unfortunately, a standard policy won’t pay for property damage caused by a flood, earthquake, or routine wear and tear. In cases like these, you’ll have to purchase separate insurance coverage, like flood insurance.
About 70 percent of homeowners in the United States have homeowners’ insurance, and most wish that they didn’t have to pay so much to keep their homes insured. Most everyone wants to pay less for the best coverage options available. This is especially true in the case of pensioners, who are already living on a fixed income. Below are five ways pensioners can reduce their home insurance premiums by seeking out the best price for their payments without compromising on protection for their home and belongings.
1. Make your home more disaster-resistant.
With a home insurance policy, your home will be covered from natural disasters such as a hurricane, hail, and lightning. That being said, if you want to reduce your home insurance premiums, you should try to protect your home from these natural disasters as much as possible. First, you’ll want to confirm what steps you can take to make your home more resistant to such disasters with your insurance agent.
One way to get your provider protection for your home and to save on your home insurance premiums is by investing in new windows. If you’re in Michigan, you can Google “Kalamazoo window replacement” and put new windows in instead of your older windows, adding storm shutters, reinforcing your roof, or buying stronger roofing materials. In the case of older homes, these can be updated to withstand earthquakes. You might want to look into consider renovating your heating, plumbing, and electrical systems to reduce possible fire and water damage. Doing something as simple as getting a window replacement can help save on home insurance premiums in the long run.
2. Shop around.
Another way for pensioners to reduce their home insurance premiums is to seek out different options. Shopping around is a good way to ensure that your pockets don’t stay strapped, and it’s not a bad thing if you do this. Your goal is to find a home insurance premium that provides solid coverage options and doesn’t break the bank.
Start this process by doing home insurance compare between different insurance companies to look for good rates. In addition to this, check consumer guides, insurance agents, companies, and online insurance quote services. By comparing insurance carriers you can make sure that you have enough coverage and liability protection for the best price around.
3. Maintain a good credit record.
Some people say that money makes the world go around, but those people are wrong. The truth is that having a good credit record is what makes the world turn. Credit can ensure that you get a good job in some cases. Having good credit can help you with purchasing the car of your dreams. If you don’t have good credit, your options when it comes to homeownership or buying a car will become severely limited.
The same can be said with your insurance costs. If you can maintain a good credit history, this can help to cut your insurance costs. Just like employers, insurance companies use credit information to price homeowners’ insurance policies. If you have bad credit, there’s a good chance your rates will go higher and your level of coverage will lower. Improving your credit score can give you peace of mind when seeking out ways to reduce your home insurance rates.
4. Improve your home security.
Maintaining good home security can also help pensioners with reducing their home insurance premiums. These measures are designed to lengthen life and improve the quality of the home. For instance, when you add a smoke detector, burglar alarm, or dead-bolt locks to your home you can usually get discounts of at least 5 percent on your home insurance rate. If you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that rings at the police, fire, or other monitoring stations, your rates can be lowered by as much as 15 to 20 percent. Not to mention that your valuables and personal belongings will be better protected.
5. Raise your deductible.
When you have a loss on your property a deductible has to be paid first. Before your insurance company begins to pay a claim, deductibles are the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss out of your own pocket. One thing to consider is that the higher your deductible you have to pay in the event of a claim, the more money you can save on your home insurance premium. Looking into a higher deductible is a good way for an insured person to see about lowering their overall home insurance premium payments.
