Insurance

Your house isn’t just a house, it is a home for you and your loved ones to share. This is why it is so important to protect your home and pocketbook, by purchasing home owner’s insurance now, instead of waiting for problems to damage your house. Below are a list of tips to help you find the right home owner’s insurance for you.

When you get a home insurance quote this will make sure that your home is insured correctly. The insurance policy may be for less than what you paid for your house. This is because insurance companies will not insure the land the home is on, only the house.

When taking photos of items that have fine detail or are reflective for your home owner’s insurance inventory, use a dark background like black fabric. This will bring the focus to the item itself and give you a better photo. Your insurance company will only accept photos that are fully in focus.

Try to purchase floaters. Many home owner’s policies limit the amount you can get on some expensive items like computer equipment, jewelry, and other fine collectibles to just a fraction of there replacement value. If this happens, be sure to pick up a policy called a “floater” or an “endorsement” for each item. You can be reimbursed if the article is lost. If an item is new, save the receipt and fax a copy to your agent. If the item is old, get an appraisal. Be sure to save one copy and send the other to your agent.

Be sure to take the time to research the company that you are considering getting your homeowners insurance through. You are going to want to be sure that there are not several complaints about payout times and denials of claims. If the company takes a long time to pay out or rejects claims, you may find it in your best interest to keep looking.

Bundle your insurance costs to save money. Buying your homeowner’s insurance from the same company from which you buy your auto insurance or RV insurance can result in a significantly discounted policy. However, don’t buy a bad policy based on a discount. Shop around and make sure that the cost of the combined policy is less than two separate policies at another company.

You should buy “guaranteed replacement value” insurance. This can mean that your home can be rebuilt if a disaster occurs, despite the costs. Due to increased home values in recent years, it most likely costs more to build a home than when you first purchased your home and policy. These types of policies take care of increased costs and provide you with a bit of a cushion if the price of construction increases.

If you have condo or apartment insurance, ask your insurer what the coverage is for accidents that lead to damage in other people’s units. Make sure that it would be enough to cover all the appliances in the kitchen, likely the most expensive room in the house. Also consider having enough coverage for an entire unit in the case of a fire.

Keep insurance considerations in mind when you plan a major home addition or renovation. The materials and techniques you use in making additions can have a major effect on your future insurance premiums. Sturdy, fire-resistant building systems like concrete and steel will cost you less to insure than standard wood-frame construction.

Consider adding a personal article floater to your home owners insurance policy. This will cover a large price tag item, such as jewelry or artwork, in the event of a house related claim. Though your general policy will cover some belongings, if you have a big ticket item the policy alone might not be enough. Discuss this with your agent to make sure your coverage is adequate.

Do everything possible to prevent yourself having to make a claim on your home insurance. If you don’t make any claims with your home insurance provider, you can build up a no-claims discount. After five years of no claims, many insurance companies offer discounts of 50% or more on your annual premiums.

Home owner’s insurance policies usually include a $100,000 liability coverage. Talk to your insurance representative if you feel that the coverage in your specific neighborhood is not enough. Be familiar with this provision, as the policy may pay for certain injuries suffered as a result of damage to your property.

When you have homeowners insurance and something happens that would require the use of your policy, make sure to make the insurance claim as soon as possible after the incident to avoid any discrepancy. If you wait this could complicate the process and often make the repair time much longer.

Don’t under-insure the items in your household to save a few bucks on your insurance premium. This seems like a good idea when you take out your policy, because no one really thinks a disaster is going to happen to them. The problem is, if and when a disaster does hit, it’s tough enough already without having to come to terms with the fact that your insurance money is not enough to at least replace some of the material items you’ve lost.

Install a security system in your home. Not only will it make you and your family feel safer and give your home some added safety from potential intruders, you will also find that it usually lowers your usual home insurance premiums. It can actually end up saving you as much as 20%.

Consider buying car insurance through the same company your homeowner’s insurance is through. Most of the time insurance companies, will give you a discount for having more than one policy through them. This can save you 20% or more on both insurance policies and make it easier to make one payment instead of two.

Protect your home and family’s finances by getting home owner’s insurance. So many things can hurt or damage a home. Do not leave your home to chance by not getting home owner’s insurance. Use the tips above to find a policy right for you so that you can protect the place you call home.