by Joann E. Jenkins
As we all know, a house is not just a roof over your head. It is where you raise a family and make memories with loved ones. Protect your house with the home owner's insurance that it deserves. This article will give you some great advice when you are looking to purchase home owner's insurance.
Get multiple quotes for home owner's insurance companies. You can use the internet as well as the phone or in person meetings to find the best possible rates for your policy. You are going to find that rates vary a great deal between companies and if you take the time to shop around you are going to save a good bit of money.
If you have an older home, consider upgrading or modernizing heating and plumbing systems to decrease your home owner's insurance premiums. These improvements can reduce risk of electrical fire or water damage, making it possible to lower your insurance costs. At the same time, these improvements can make your home safer and increase the value of your property.
If you want to be sure you are paid properly for a homeowner's insurance claim, you must report any loss to the insurance company immediately. Claims on your home are subject to certain time limitations, so waiting too long may give the insurer a reason to say that the claim is no longer valid.
A great way to reduce the amount of premium you're paying on your home owner's insurance is to pay in a lump sum annually. Insurance companies hate having to bill customers monthly and, God forbid, chase them down for their payments. By paying up front you're ensuring your entire premium will be paid and you could save between 3-5%!
Make sure to take inventory when filing a claim in regards to your home owner's insurance policy. You need to both prove ownership of specific items and have their worth verified. This is much easier when you actually have your items. Try filming your home with a video camera for proof. Go through every room, and quickly get all the items you own on tape. Get footage of the attic, basement, and any closets or storage lockers too.
When you are filing for fire insurance, make sure your policy covers damage sustained to cars during a fire. Many people do not do this and end up having to pay for car damages after a fire. If your car does happened to get damaged, make sure to put the type and amount of damages on your claim.
When it comes to homeowners insurance, make sure you update it if your life changes. If you go through a divorce, make sure the right people are on the policy. If you a built a playground or added something to your house, you will need to update that, too. Being current is what you need to be!
When you are looking into homeowners insurance there are things that you can do to help with the costs of your premium. One of the things that you can choose to do is to make your deductible higher. It will lower your premium but you should keep in mind that smaller things such as a broken window may have to be paid out of pocket by you.
Install smoke alarms in your home. It will not only help to protect your family in the case of a fire but it will also get you about a ten percent discount on your home insurance policy. Many newer homes already have them installed but if they are not, it is an affordable thing to add to your home.
Update your home owners' insurance policy regularly. Your original insurance policy took the original number of bedrooms, bathrooms, construction type and location into consideration. Contact your insurance agent every time you make significant improvements on your home, such as added a swimming pool or increased the number of rooms, so they can reimburse you for the repair costs that might occur.
Install a security system to reduce the cost of your home insurance. By installing a burglar alarm that is linked to a local police station you can decrease your home insurance annual premiums by 5% or more. Make sure that you inform your insurance company that you have a security system installed and be aware that they may ask you to provide proof.
Make sure that you are aware of any changes to your policy following a life-changing event. After it happens, be sure to inform your agent. This includes marriage divorce, adult children moving out or back in, etc. The amount of insurance you will need and everything that you want covered will vary throughout the years. Make sure to keep your policies and inventory up to date.
If you need to file a homeowner's insurance claim, you'll need to prove your losses. A good way to document your possessions is to take a video while walking through your house, describing the items. Then upload the video to a safe, non-public place online, so it won't be destroyed if anything happens to your home. Scan receipts for your possessions, too.
When keeping records of your possessions in case of the need to place a claim, take photographs of any important or big ticket items. The photographs can often be used to prove value, and locate similar items to find out replacement cost. Keep a duplicate copy of the photographs in a safety deposit box at your bank.
Consider the total cost before submitting a claim on your home owner's insurance policy to prevent premium increases. If the total cost for a claim is lower than your deductible amount, do not file the claim. At the same time, if the cost is not much over your deductible, you may want to reconsider filing a claim. Often, keeping a lower claim ratio on your policy, prevents rate increases over the long-term.
If you are currently insured under a government plan, purchase home owner's insurance through a non-governmental company as soon as possible. Often, private insurance carrier rates are less expensive than government rates, depending on the location of the property. If you live in an area prone to natural disasters, it may be difficult to find a private insurer willing to take on the risk, but the financial savings can be substantial.
Do not procrastinate when it comes to protecting your home. Since you never know what may happen in the future, it is important to assure that you will be protected financially if something happens to your house. Use the home owner's insurance advice in this article to safeguard yourself and your family against the unexpected.
<a href="http://www.smilesrealty.com/">Rent to own</a> is a great route to discuss with your family, though it is not a walk in the park to look for a wortwhile <a href="http://www.smilesrealty.com/rent-to-own-condo/">rent to own</a> opportunity.
---------------------------------------------------
You are receiving this because you signed up for it on 2011-02-07 from IP 86.126.202.195
To fine-tune your selection of which articles to receive, just login here:
http://www.uniquearticlewizard.com/bloggers/
using your username:
To unsubscribe please use the following link:
http://www.uniquearticlewizard.com/unsubscribe.php?mail=parkour_papai.haos@blogger.com&code=0803a194df8fd79bd2321477a6b8719f
---------------------------------------------------
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu