Thursday, March 19, 2009

Alaska Homeowners' Insurance -- Time-Tested Savings Tips

By Chimezirim Gabriel Odimba

Alaska homeowners' insurance: You don't need to do great things in most cases in order to reduce your rates. You may be surprised to discover that all that's making it difficult for you to get far more affordable rates are little things you can easily deal with. Let's examine some of them in this article...

1. Your claims in time past have an effect on an insurer's perception of your home's risk. Making too many claims will result in your house being seen as a bigger risk than it actually is. This will force you to get more expensive rates.

Do NOT make a claim if it's an issue you can deal with without much hassles. You will be keeping your home insurance rate more affordable by doing that.

2. You'll get lower rates if your home is built with the right materials. Buy a frame house for better resistance to earthquakes or buy a brick home for better resistance to high winds.

Therefore, if you reside in the East, you will enjoy more affordable rates if you yours is a brick home. But if you reside in the West, a frame home will save you a lot more.

You will get a discount of not less than 5% if you use the recommended material for your home.

3. Ensure that the exterior of your home is fire-safe and your premium will be cheaper. You'll be doing the right thing if you ensure there's nothing that's inflammable close to your building.

Cut bushes around your home. Even though it looks simple, you'll get cheaper rates if you do keep them at a distance of at least ten feet from your structures. This is because how fire-safe a house is goes a long way in shaping what it will cost to insure it.

4. Install shatter-proof windows and you will attract better rates. If you live in locations with high winds and hail storms get your windows replaced with these and you'll be eligible for considerable discounts.

It may be wiser to discuss this with your agent first to get an idea of what discounts you will obtain if you undertake this before you commence.

5. Insuring your home against every peril is NOT quite a need. The likelihood of certain perils in your state is too low to make purchasing coverage for them a real need. Different states have perils that are likely and those that are almost impossible.

Make sure your Alaska home insurance policy provides coverage for every peril that has a good chance of happening. However, there's no reason for you to really purchase coverage for a peril that hasn't occurred in the state for five decades.

Review your policy and keep coverage for only the right perils. You will reduce your premium by doing this if you bought excess initially.

6. You'll save much if you take out some time to get and compare Alaska home insurance quotes from five or more reputable quotes sites. The entire process is quick, free and easy but could save you several hundreds of dollars.

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