Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Home Insurance Rate -- Steps To Get Cheaper

By Chimezirim Odimba

We all will be glad to get a very affordable rate if it comes with the right coverage. But in what ways is this possible? Here are steps that will help you attract reasonable discounts easily...

Maintaining a government homeowner's insurance policy could be making you spend much more on home insurance than you would private companies. It used to be extremely difficult to find insurers if you live in some high crime areas or places that were affected by particular natural disasters. Some folks in those regions had just an option: Government homeowner's insurance offered by a government agency. The story is really different now as private insurers are beginning catering for such areas.

Depending on where you live, though, you might still have no other option but to buy government homeowner's insurance. But if your area is presently serviced by some private insurance providers you might make considerable savings by switching to them.

Always check on your plumbing and upgrade as soon as it becomes a need. Reports show that water damage is the predominant claim on a homeowner's policy. Consequently, proving to any insurance carrier that your home has little or no risk of water damage will get you a good discount. And do not forget to inform your agent if you upgrade your plumbing.

Do your best to place fire extinguishers at strategic points in your home. If you do NOT have any other place, ensure that your kitchen has one. It's important that the fire extinguisher be adequate for the point it covers.

Put them within easy reach and ensure they are working properly. This will help reduce your home insurance premium.

Having a smoker in your household will increase your rates by a huge margin. With over 23,000 residential fires being as a result of smoking you will agree that it's actually a serious factor. You will spend less in home insurance if nobody in your household smokes. If you're a smoker at the time you bought your policy, you're entitled to a review if you've quit. What if your insurance company refuses to give you discounts because some companies don't give non-smokers discounts? Then it's time to shop for an insurer who does unless you have something else to make your continued stay with such an insurer worthwhile.

Don't forget: You can bring down your home insurance premium by obtaining and comparing quotes from at least five good quotes sites.

While obtaining cheap rates should be of interest to you, you should be more interested in an insurance company's rating. Few things can be more painful than discovering that made payments faithfully to the wrong insurance provider only when you file a claim. Spend time to find out from your state's department of insurance website. Find out if your preferred insurer is licensed to offer home insurance in your state.

Independent bodies like BBB, A.M Best Company, Standard & Poor's Insurance Rating Services, Moody's Investor Services, Inc. will also give you information that will help you determine if an insurer is worth it.

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