Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Home Insurance Rate -- How To Qualify For Cheap

By Chimezirim Odimba

Everyone in their right mind would be very happy to find a way to enjoy affordable rates provided such a way won't mean being left with insufficient coverage. Let's explore some time-tested steps to achieving just that...

Maintaining a government homeowner's insurance policy could be making you spend much more on home insurance than you would otherwise. It used to be very hard to find insurers if you live in some high crime areas or places that were affected by particular natural disasters. Then it was just the government's policy that could buy. Nevertheless, at the moment there are a number of private insurers who also offer coverage for such areas.

Depending on your location, though, you might still have no better option but to stick with government homeowner's insurance. But if your area is now serviced by some private insurers you might save a lot more by buying from them.

Always check on your plumbing and upgrade once it becomes a need. Statistics show that water damage is the predominant claim on a homeowner's policy. This implies that if you can show your insurer that you've taken steps to reduce or remove the risk of water damage, you'll reduce your home insurance rate. Be sure to inform your agent once you upgrade you plumbing system.

Do you have a fire extinguisher or fire extinguishers in your home (depending on the number of fire sources you have in your house)? If you do NOT have any other place, make sure your kitchen has one. It's important that the fire extinguisher be adequate for the point it is meant to protect.

And, always remember that you must keep them within easy reach. This will help lower your home insurance premium.

A household that has a smoker or smokers will get more expensive premiums. With over 23,000 residential fires being as a result of smoking you'll agree that it is actually a serious issue. Do all within your power to make sure nobody smokes in your home and you'll get more affordable premiums. If you were a smoker at the time you purchased your policy, you're entitled to a review if you've stopped. What if your insurer refuses to give you discounts because some companies don't give non-smokers discounts? Then it is 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 save a lot of money in home insurance if you obtain and compare home insurance quotes from insurance quotes sites. You will make savings if you use just one of such sites. However, you'll get better results by using at least five.

The straightforward reason for this is that you will get many more home insurance quotes from a wider range of insurers. This raises your chances of getting better quotes.

Cheap quotes, while attractive, should be considered only after checking the insurer's rating. You don't want to pay your premiums faithfully only to discover later that your insurance company can't make good its part for some of reasons. It doesn't take a lot of time to check with your state's department of insurance's website. You can easily verify an an insurer's rating there (and even if they even licensed to sell insurance in your state).

You can also get useful information about an insurance company from independent bodies like BBB, A.M Best Company, Phelps, Inc., Standard & Poor's Insurance Rating Services, Moody's Investor Services, Inc.

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