Summary:
Fortunately there are quite a few steps, many of them easy and inexpensive (others more complex and expensive) which can help you to structure a homeowner's insurance policy that saves you the most money possible - and once that is done then it becomes a rather simple procedure to jump online and make a few quick and easy comparisons and find the very best price you can possibly get on your homeowner's insurance policy.
Let's start by determining how large of a policy you ...
Fortunately there are quite a few steps, many of them easy and inexpensive (others more complex and expensive) which can help you to structure a homeowner's insurance policy that saves you the most money possible - and once that is done then it becomes a rather simple procedure to jump online and make a few quick and easy comparisons and find the very best price you can possibly get on your homeowner's insurance policy.
Let's start by determining how large of a policy you need. You need a policy that will cover 100% of the cost to rebuild your home from the foundation up and to replace all of your belongings in today's dollars. In order to arrive at the right figure you may need to consult a local contractor or an experienced real estate agent.
Remember, you need to insure the cost of rebuilding your home and replacing its contents - but don't make the mistake of paying extra to insure the value of the land on which your home sits. Don't insure the land.
Do everything you can to keep your credit record clean. Many people are not aware that their credit score directly affects how much they pay for homeowner's insurance, but it does. The higher your credit score the lower your monthly premium payment will be.
Do you have other insurance policies, such as auto or health with the same company? If so you probably qualify for a Multi-Policy Discount on your homeowner's insurance.
Have you been with the same insurance company for at least 5 years? If so ask about a Long-Term Policy Discount.
Is anyone in your home 55 or older and retired? If so your agent may be able to offer you a nice discount on your monthly premium.
If your home is more than 10 years old ask your agent how much of a discount you can get if you have your plumbing and electrical system upgraded. If you've done any work to your property, anything from landscaping to upgrading, let your agent know. You might be surprised at what can get you a discount on your monthly homeowner's premium.
You can make your home more fire proof and quite possibly save money on your homeowner's insurance if you clear all weeds or brush from your property.
Also, adding motion-sensitive floodlighting to your yard and trimming bushes back away from windows not only discourages burglars but they can also help keep your homeowner's premium down.
Make certain that all exterior doors have working deadbolt locks and that all windows, including those on upper floors, have working locks. Make locking your home a habit, even if you are only going to be gone "for a minute."
Install the recommended number of smoke and fire alarms for the size and layout of your home and make sure they all have fresh batteries. Batteries need to be changed twice yearly (many people change batteries every time they move their clocks forward or backward an hour).
Buy a kitchen-approved fire extinguisher for your kitchen and mount it where it is easily accessible.
If you can afford to install a sprinkler system and/or a home protection system that is monitored 24/7 and which reports to the authorities in case of burglary or fire you may qualify for a discount on your homeowner's insurance of up to 30% -- but be sure to talk to your agent before installing any system as some systems qualify you for larger discounts than others.
Using the information provided in this article you should be able to construct a homeowner's policy that will save you money month after month on your insurance. Now let's get online and see just how much of a savings you can really get.
In order to get the most affordable homeowner's insurance in Florida you really need to take the extra time and make your comparisons on at least 3 of the websites designed to let you find the best and the least expensive homeowner's insurance.
Once you have made your comparisons on at least 3 different websites then you can sleep easy at night knowing that you really and truly have gotten the most affordable homeowner's insurance that Florida has to offer.