Friday, January 30, 2009

Home Insurance Quote -- Steps For Cheaper Rates

By Chimezirim Odimba

There are many ways to more affordable home owners insurance. But while many of them may save you some money, they could leave you with inadequate coverage. But in this article, I'll share several proven ways of paying less and at the same time have adequate coverage. Here they are...

1. If you want to save much: Insuring your home against every peril is NOT actually necessary. There are perils that are very unlikely in some areas. You can almost say with confidence that some perils are not a possibility in certain states going by their history.

It pays to make sure that you insure your home against every peril that has a reasonable chance of happening. Buying insurance for a peril that has never happened in a state can be rightly seen as financial waste. Opting for the right perils will make you buy only coverage that is necessary. This will result in savings if you had too much coverage before doing the review.

2. You'll get more affordable rates if you build with the right materials. For instance, brick houses are best in locations with high winds while frame homes are preferred in earthquake regions. As a result, having a frame home in the East will definitely cost you much more in home insurance. For those who stay in the West, they'll spend more if they buy a brick home. You'll get a discount of a minimum of 5% if you use the recommended material for your house.

3. The more claims you make the higher the risk associated with insuring you. If you make claims for every little thing, your house will soon be assessed as a much higher risk than another similar house where the owner files fewer claims. You'll get a more expensive rate as a consequence of this higher risk perception.

So if it is something you can take care of conveniently, do NOT make a claim. This will help keep your rate cheap.

4. Do you have a fire extinguisher or fire extinguishers in your house (depending on the number of fire sources you have in your home)? For example, your kitchen must have a good and functioning fire extinguisher. It's important that the fire extinguisher be good enough for the point it is meant to protect.

A fire extinguisher is only useful if it can be reached and also works well. Therefore, ensure that it is in perfect condition and accessible. Doing this will help you lower your rates.

5. Cheap quotes, while interesting, should be considered only after checking the insurance provider's rating. It's one thing to pay your rates faithfully and another thing for an insurer to keep to the deal. It is vital that you spend time to first check with your state's department of insurance website or its equivalent. Confirm from them whether your preferred insurer is licenced to offer home insurance and also their standing.

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

But before you do this...

You will save a lot if you only have between 25-30 minutes. Visit, obtain and compare home insurance quotes from several insurance quotes sites. The lowest quote should be your choice easily. Nevertheless, you have to look beyond just the lowest quote to the best price/value. The lowest priced may not offer the best price/value for you as an individual. - 16089

About the Author: