Homeowners insurance is one of those thing you never think about…until the rainy day comes when you need it. Insurance can be confusing at times – how much do I need, what do I need, am I covered – all valid questions that you should ask of your insurance agent especially if its a highly recommended home insurance agency. As a homeowner, experts from Utility Saving Expert say that you need to be proactive with your homeowners insurance and stay on top of it. Your insurance agent shouldn’t just be someone you call when there is an issue, but someone you work with to find the best solutions for your needs. And after the purchase, you should review your homeowners insurance regularly to be sure you’re getting maximum coverage at minimum prices. Make sure you’re not caught on a rainy day without an umbrella.
A Few Tips About Homeowners Insurance
- Check your premiums annually. Don’t just stick with one insurer because it’s convenient. By shopping around occasionally, you can often save yourself hundreds of dollars and get better coverage.
- If you belong to any trade organizations, see if there are any discounts through insurance carriers for being a member. You may be surprised at what you may find.
- If you own any jewelry like gold link charm bracelets, make sure you speak with the insurer about getting it covered. My wife and I were burglarized one summer and we lost a lot of valuable jewelry. We received nothing for it, because we had never thought about making sure it was insured. No amount of begging and pleading (or receipts) will convince your insurer that they should reimburse the value of these items.
- Get to know your insurance agent. Most of us never think of them until we need them. By maintaining a relationship with them you will probably be top of mind with them when they hear about new insurance products or ways to save you money. Insurance agents are much like real estate agents – we love repeat business.
- As your home appreciates in value over time or you add new items to the house, make sure you review your insurance needs. If you bought a house and insured it for $200,000 and many years later it is worth $250,000 and suddenly it is destroyed in a fire, you don’t want to realize that the insurance payout won’t even begin to cover the cost to buy a new home in your neighborhood because of the appreciation in home values that has occurred.
image courtesy of aubergene
Thanks for the advice on homeowners insurance. I agree that homeowners insurance is a good thing and something you want to be informed on. Great point about seeing if you qualify for any discounts through trade organizations or the like. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
I agree that it is a good idea to get to know your insurance agent. This can be very beneficial because the homeowner will feel more comfortable coming to the agent with questions or concerns. It never hurts to have someone you trust and feel comfortable with on your side where insurance is concerned. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
I like your tip to review your insurance policy and premiums annually. My husband and I have always just let our insurance policy renew. It seems like it would be a good idea to comparison shop on an annual basis and check to make sure we have the appropriate coverage amount. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
It is most definitely true that you don’t ever really think about homeowners’ insurance until you absolutely need it. I find it funny that a lot of people kind of avoid it. It is actually quite useful and pretty cheap if you do adequate research. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
These are some tips that I have never thought of. I do have a few pieces of jewelry that are worth a lot and I would like to have them protected. I don’t know if I am a part of any trade organizations, what is the best way to find that information out? [Self Promoting Link Removed]
I liked the tip that mentioned checking your premiums annually. That way it would seem like the homeowner would at least be informed on the status of what they are paying. However, that being said, it would probably be a wise thing to do some research to determine what kinds of options would work best for you. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
My husband and I are moving into our first home, and we have lots to figure out. One of the big things is finding the best homeowners insurance. I like what you said about getting to know your insurance agent personally. That will make it easier to talk to them, especially if there is a problem. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
I totally agree with this article because, When me and my husband got our first premium we stuck with it for a long time. We then were tipped off saying that we were paying too much. We were able to switch and now we are saving a lot more. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
These are some good tips for those who want to look into home owner’s insurance. I think it’s important to make sure you know what your policy covers. You want to be aware of this in case anything ever happens. You also want to see if there is any other coverage you should add that you might need. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
This is some really good advise for first time home owners. I liked your tip about getting your house insurance adjusted every few years. You add more to your house as you live in it. So it makes sense that you will need to change it. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
I’ve never really thought about the last tip you shared before. I guess it makes a lot of sense though. As a house gains value it makes sense that more coverage would be necessary. It would be awful to have something happen and only be half covered due to this. I think I’m going to have to look into this to make sure that everything is in a good place for myself. I wouldn’t want any problems. [Self Promoting Link Removed]
Checking the premiums annually is quite a helpful tip when it comes to find a good deal in a home insurance. This is something that I have been lacking of and gave little thought about doing. Well, what things would I expect when checking the premiums annually? [Self Promoting Link Removed]
I really like your tip about shopping around occasionally to save money. My husband and I are going to be buying our first home in the next few months and we definitely are all for saving money. I’ll be sure to keep these tips in mind while we try and search for the right fit for us.
Sounds like everyone is enjoying the tips – we appreciate you stopping by and leaving your comments!
I like your advice to check the value on your home regularly to make sure that the insurance you have will cover any damage done if the value of your home increases. My sister’s home burned down several years ago and knowing this could have helped them buy a house more similar to the one they originally owned. I’m going to make sure that I check the value of my own home to make sure I have enough insurance to cover it.