Your home is probably the largest investment you’ll ever make. You put so much money into the purchase. Why spend more than you should on home insurance? An investment is meant to increase in value. You can increase the value of your home through renovation and maintenance, but you shouldn’t have to shell out an inordinate amount of money on upgrading your insurance coverage just because you’ve increased the value of your home.

Tips for Decreasing the Cost of Your Seattle Home Insurance

Take a look at the six tips below that will help you decrease the cost of your home insurance:

• Increase the amount of your deductible. If you increase your deductible you can save as much as 25% on your premium. But you need to remember that as you increase your deductible, you are increasing the amount of money that you will need to pay out of pocket should you suffer a loss. If you increase your deductible from $500 to $1000, you will save a good deal of money per year on your premiums, but in the event of a loss you will have to pay $1000 yourself before you carrier begins to pick up the remaining costs. Make sure you can afford the increased deductible before you make the decision to raise it.
• Think about adding on. You can collect big savings on your insurance if you add preventive and protective elements to your home. For example, upgrading your roofing, electrical system, plumbing, and purchasing things like storm shields for your windows can save you money. Consult with your agent to find out which home additions will offer you the best discounts on your insurance costs.
• Fight theft. Discounts on insurance are often available for adding a burglar alarm system and other items like deadbolt locks to your home. Ask your insurance agent which types of anti-theft systems and devices will offer you the best protection and qualify you for the largest discount. Ask before you install any system because some are not eligible for discounts, and you don’t want to shell out for a security system that might not net you a discount.
• Guard against fire. Fire causes more damage and destruction to homeowners than any other type of loss. Fortunately, there are quite a few ways to safeguard you and family against it. Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are the first line of defense. Test the smoke detectors, change their batteries frequently, and make sure everyone in the household knows how to use the extinguishers. A more high-tech fire fighter is the installation of a sprinkler system. Any or all of these devices can qualify you for discounts on your insurance. Ask your agent for details.
• Guard against flooding. Many of the claims filed by homeowners are for water damage. Most of this damage happens because the hoses running from appliances are faulty or old. Make sure you take the time to replace your appliance hoses every few years. Flexible metal hoses are best because they will not rupture, but plastic hoses will do the trick as well, as long as your remember to check on them frequently. Preventing water claims will save you money on your home insurance.
• Consolidate policies to one company. If you are using one carrier for your home insurance and another for your other policies (automobile insurance, life insurance, etc) consider moving those polices to the company that provides your homeowners policy. Most carriers offer discounts if you buy multiple policies from them.

Cost-saving Guidelines for Shopping for a New Home

If you are in the market for a new home, there are a few issues to consider that will have an impact on the cost of your homeowner’s policy.

• How old is the home?
• What costs are involved to build in the area in which you want to live?
• How close is your home to a police station, a fire station, hospital?
• Is your home in a high risk area, such as a flood or earthquake zone?
• Is your home in an area that is considered a high-crime location?
• How good is your credit?
• Have there been claims on the property in the past?

Make sure you have answers to these questions before you make a decision on which house to buy. Being armed with this important information can lower the cost of your home insurance.

Shopping for Seattle home insurance can be quick and simple. Let SeattleHomeInsuranceQuotes.org offer you no-cost Seattle home insurance quotes at your convenience.