4 Smart Ways To Lower Your Homeowner's Insurance Costs

If your homeowner's insurance costs are higher than you would like, there are numerous steps you can take to improve your home and lower your homeowner's insurance costs over the long-term. Some of these methods will require a little investment, but will usually pay off in multiple ways.

When you sign up for an insurance policy, you may notice the that the insurance agent asks you tons of questions about every little detail of your house. That is because they record and use every detail about your home to calculate your premium.

Many insurance companies will send agents out to verify information about your home or use public records to verify the accuracy of the information that you provide. That is why even small improvements to your home, when reported to your insurance agency, can decrease your premium.

Install Dead-Bolt Locks

If your external doors do not have deadbolt locks, and instead have simple turn locks, update all of your external doors to dead bolt locks. Deadbolt locks will help give your premium a small decrease, usually not more than about five percent, which is small, but small discounts can add up. Additionally, adding dead-bolts will make your home more secure and harder to break into.

Install Smoke Detectors

If your home doesn't have smoke detectors, now is the time to add them. You can easily pick up smoke detectors at your local home building store. It is best to have at least one smoke alarm on each level of your home. You should have a smoke alarm near the bedrooms in your home as well as one for your bathroom.

If your home has a gas supply, be sure to install carbon monoxide monitors and alarms as well.

Add a Security Alarm

Next, add a security alarm. You can install a simple security alarm with motion detectors that are attached to your external doors and ground-floor windows. This alarm system doesn't have to be fancy or even connected to a monitoring station. The simple presence of an active, working security alarm can help lower your insurance premium.

Upgrade Plumbing or Wiring

If you have really old plumbing or wiring in your home, and were planning on upgrading them anyway, be sure to let your insurance provider know when you upgrade either your plumbing or wiring in your home. These types of improvements don't only increase the value of your home as well the safety of your home, two factors that insurance providers car about.

If you want to lower your insurance premium while improving your home, add deadbolts to your exterior doors, install smoke detectors, add a security system, and upgrade the plumbing and wiring in your home. For more information, contact companies like Bishop Insurance Agency.