How To Get Affordable Homeowner’s Insurance In Iowa
Your home is probably your largest investment and your most priceless asset and because it is you probably have homeowner’s insurance to protect your pride and joy.
But whether you have homeowner’s insurance because you want to protect your home and its contents or whether it’s because your lender insists that you purchase insurance, the simple fact remains that you still want to get affordable homeowner’s insurance here in Iowa.
The good news is, you can – and the steps you need to take to lower your monthly payments are within reach of almost any homeowner.
Start with your credit score. If you want the best rates possible on your homeowner’s insurance you can start by keeping your credit in excellent shape. Surprisingly the size of your monthly premium payment is based in part on your credit score – the better your credit score the lower your homeowner’s insurance payment.
Don’t smoke. Smoker’s pay more for homeowner’s insurance than non-smokers. If you smoked when you first took out your homeowner’s policy but you have since quit, then you need to talk with your agent and see about getting your premium reduced.
A large part of your homeowner’s insurance premium is based upon the level of fire danger to your house. Cut weeds and brush back at least ten feet from any structure on your property to reduce the fire risk – and to reduce your monthly insurance premium.
Motion sensitive outdoor floodlights are a great way to make you home less appealing to burglars but more appealing to your homeowner’s insurance company. Along the same lines you need to trim all bushes away from windows to further discourage burglars.
If you can afford a sprinkler system and/or a home security system that is monitored 24/7 for both fire as well as burglary you may be in line for a reduction in your homeowner’s insurance premiums of as much as 20% to sometimes 30% — but be sure to tell your insurance agent which system you’re planning to install before you sign any contracts.
All exterior doors need a working deadbolt lock and all windows, regardless of which floor they are on, need a working lock – and you need to get in the habit of locking your home securely even if you are only going out for a “minute.”
Upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems in a home more than 10 years old can result in a substantial savings each month on your insurance premium. Be certain to let your agent know any time you make a repair or upgrade to your home.
Make sure that you have installed the required number of smoke and fire detectors for your size home and make certain each one of them is working properly. Don’t forget to change the batteries in your detectors at least twice each year.
Finally, purchase a fire extinguisher specially designed for kitchen fires and mount it where it can be easily reached in case of a fire.
You’ve now done most everything you can to reduce the size of your monthly homeowner’s insurance bill. Now it’s time to go online and find at least 3 different websites that let you quickly and easily compare homeowner’s insurance policies and prices side-by-side.
Be sure to take the time to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites; that way you can be certain that you are seeing price quotes from every insurance company writing homeowner’s policies in Iowa and you can rest easy knowing that you have gotten the most affordable homeowner’s insurance that you could possibly find.
