Home Insurance Articles
Five Home Improvements That Will Lower Your Insurance Rates
2010-07-12
Everybody's looking for ways to get a lower home insurance quote. And there's a slightly newer twist on an old adage that can help get those lower insurance quotes. It's true: "sometimes you have to spend a little money to save more money." And one of the best ways to lower your home insurance quotes is with one of these five home improvements.
One of the best five home improvements to lower your insurance quote is to install an alarm system. Installing a burglar alarm system can get you a discount of 5 percent. Putting in something as inexpensive and simple as deadbolt locks can earn another 5 percent discount. But get ready for a discount of 15 to 20 percent (depending on your insurance provider) if you decide to install a very sophisticated home alarm system. Notify your insurer and see which alarm systems will earn you a significant home insurance discount. In addition to a burglar alarm, adding motion-sensitive lights/illumination on the outside greatly reduces the risk of home theft.
But it's not only burglar alarms that will knock down your quote. Fire and smoke damage can be very expensive, not to mention very dangerous. So adding a good smoke detector can save you money. It's also possible to get a lower quote by making sure there are fire extinguishers easily available on every floor of your house.
Looking out your windows every days is something you probably do without thinking about it. However, those windows can break for a number of reasons: A stray ball, a wind-blown tree or a burglar trying to get in. Shatterproof windows can help you get a discount and save you some hassle as well. Adding impact-resistant doors is a related improvement that can save you an additional amount on your home insurance quote.
If you have an older house, you can also find other ways to save. If you have an outdated heating system (anything over a decade old), get an upgraded, newer system. A newer system is probably more energy efficient and a lot less likely to overheat and possibly cause a fire or other expensive complications. And fires can be very expensive. Energy-saving tip: Most modern homes have a programmable thermostat; if yours doesn't, consider getting one, because these little gadgets will allow you to control and conserve the amount of energy used to cool and heat your home. Along with this, updating your plumbing and wiring systems can also add to the discount.
In these tight economic times, everybody is looking for ways to save money. These home improvements can save you money on your home insurance quotes.