Home Insurance Articles

How Increased Security And Lower Premiums Are Connected

2010-04-05

Security and the cost of home insurance are intrinsically connected. Increasing the security in a home means less risk of a break-in or damage, and therefore less chance the home insurance company will be called upon to provide service. This, in turn, will lead to lower premiums for the homeowner. While there are no hard and fast rules for increasing the security of your home, there are a few simple ways that you can make your home less attractive to criminals and more appealing to your insurance company.

First, get a monitored alarm system. The price of these systems has dropped significantly in recent years, and many now feature low initial setup costs combined with reasonable monthly payments. Features inside the home include door monitoring and motion detectors, as well as glass break sensors and fire and carbon monoxide detectors. All of these features help to make the home safer to live in, and limit the chance of criminal activity or damage. An alarm company sticker in the window will often convince a would-be thief to move on to greener pastures as breaking into an alarmed home, while still possible, has a far higher chance of capture.

Second, make sure to have decent locks installed on all doors leading to the outside. A simple chain lock or twist lock is no substitute for a deadbolt. Often, multiple locks on an entry point such as a patio door can go a long way to both dissuading initial criminal activity, and preventing entry should an attempt be made. The more secure your home is and more difficult it will be for anyone to enter it without your permission, and the lower the chance the home insurance company will be called. This means less risk for them, and a lower home insurance premium for you.

Homeowners should also pay attention to the outside of their home. Keeping a clean yard and making sure that all windows have an unobstructed view is key in limiting criminal activities. A home with many bushes or trees in the front yard blocking the windows is a burglar's dream, as they will be able to both enter and exit the home with very little chance of being detected. Motion sensitive-lights are also an excellent outside idea, as a criminal's worst fear is being revealed and identified. While a motion light will often catch only your neighbor or an animal in your front yard, its ability to proactively limit crime is well worth the price. All of these things - security systems, door locks, and outdoor crime prevention - can go a long way to lowering the premium on your home insurance coverage.