The Facts About Home Insurance

By William Hazelhurst

Getting an insurance policy for your valued assets is very important. Most people take out medical insurance because they recognize that medical problems must be attended to without delay because their health is important to them and, in precisely the same fashion, a lot of people also place a lot of importance on their home which they view as being another particularly valuable asset.

Home owners insurance, also referred to as hazard insurance, is a kind of property insurance that protects privately owned dwellings. This type of insurance policy protects you in the event of the loss of your home as well as the loss of things like furniture, appliances and your other personal possessions.

Exactly what a home insurance policy will cover is dependent upon your insurance contract but one important thing to remember is that most plans only provide cover for your house if it is your usual residence. If your property is unoccupied you might need a special type of home insurance often called a dwelling policy.

Additionally, how much you will have to pay for house insurance largely depends on your property and the amount of any loss which would result from the destruction of your home. It will also depend to a degree on the extent of cover which you wish your insurer to provide and a variety of other factors, like whether or not the property is adequately secured.

The principle factor will however be the value of the property and this means that it is especially important for homeowners to ensure that they have an up-to-date valuation for their property which truly reflects the current market value. For instance, in a lot of regions home prices have dropped significantly in the last few years and if this applies to your own home then you have to ensure that your insurer knows this and amends your insurance homeowners plan costs accordingly.

In the same way that making sure that your loved ones have adequate health insurance, it is also essential to ensure that you are able to maintain a roof over the heads of your loved ones by making sure that you have sufficient property insurance.

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Ensure that your insurance homeowners cover is up-to-date and, if you are not sure about it, get a free and no-obligation home insurance quote now.

8 Easy Tips For Buying Cheaper Homeowners Insurance

By William Hazelhurst

No one enjoys paying for homeowners insurance but unfortunately it is a necessary evil for most of us. That does not mean that you need to pay through the nose for it and here are 8 very easy tips to lower the cost of your homeowners insurance.

1. Take your time and shop around. By comparing prices from a number of insurance companies you will most likely be able to reduce your premium payments by a significant amount. This might seem to be obvious, but research has shown that an astonishingly large number of people either simply renew their current policy or request just one or two quotes. Many online insurance sites automatically compare dozens of plans for you therefore making this one of the easiest ways to reduce your insurance bill.

2. Purchase your insurance online. If you get your plan online you will often get a discount of up to 20% on normal prices because there are less administration costs involved and the savings can be passed on to you.

3. Combine your contents and buildings plans. Many insurance companies will allow you a discount when you take out both types of home insurance with them and this normally works out less expensive than buying the two plans from different companies.

4. Pay upfront. Although the majority of insurance companies let you pay your premiums in monthly installments many of them will charge interest for this. Accordingly, if you can afford to pay a full year's premium in advance, this will prove cheaper in the long run.

5. Don't submit claims for small amounts of money. Putting in many small claims can raise your insurance costs because your insurance company may consider you to be a greater risk and raise your premiums. You may also lose any no claims discount that your plan has. Of course, you are entitled to submit a claim for anything that your policy covers but ask yourself whether making a small claim is really worth the work involved and any possible future increase in costs.

6. Consider arranging for a high voluntary excess on your plan. Insurance policies feature something which is known as an 'excess' and this basically means that the plan will not pay out on claims under a certain value. in some cases if you opt to increase your excess your premiums will be reduced.

7. Increase the security on your home. Raising your home security with better door locks, window locks, lighting, and alarm systems will normally result in reduced premiums.

8. Think about reducing your level of cover. Many policies include benefits that you might not need like cover for personal items while traveling or 'free' legal advice. Examine your plan and see what parts of it you really need.

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Lower the cost of your homeowner insurance by getting a free, no-obligation home insurance quote without delay.

8 Very Easy Tips For Purchasing Cheaper Home Insurance

By William Hazelhurst

No one likes paying for home insurance but unfortunately it is a necessary evil for most of us. However, this does not mean you have to pay through the nose for it though and so here are 8 very easy tips to lower the cost of your homeowners insurance.

1. Take your time and shop around. By comparing prices from a number of insurance companies you will most likely be able to reduce your premium payments by a significant amount. This might seem to be obvious, but research has shown that an astonishingly large number of people either simply renew their current policy or request just one or two quotes. Many online insurance sites automatically compare dozens of plans for you therefore making this one of the easiest ways to reduce your insurance bill.

2. Purchase your insurance online. If you purchase your plan online you will often get a discount of up to 20% on normal prices as there are lower administration costs involved and the savings can be passed on to you.

3. Combine both your contents and buildings plans. A lot of insurers will allow you a discount if you take out both forms of home insurance with them and this usually works out cheaper than purchasing the two policies from different companies.

4. Pay upfront. Although the majority of insurance companies let you pay your premiums in monthly installments many of them will charge interest for this. Accordingly, if you can afford to pay a full year's premium in advance, this will prove cheaper in the long run.

5. Do not put in claims for small amounts. Making many small claims will frequently increase your insurance costs because your insurer might view you as a higher risk and increase your premiums. You will also lose any no claims discount that your policy accrued. Of course, you are entitled to claim for anything your plan covers but ask yourself whether making a small claim is worth the hassle and any consequent future increase in costs.

6. Consider arranging for a substantial voluntary excess on your plan. Policies feature something known as an 'excess' and this means that the plan will not pay for claims under a certain value. in some cases when you elect to increase your excess your premium payments will be reduced.

7. Strengthen security for your property. Raising your home security with better door locks, window locks, lighting, and burglar alarm systems will normally lead to lower premiums.

8. Think about reducing your level of cover. Many policies include benefits that you might not need like cover for personal items while traveling or 'free' legal advice. Examine your plan and see what parts of it you really need.

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Reduce the premiums on your homeowner insurance by asking for a free, no-obligation home insurance quote without delay.

6 Common Home Insurance Mistakes Which You Could Literally Lose You Everything

By Donald Saunders

Taking out the right property insurance coverage might not be particularly high on your list of financial priorities and, compared with things like investment and estate planning decisions, questions about the language in your homeowners plan might seem barely worth considering. Even So, the more successful you are, the more detailed your asset-protection needs are going to be-and the more you have to lose. Suppose, for example, that in addition to your primary residence-a historic home-you also own a house at the beach and a condo in the city.

For instance, let's assume that your properties are in three states, the value of your collection of Abstract Expressionist paintings has risen quickly and you just volunteered to serve as a director of of a charitable organization. Virtually every aspect of your present situation could cost you dearly.

Insurance laws vary considerably from one state to the next, different kinds of property need specialized coverage and collections of art and other unique items might be hard to protect fully. In The Meantime, serving on the board of a non-profit organization could land you with additional personal liability.

Safeguarding yourself, your family and your property could mean having to buy additional coverage, although additional insurance isn't necessarily the answer. Rather, it's vital to review all of your needs, think about specialized policies and coordinate your coverage with other facets of your financial situation.

Here are 6 problems which could turn out to be extremely costly.

1. Having gaps in your homeowner's cover.

Homeowners need to look at their cover on a regular basis so as to keep up with growing replacement costs. But, insuring different kinds of home in different locations poses additional challenges. If you take insurance cover from more than one carrier then you might be faced with contrary limitations, rules, and policy renewal dates. For instance, the liability limit on the policy for a second home could fall short of the minimum on an excess liability policy intended to complement the insurance on your primary home and you may well wind up being responsible for coming up with the difference.

2. Brushing Aside the unique characteristics of your property.

One advantage of affluence is having the means to own great homes but one problem is that These could be difficult to insure adequately. Normal homeowner's coverage is not going to pay for the materials and craftsmanship that is needed to rebuild that late 19th century showplace that you have painstakingly restored. Coastal properties could face hurricane damage, while a home in the California mountains could be subject to wildfires or earthquakes.

3. Inadequate insurance for collectibles and art.

Normal homeowner's plans limit coverage for the loss of such things as antiques, furs, and other valuables. And while you could schedule additional coverage, insuring the real value of a collection of contemporary art will generally mean purchasing a specialized policy which addresses a number of critical issues.

4. Forgetting to organize insurance for household employees.

When an individual works for you or your family as, for instance, a nanny, landscaper or personal assistant you could have a liability for medical expenses and lost wages if that worker is hurt while at work. Various states require household employers to pay into a workers compensation fund while in other states this is optional. However, providing such insurance may be obligatory for ensuring your financial well being.

5. Neglecting your liability as a member of a board of directors.

Excess liability coverage might help protect you if you're sued as a director of a charity or, if you prefer to have more comprehensive protection, you may want to think about arranging special directors liability insurance.

6. Failing to get regular plan reviews and updates.

Your finances aren't static and neither are your requirements for insurance. The value of your art collection may rise, extensive home renovations may mean a sharp rise in the value of your property and the re-titling of assets as part of your estate plan or as a result of divorce, a death in the family, or the birth of a child might necessitate plan changes. Even lacking any major events, you will almost certainly need to carry out a comprehensive review of all your insurance coverage at least every two years.

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Whatever the level of homeowner insurance you need equip yourself with the very best free homeowners insurance quotes today.