Insurance

Tips for Finding Affordable Florida Homeowners Insurance

Most Floridians’ primary residences are their most significant financial investment and most valued possessions. So it stands to reason that they will take all necessary precautions to safeguard their capital. Purchasing homeowner’s insurance is one measure to safeguard your property.

Everyone in Florida, of course, wants to keep their homes safe from harm, but they also want the lowest possible rates on homeowner’s insurance.
There are a few easy things you can do to assist in lowering the cost of your homeowner’s insurance coverage.

First, let’s talk about how much insurance you need. It is essential to have enough insurance to rebuild your home and replace all of its belongings. That is to say, following a catastrophe, sufficient funds are required to restore normalcy.

You should avoid buying homeowner’s insurance that covers the value of the land beneath your property at all costs. It is unnecessary to insure your land.
Remember that most Florida homeowner policies exclude wind damage and that no conventional coverage will cover floods. Talk to your insurance agent about getting quotes for wind and flood coverage.

If your home is older than ten years, you should probably ask your real estate agent how much money you could save monthly by upgrading the plumbing and electrical systems. Over a year, the savings can pile up.

Keep weeds and brush at least ten feet away from your home or other buildings. This lowers the potential for a monthly loss due to fire and may also save money.

Please verify that the deadbolts on all exterior doors are operational and that all window locks are secure, regardless of the floor they’re on. Don’t forget to update your real estate agent on any changes you’ve made to your house or property. Your homeowner’s insurance rate may decrease if you invest in fresh landscaping, repair cracked or broken walkways, or replace wobbly floors or hand railings on porches or decks.

Trimming back bushes from windows and installing motion-sensitive exterior floodlights can also help lower your monthly premium by making it harder for burglars to commit their crimes.

Make it a habit to check your smoke and fire detectors twice a year, install enough of them, and position them appropriately for your home size and layout. When moving clocks ahead or back an hour, many people also replace the batteries in their smoke and fire alarms.

Get a fire extinguisher approved for kitchens and install it in a visible location.
Maintain a spotless credit history. To your surprise, your credit score does play a role in determining the cost of homeowner’s insurance. Your credit score directly correlates to the cost of your homeowner’s insurance policy each month.

You may be eligible for a Multi-Policy Discount from your insurance provider if you have more than one policy with them, such as for your car and your health.
Talk to your agent for a Long-Term Policy Discount on your Homeowner’s insurance if you’ve been with the same provider for at least five years.

If you have the means, installing a home security system that monitors your home 24/7 for fire and burglary can reduce your monthly insurance premium by a sizeable amount. However, before investing in such a system, you should discuss the potential savings with your agent, as different systems are eligible for discounts.

Any member of your household who is 55 or older and retired may qualify for a further premium reduction.
When was the last time you looked at your deductible? You can reduce your annual premium costs significantly by raising your deductible if you can do so.

Okay, with that information, you should be able to create a homeowner’s policy that will save you monthly money. Finding at least three websites that let you compare the price of your super-policy among multiple insurance companies is all left to do now.

To be sure you’re seeing costs from all the different insurance providers here in Florida, it’s worth your time to compare them on at least three websites. After that, you may rest easy knowing you got the most excellent price for your Florida homeowner’s insurance.