5 Ways to Lower Your Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance is one of those things we're glad we have when there's an emergency, but the rest of the time we kind of resent paying. That makes sense, because we already have enough bills stuffing the mailbox every month, thank you very much. Now, there's no way to get coverage for free, but there are some ways you can lower the amount you pay every month for your homeowners insurance. Let's take a look at five ways you can lower your premium:

1. Shop around and compare

Just because you've been with the same insurance company for a while, that doesn't mean you have to stay with them. In this day and age, it's easy to use the Internet to compare rates and coverage between different companies. Call insurers or browse their web sites to see what they are offering for homeowners in your area. You can also contact your state insurance department, which may list the prices of the major insurers in your state.

2. Ask about discounts based on loyalty.

If you never ask your insurance company for a discount, you'll never get one. But if you've been a customer for more than three years, you might be able to negotiate a 5% discount on your premium. Some insurers will give you a 10% discount if you've been with them more than six years. Don't be afraid to let them know you're shopping around and comparing them with other insurers. It's very likely they'll be willing to lower their rates a bit to keep you on board.

In addition, some insurance companies will cut your rates if you're over 55, so make sure and contact them if you've had a birthday and reached this magic number. You could get a discount of as much as 10-15%.

3. Home security can lead to a discount.

Another way you might qualify for a discount is if you've installed a home security system. Insurers know this means you're less likely to be the victim of a crime, so they're less likely to have to make a big pay out to you. You don't necessarily have to install a big alarm system with lots of gizmos and sirens. You may be able to get a discount simply by letting the insurance company know you've added smoke detectors, dead-bolt locks, locks for your windows, timers for your lights, and motion-sensing outdoor lights.

4. Raise your deductible for a smaller monthly payment.

Homeowners insurance has many of the same rules as car insurance, and one of them is that if you're willing to pay a higher deductible (this means the amount you're willing to pay yourself in the event of a break-in, fire, natural disaster, etc.), they'll charge you less each month. Simply increasing your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can cut your premium by 25%.

5. Bundle your insurance plans.

Many companies will offer a 5-15% discount if you use them for all your insurance needs (i.e. homeowners insurance and auto insurance). This will likely turn out to be cheaper than having separate policies for everything you want to insure.

Visit the author's home security web site for more information on homeowners insurance.