Is it just me, or does it seem like we got gypped? When we were younger, everyone used to talk about how great 2010 was going to be. We were going to have floating cars. We were going to have organic fuel. We were going to have a lot of things that we're still just watching wistfully in sci-fi flicks!
One thing we're not still fantasizing about, however, is the fact that we can walk over, pick up the phone, call our insurance agent and watch the price of our homeowners insurance sink lower…
…and lower…
…and lower…
This year is the perfect year to go out and pick up cheap homeowners insurance. Why? Because "cheap" homeowners insurance doesn't mean "Cheap" homeowners insurance-at least, not anymore! Thanks to the miracle of modern technology and the fact that insurance agents are finally figuring out the difference between "high risk" and "high end," homeowners insurance no longer costs you an arm and a leg!
If you're really interested in dropping the price tag on your homeowners insurance the first thing you're going to have to do is find ways to make your house as fireproof, waterproof and impervious to B&E wannabes as possible! When you're playing the insurance game it's all about relative risk. Think about it. If you were an insurance agent, would you want people stealing your profits? Of course not.
So, if you're going to set yourself up for the cheap homeowners insurance you deserve you're going to have to make some preparations before you go shopping around. I recommend you start with your home security system, since that's usually the easiest thing to fix and is going to cost you the least.
Deadbolts and an electronic alarm will go a long way toward scaring off your average B&E man, especially if they're just canvassing the neighborhood. A good thief thrives on anonymity, secrecy and being able to get in and out in the blink of an eye. Alarms and deadbolts throw a major glitch in the works and will usually send them chasing after easier targets across the street!
Do you have a fire extinguisher and operational smoke alarms? Owning a fire extinguisher can go a long way toward making sure a tiny kitchen fire doesn't send your house up in flames, and smoke alarms will give you the heads up that you need to use that fire extinguisher long before the fire's had the chance to do major property damage.
Make sure your electrical and plumbing systems are up to date. Older houses are insurance risks for a reason! All it takes is one burst pipe or one short in the wiring to have you filing homeowners insurance claims and your insurer paying a small fortune to help you pick up the pieces!
Remember, the name of the game is home safety. If you can master that, you'll be in a great position to take this year and walk away with the cheap homeowners insurance you deserve!
