The average homeowner pays nearly $1,100 a year for home insurance, according to the latest data from the Insurance Information Institute. That’s money well spent considering what it would cost to rebuild your house and replace your belongings after a disaster. But it’s good to know whether you might be able to trim costs.

Here are a few ways to save on homeowner’s insurance and get the protection you need at a more budget-friendly price.

Bundle your auto and home insurance policies

One of the easiest ways to save is to combine your home and auto insurance with the same company. Many well-known insurers offer a discount if you carry multiple policies with them.

Bundling auto and home typically saves you 10% to 20% on your homeowner’s rate, although it could be higher or lower depending on your insurer.

Make your home more secure

When calculating your rate, insurance companies look at your home’s susceptibility to threats such as burglary, fires and storms. You can limit risk and potentially qualify for cheaper rates by upgrading outdated systems like plumbing and electrical and by adding features that make your house tougher to penetrate — think storm shutters, impact-resistant roofing and deadbolt door and window locks.

By avoiding incidents and claims, you also give your insurer less incentive to increase your rates come renewal time. Because certain home improvements won’t be cheap, check with your insurer beforehand to see how much a given discount will save so you can make sure your spending isn’t out of proportion to the savings.

Look into more-obscure discounts

While discounts for bundling and home safety features may be best-known to shoppers, the possibilities don’t stop there. For instance:

• Some companies will reward customers if no one living in the house smokes.
• Some companies will offer a discount if you recently bought your home.
• You could even get a discount through some companies for simply paying your premium via automatic bank payments.

That’s just a small sampling. Ask your agent or insurance company about extra perks you could qualify for; you may already meet the criteria for some.

Improve your credit score

In many states, companies are permitted to use a credit-based insurance score to help predict the likelihood of future claims, and those with poor credit may face higher rates. If you fall into this camp and have a poor FICO score (under 630), take steps to improve your credit.

Rates can differ from one company to the next, so it pays to compare estimates from several providers. McKnight Insurance Services is an Independent Agent with offices in Mansfield and Midlothian, TX. We are a full service independent agency. We don’t work for a single or exclusive insurance company; we work for you! McKnight Insurance represents a carefully selected group of financially strong and reputable insurance companies, therefore, we are able to offer you the right coverage at the most competitive price.

These are just a few of the companies we represent:

MetLife

Progressive

Safeco

State Auto

Hartford

Universal

Republic

Travelers

 

If you have any questions regarding your homeowner’s policy, or would like us to review your current policy to make sure you are properly covered, please call us at our Mansfield office at 817-277-6166 or at our Midlothian Office at 469-612-5020