Our team of licensed agents will shop for your Ohio home insurance policy and help you get the best rate on the most comprehensive coverage. And we can help you get apples-to-apples comparisons for multiple Ohio insurance providers.
- Home-auto bundle. Save up to 20% by buying both coverages from the same provider.
- New home. If your home was built within the past 10 years, you could save up to 20%.
- 55 or older, retired. Save up to 20% – certain conditions apply.
- Claims-free. Save up to 20% if you haven’t filed any home insurance claims within the past 10 years.
- Alarm systems. Save up to 10% if you have one. You’ll need a certificate from your provider. Certain conditions apply.
- Fire/smoke detectors and deadbolt locks also could mean savings.
- The better your credit the better your rates.
Deductibles are the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance company starts to pay a claim, according to the terms of your policy. The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premiums. Nowadays, most insurance companies recommend a deductible of at least $500. If you can afford to raise your deductible to $1,500, you may save as much as 10 percent.
The land under your house isn’t at risk from theft, windstorm, fire and the other perils covered in your homeowners policy. So don’t include its value in deciding how much homeowners insurance to buy. If you do, you will pay a higher premium than you should.
Some companies that sell homeowners, auto and liability coverage will take 5 to 25 percent off your premium if you buy two or more policies from them. And if you own a business and you insure the business, home and autos with the same company some will provide discounts on your business policy.
You can usually get discounts of at least 5 percent for a smoke detector, burglar alarm or dead-bolt locks. Some companies offer to cut your premium by as much as 15 or 20 percent if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that rings at the police, fire or other monitoring stations. These systems aren’t cheap and not every system qualifies for a discount. Before you buy such a system, find out what kind your insurer recommends, how much the device would cost and how much you’d save on premiums.
Companies offer several types of discounts, but they don’t all offer the same discount or the same amount of discount in all states. For example, since retired people stay at home more than working people they are less likely to be burglarized and may spot fires sooner, too. Retired people also have more time for maintaining their homes. If you’re at least 55 years old and retired, you may qualify for a discount of up to 10 percent at some companies.
Establishing a solid credit history can cut your insurance costs. Insurers are increasingly using credit information to price homeowners insurance policies. To protect your credit standing, pay your bills on time, don’t obtain more credit than you need and keep your credit balances as low as possible. Check your credit record on a regular basis and have any errors corrected promptly so that your record remains accurate.
You want your policy to cover any major purchases or additions to your home. But you don’t want to spend money for coverage you don’t need. If your five-year-old fur coat is no longer worth the $5,000 you paid for it, you’ll want to reduce or cancel your floater (extra insurance for items whose full value is not covered by standard homeowners policies such as expensive jewelry, high-end computers and valuable art work) and pocket the difference.
You may pay less for insurance if you buy a house close to a fire hydrant or in a community that has a professional rather than a volunteer fire department. It may also be cheaper if your home’s electrical, heating and plumbing systems are less than 10 years old. And some companies will provide discounts for newer roofs.
Remember that flood insurance and earthquake damage are not covered by a standard homeowners policy. If you buy a house in a flood-prone area, you’ll have to pay for a flood insurance policy. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides useful information on flood insurance on its Web site at FloodSmart.gov.
If you have questions about insurance for any of your possessions, be sure to ask your agent or company representative when you’re shopping around for a policy. For example, if you run a business out of your home, be sure to discuss coverage for that business. Most homeowners policies cover business equipment in the home, but only up to $2,500 and they offer no business liability insurance. Although you want to lower your homeowners insurance cost, you also want to make certain you have all the coverage you need.
Cincinnati Family and
Business Insurance
910 Loveland Madeira Road,
Loveland, OH 45140
E-mail address:
mike@wp-cincinnatifamilybusinessinsurance-com.msgsndr.com
Available 8:00am - 4:00pm