Steps You Can Take To Reduce Your Home Contents Insurance Premium
If you have just bought your first home or have moved into your own rented property, it pays to have home contents insurance in place. There is no telling when you may need to make a claim and contents insurance is one way to decrease the stress and worry.
There are many policies to choose from when it comes to covering your belongings and it pays to shop around. Some things that you can do to reduce your premiums are fairly obvious. Ensuring you have a sturdy windows and properly installed locks is key – forgive the pun! Install a burglar alarm and security lighting. Make sure any garages or sheds have padlocks.
When going to get an insurance policy there will be questions and elements of the forms to fill in that look for the security steps you have taken. This is because around a quarter of all breakins are unforced. This means that the thief has obtained access to the property without having to break in. If your house is not locked, a claim may be turned down.
Lots of details will be requested when you go online for a home insurance quote. You must be honest and tell about all the security measures you have put in place. For example, tell them if you have installed a safe in your property to keep your valuables locked away. Reducing the risk of theft should reduce the premium costs. Local policing schemes and neighbourhood watches can also improve the detailed quote price.
Another way to reduce the amount you will pay is to increase the amount of excess payable in the event of a claim. The excess for most insurers is in the region of £50 per claim. Keeping it as low as this does mean higher premium cost. By increasing your excess from the £50 to a higher amount of your choosing, this will reduce the amount you will be expected to pay in the first instance. Also the price of a yearly payment is usually cheaper than paying it monthly, avoiding interest payments. Extra interest payments add to the overall charge you will pay for the policy.
Buildings and contents insurance for home owners can usually be combined with a discount. Many people purchase one policy which covers both elements but this can work out to be more expensive than purchasing separate policies. Shop around for quotes for both combined and individual policies to see which option works out best for you.
Having a look around on the internet will secure some of the cheapest home insurance deals for contents and buildings. Many insurers offer online discounts and deals if you decide to buy your contents insurance from them online. Not all companies appear on the instant comparison websites, so it pays to shop around to secure extra savings.
