Saturday, May 2, 2009

Affordable Home Owner Insurance Rates In Richmond Virginia

By Chimezirim Odimba

There are a good number of ways open to everyone who plans to get affordable Richmond Virginia homeowner insurance. But while some of them might reduce your cost, they could leave you with inadequate coverage. I do NOT usually recommend such options as they rubbish the main aim of a Richmond Virginia home owner insurance policy in the first place. Bearing this in mind, I'll only give you suggestions that will also leave you adequately covered in spite of saving you much. Here they are...

1.Your credit rating has a serious impact on what you pay. Those who have excellent ratings pay far less than folks who have low ratings. If your credit rating is bad then you've NOT been faithful in paying up your bills. No insurer is happy with this as it shows a pattern you are very likely to repeat in the payment of rates. This makes you a higher risk to them and you, therefore, are made to spend much more than someone else with similar profile that has a very good rating.

Therefore, it will do you much good to pay all your bills once they are due. Apart from the other benefits in doing so, it will ensure you get lower Richmond home insurance premiums.

2.Government home insurance policies could really be costing you more than what you can now get with private companies. Natural disasters in certain areas made it very difficult for people there to get home insurance coverage. Most people in those regions had just one option: Government homeowner's insurance offered by a government agency. The story is really different now as private insurers are beginning to cover such regions.

Yes, government homeowner's insurance may still be your best option depending on where you reside. But for folks whose areas are now serviced by private insurers, you can expect to pay more affordable rates than you would with government agencies.

3.Having a smoker in your household will raise your premium by a huge margin. And statistics have it that over 23,000 residential fire every year are as a result of smoking. Non-smoking households get better rates than households with smokers. If you stop smoking successfully for over 12 months, tell your agent and ask for a well-deserved discount. If your insurance company refuses to reduce your rate after you've stopped, look for another insurer.

4.Fit your home with shatter-proof windows and you will attract more affordable rates. You will get very reasonable discounts by replacing your windows to these if you live in an area where hail storms and high winds are prevalent. It might benefit you more if you discuss this with your agent first to get an idea of what savings you will obtain if you take this step before you commence.

5.There are exclusions in your home insurance policy. Do you know them? Those are things that the policy does not provide coverage for.

Therefore, before you settle for a cheap rate make sure the insurer does not exclude something that might compromise you down the line. No matter how affordable a policy is, it isn't good enough if it doesn't provide with adequate coverage. Before buying make sure you understand what is covered to avoid rude suprises.

6. As you take other steps to lower your home premium, here's what to do to receive lower rates today. Visit trusted insurance quotes sites and get quotes. Visit at least five of such sites for the best results. It's free, quick and easy. However, ensure you give your correct details as you complete the forms on each site. All you have to do next is just pick the insurer that gives you the best price/value from the quotes you receive.

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