In certain locales, tornadoes are frequent and can cause lots of damage. If you live in a tornado zone, you need coverage to protect your home. Even if you don’t live in a tornado zone, you still want to make sure you have a solid insurance policy. Here are some insurance tips to help protect your home.

Inventory your home to ensure your claims go through when necessary. It’s hard to remember what was in a home during a catastrophic event. Photos or video are the best way to get a full inventory.

Alarms help your premiums go down. Insurance companies are looking for people that have secure homes, and that’s why it’s cheaper to insure someone that has put these safeguards into place. As soon as you have these safety features installed, contact your insurer so that they can reduce your premiums right away.

Want to reduce your premiums by as much as ten percent per year? Install smoke alarms. The reduction is due to the added security against fire. Some insurance companies go as far as to giving out even more discounts to home owners who install several fire alarms.

Work on paying off your mortgage as quickly as possible. This can help you find the best homeowners insurance rates. A home that is owned outright is considered a lower risk because full owners tend to care for their homes well.

Changes within your specific neighborhood may lead to your premiums decreasing. If you have a fire station or hydrant nearby, this could reduce your homeowners insurance premiums. Be aware of your surroundings, and communicate any updates or changes that might possibly affect your premium.

Earthquake insurance is a must in areas prone to earthquakes. Often, regular policies do not extend to earthquakes. Therefore, you may be out a lot of money if one strikes in your area.

Insurance Costs

When adding onto your house, make sure you take insurance into consideration. Depending on your location and the insurer, the use of more durable materials like concrete may lower insurance costs for the add-on. These are much less likely to sustain damage, so your insurance costs will be less.

You can make sure that your most expensive belongings are protected by specifically listing them in the policy or adding them in the form of an endorsement. Basic belongings are usually included, but jewelry, furs and other expensive items might have policy limits that don’t reflect item value. If the policy won’t cover those items fully, follow directions and list the items one by one to get full coverage.

The homeowner’s insurance tips that you’ve just read provide all kinds of helpful advice to assist you in locating the best coverage for your needs for a low price. Better safe than being sorry is always better when it comes to your home.