Doing These 2 Things to Your House Could Save You Up to 20% on Homeowners Insurance
If you own a home, homeowners insurance probably isn’t something you think about regularly. For most, you pay it alongside your mortgage payment, so it’s never really top of mind — just another bill you’ve got to pay.
But, when you think about it, it’s probably one of your more expensive bills, with the average American paying an annual premium of $1,211 in 2018, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Here’s the thing, though: You’re probably paying too much for your current policy. When’s the last time you checked prices, anyway? You probably didn’t realize how many discounts are available.
We suggest taking 60 seconds to get a free quote from Hippo Insurance, an online insurance company. It saves users up to 20% on premiums. You can switch your policy at any time, for any reason, and Hippo Insurance will even help you with the paperwork. Plus, your old insurer should issue you a refund. (Check with them first!)
Then, see if you can apply even more discounts to your bill by making these simple changes around your house this weekend.
No, we’re not talking about installing a new roof (though that can help, too). We’re talking about easy and affordable tweaks:
1. Install Smart Home Devices to Save up to 15%
Smart home devices are popular, but most of us consider them unnecessary. Do we really need the thermostat to adjust automatically? Or turn the lights on and off without, you know, just flipping a switch?
But there are smart home devices that can actually make your home safer — and save you up to 15% on homeowners insurance. Think: Water-leak detectors, alarm systems and smoke detectors.
Before you go out and buy these, you can get a full kit for free when you get home insurance through Hippo Insurance. Each Hippo Insurance policy comes with a free smart-home-device system to help protect your home against fire and water damage.
Hippo will automatically apply the discount to your policy. Easy.
2. Have a Fire Extinguisher on Hand and Save as Much as 5%
Did you know you can get homeowners insurance discounts just for having a fire extinguisher in your home? Yup, you can save up to 5% on your Hippo policy.
You can buy fire extinguisher at Walmart, Home Depot or even Amazon. We found multi-purpose extinguishers on Amazon for under $40. You should have one easily accessible on every story of your home. Remember: Most home fires start in the kitchen, according to the American Red Cross.
And if you’re not sure how to use a fire extinguisher, you can always contact your local fire department for a free training.
Don’t Forget to Check Your Savings
Once you’re done, pull a new homeowners insurance quote from Hippo Insurance and see how much you were able to save.
And, hey, now your home is now much safer!
Carson Kohler ([email protected]) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
