Tips to Help You Get a New Homeowner’s Insurance Plan

You’re just about to sign the papers on your new home and you are excited.  Anyone would be – you won’t be the first and you won’t be the last.  There can be a few niggling worries as you’re signing on the dotted line, though.  One of the biggest ones is a homeowner’s insurance policy.  Generally speaking, most people will use the companies their friends and family use without bothering to look around.  A lot of others will go with the company their mortgage broker suggests which could be a mistake.  You really should shop around before making a final decision.

The very first thing you need to consider when you’re looking for your new homeowner’s insurance policy is how much coverage you need.  Coverage is available for fire, flooding, hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.  If you live in a part of the state where certain natural disasters happen often you will find that coverage isn’t included in your base policy and you’ll have to add it on.  For instance, if you live in Florida or Louisiana you will have to add on hurricane coverage.  If you live in California you will need to add on earthquake coverage.

You’ll have to consider the cost of the insurance as well.  While you want to be able to pay as much as you have to in order to protect your home you may not be able to afford a lot.  It would make sense to do some comparison shopping before settling on a policy.  As previously mentioned you may not want to go with the companies your friends and family use.  They may be paying more than they have to and not even realize it.  Your mortgage company will try to get you to purchase a policy through them but you will often pay up to three times more than it is actually worth.  If you go with a third party insurer you will need to make sure that the policy meets the terms of the mortgage.

Keep these tips in mind and then head online to find out just what the insurers are offering.  The research process is much faster than it used to be when you’d have to visit their offices or contact them by telephone.  In fact, rather than hours and hours it can take you less than 30 minutes to get quotes from many different companies.  You’ll fill out some simple forms and click the go button and will be on your way to owning a brand new homeowner’s insurance plan that is perfect for you and your needs.