The Best Way to Reduce Home Insurance Rates: A Little Elbow Grease

Given that home improvement projects can provide a great opportunity to increase the value of your house while also making it more aesthetically appealing and enjoyable to live in, it’s no wonder that do-it-yourself has become such a popular movement in recent years. What many people don’t know, however, is that home improvements can also prove financially beneficial when it comes time to assess (or re-assess) home insurance rates. A few relatively simple home fix-it projects designed to boost your property’s safety rating can mean quite a difference in the insurance world, and knowing what to change can mean the difference between saving considerably and paying more than you should have to.

1. Install shatterproof windows. This will make your windows more resilient and resistant to damage, whether from burglars, weather events or some other source. Consult your insurance provider first to make sure that this change will lower your premiums, but once you get your confirmation you can feel free to get to it.

2. If you don’t already have one, have an alarm system put in. This should be an obvious one since, from the perspective of an insurance provider, houses with burglar alarms look decidedly safer and less prone to costly problems than those without. The same can be said for deadbolts on your ground-floor outer doors, but be sure to shop around and speak to your insurance provider to see which systems will yield the greatest discounts.

3. Consider installing motion-triggered outdoor lighting. This makes sense for the same reason that an alarm system does: namely, that it will serve as a deterrent to any would-be burglars or vandals. Insurance providers are almost certain to reward this kind of simple but effective upgrade with reduced premiums, but again, be sure to speak with them first to see exactly what they can offer you and what must be done before these conditions will apply.