Steps to Reduce Your Hurricane Insurance Costs

If you live near the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Ocean, make sure your home can withstand hurricanes and windstorms. Home improvements may not only lower your insurance premiums, but they may also protect your home from severe wind damage. When you get home insurance quotes, make sure you have enough wind coverage to rebuild your home and replace your belongings after a windstorm or hurricane.

Protecting your home against wind damage can be expensive, but it can save you money later on. Many insurers offer homeowners discounts on their premiums for retrofitting their homes against wind damage. And some coastal states provide grants to help homeowners pay for these improvements. Find out about discounts, when you apply for home insurance quotes.

Here are three easy steps you can take to reduce your insurance costs:

• Protect your windows. Install storm shutters or have plywood panels ready to nail to window frames when a storm approaches. Bolting corrugated steel or aluminum shutters to your windows is also a good way to protect your home from flying debris. If you want to make this process easier, you may want to invest in roll-down shutters.
• Reinforce your exterior doors. Doors should have at least three hinges and a dead bolt lock that is at least one-inch long. Sliding glass doors should be made of tempered glass and be equipped with storm panels or be able to be covered with plywood sheets.
• Strengthen your garage doors. Some newer garage doors are rated for winds up to 150 mph, but older ones should be either braced or replaced. Garage doors and tracks should be approved to withstand wind pressure and to provide impact protection. If wind is able to get into your home through your garage, you could have serious damage in the throughout the rest of your home and you could have roof problems, according to the Institute for Insurance Information Institute.

Standard homeowner policies usually cover your property and possessions from such losses as damage and theft. They also typically protect your house and your belongings against damage from such natural causes as tornadoes, windstorms, hail and lightning. However, if you live in an area that is likely to be hit by a hurricane or a severe windstorm, your home insurance policy may not cover your damage. Review your policy and talk to your insurance agent to find out more about coverage for hurricanes and windstorms.

Remember when you buy a homeowners or a renters policy, you’re insuring the structure of your home and your personal belongings in your home. Once you have determined the best coverage for your family’s needs, you’re ready to obtain home insurance quotes. Call agents in your local area, contact several insurance companies directly or use InsuranceQuotes.com to instantly get competitive insurance quotes from the nation’s leading insurance providers. Take the time to protect you and your family today.