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Home insurance can be very expensive these days, but there are a number of ways in which you can reduce your unnecessary costs if you partake in a little bit of DIY. Your house can be vulnerable to burglary if you don’t ensure that it is sufficiently covered and protected, so it is worthwhile doing a full house check to expose any weak points in its security before any thieves do.
Making your home safer yourself can significantly reduce your insurance premiums, so here are a few tips for you to consider if you want to do just that. You should use a buildings insurance calculator and call your insurer along the way to determine the effects that such changes in security will have on your premiums.
Instal or Have Installed a Home Alarm System
This is the most obvious and most effective security measure you could take on your home. Of course, it will cost you a couple of hundred dollars initially, but you will save at every renewal of your insurance policy. Most alarm systems are remarkably quick and easy to install and are an excellent deterrent to potential burglars. You can even buy mock alarms to stick on the side of your house, which can often be as much of a deterrent as the real thing. The safer your house, the cheaper your insurance.
Secure Your Windows
First of all, if you haven’t already, get double-glazed windows installed in every room of the house. This will not only make them safer and tougher to break into, but it will also help you save on your energy bill by keeping more heat inside the house on cold nights. Getting secure locks on all of them – and it must be all of them – will chip away at your premiums and help you save plenty of money in the long run.
Install Deadlocks or Deadbolt Locks
Deadlocks are recommended by many insurance companies as the best way to secure your exterior doors. They are locks that cannot be moved without the correct key in the lock cylinder, which means that they are practically impossible to force open.
Most homeowners install deadlocks as an addition to the regular spring bolt for extra security. This is recognised as a huge positive by insurers because they will see you as less of an insurance risk and will, therefore, charge you less on your premiums. Make sure as well that the stopper or anchor on the door frame into which the dead bolt is inserted is securily installed with long screws; otherwise, you could have an excellent deadbolt or deadlock installed on your exterior door yet a gentle push would still force open your door.
Install Timers for Lights and Appliances
When you are due to be out of your house for a few days at a time, perhaps for a vacation or a business trip, it is advisable to set timers around the house. These can be bought on the high street or in any home improvement store and will allow you to set your lights, radio and television to come on in the evening, giving the illusion from the outside that your house is occupied. This could be seen as a bit of a waste of energy, but for the sake of a couple of hours of electricity, if all of your belongings are still there when you get home then it can be worth it.
Use Outdoor Lights
Another external deterrent comes in the form of security lights. You’ll likely only need two – one for the front and one for the back – to keep the thieves at bay. As well, you can use LED light bulbs to reduce the amount of electricity used. You can even use small solar panels to provide the electricity.
It might even be worth getting a CCTV surveillance kit together with the lights to make your home extra secure. This will be much more expensive to begin with, but it is certain to have a very positive effect on your insurance policy.
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