Now that we’re experiencing climate change at an increased rate, we’re starting to see violent weather popping up sporadically and wreaking havoc on homes. But that’s just one of the many reasons you should be sure to get a strong insurance policy. If you’re entertaining home insurance, here are some tips you can use.

Your home owner’s insurance policy will have options for you to tailor. One section of home owner’s insurance that is often overlooked is liability coverage. This coverage will protect the insured if claims arise from injury or damage on their property. If you or someone who lives in your house harms someone else’s property, they are covered under your policy.

A great way to reduce the amount of premium you’re paying on your home owner’s insurance is to pay in a lump sum annually. Insurance companies hate having to bill customers monthly and, God forbid, chase them down for their payments. By paying up front you’re ensuring your entire premium will be paid and you could save between 3-5%!

When looking into purchasing homeowner’s insurance, make sure that you understand the claims process. There can be two policies that can promise the same coverage, but they can differ when it comes to taking care of you after a loss. Have your agent explain how the claims are to be handled, especially when it comes to giving you a check. You need to know if you will receive all of your claim upfront or only a fraction. You also need to know if they will reimburse you for everything that is lost, or only what you replace.

Make sure your pets are covered on your home owner’s insurance policy. Depending on breed, some dogs may be excluded from coverage on a policy. It is better to know up front, if accidents or damage caused by your pet are not covered, than to find out after a claim event occurs.

Insurance companies aren’t in the business of giving you a call when they think they can save you money. That isn’t good business practice! It’s up to you to call your insurance provider and let them know of any changes in your life that could get you a discount on your premiums.

Take out your buildings insurance and contents insurance with the same home insurance provider. Insurance companies want as much business from you as possible, so if you take out buildings cover and contents cover with the same firm, you can usually negotiate a substantial discount off your annual insurance premiums.

Now that you have some solid insurance tips to use, the next step is to get out there and actually work with an insurance company until you have the best policy possible, to cover your house and the belongings in it. Just use the tips you learned here and you should be able to save a