Purchasing homeowners insurance protects your home and assets in case of emergency. As premiums increase, you may wonder what affects insurance costs. There are several factors determining the cost of your homeowners insurance, and understanding them will help you choose the best coverage.
Geographic location
Geographic location plays a huge role in homeowners insurance costs. Areas inclined to certain natural disasters can see a spike in insurance price. Some natural occurrences are not covered under standard insurances.
For example, you may live in an area prone to wildfires. Yes, fires are covered under standard insurance. However, if you live in a place where they often occur, insurance costs may rise.
Home structure & condition
The premium cost of your insurance may be higher depending on the condition of your home. Living in an older hold may signal repairs may be needed more frequently. Due to this reason, the homeowners insurance premium would be higher.
Roof condition
In addition to the overall home condition, the state of your roof is a large factor on insurance premiums. If the roof is older, it will need to be replaced sooner, and the cost of this replacement can be significant. If the home you purchase needs this replacement sooner, insurance premiums may rise.
Home safety by location
Many factors in your very own neighborhood can have an effect on the cost of your insurance. For example, you may live in an area prone to tornadoes. Due to this occurrence happening frequently, it can increase your insurance cost.
However, if you live in an area less likely to be hit by large storms or other natural perils, your insurance premium may be lower.
About the Author
Judy Szablak
With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.
She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.
Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”
Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com
