Your home is your pride and joy- you’ve spend time acquiring your home, moving into it, and making it your own. Your personal belongings and memories are in this house, and you want to do everything you can to make sure you are able to stay in your home for many years to come.

Having home insurance in North Carolina is a responsible way to take care of your home and property. Preparing for potential damage is important, as is attention to the natural wear and tear a home goes through over the course of its life. Here are a few ways to save on your home insurance payments this year.

Get multiple rate quotes

The rates you are quoted for home insurance by different insurance companies can vary by hundreds of dollars. Get word of mouth recommendations from people in your neighborhood, or call different insurance companies to see what deals you can get on your home insurance payments. Speaking to a representative on the phone can often get you an inside look at what discounts an insurance company is willing to give you on your home insurance policy.

Remember, overall price isn’t everything. You want to make sure your home is protected under a variety of circumstances, and that you are comfortable with the level of coverage you are paying for.

Increase your deductible

The higher your deductible is, the more you save on your insurance premiums. Increasing your deductible to $1,000 can save you as much as 25% on your home insurance policy.

Additionally, you can bundle your home and car insurance, along with other policies you may have, to get discounts on multiple insurance policies. If your insurance company offers this option, make sure that bundling your insurance policies would be cheaper than buying different policies from other insurance companies.

Reduce your risk

Your home insurance payment could be higher if your home is considered risky to insure. Make your home more resistant to wear, tear, and weather damage that may occur. If you live in an area that is prone to certain kinds of natural events like tornados, wind storms, or floods, consider adding extra insurance coverage for these events into your home insurance policy.

Other simple fixes can help reduce your payment. You can add storm shutters, strengthen your roof, and modernize your plumbing and electrical systems. You can also install a home security system, which would reduce your chances of theft, vandalism, or property damage.

Improve your credit score

Although this isn’t a major factor in the pricing of your home insurance policy, some insurance companies do take your credit score and history into consideration. Try to maintain a good credit rating, or work to improve your existing credit score.

If you’ve been with an insurance company for a few years, you may get a discount for renewing your home insurance policy or for being a long-term policyholder. Most importantly, you want to make sure that you are routinely checking other companies for better insurance rates, and that your current policy is covering everything you need it to cover.