If you’re researching buying a home, think about the cost of insuring the home. A newer home’s electrical, heating and plumbing systems, and overall structure are likely to be in better condition than those of an older home. This can lead to a discount on your premiums.

Discounts from your insurance company are available for a variety of reasons, ranging from the type of building material used to build your home to how close you live to a fire station or fire hydrant, as well as the construction of the home and your geographical location. If you buy a house in Broward county, you’ll want the house to be able to stand up to Hurricane wind damage. Items such as deadbolt locks, burglar alarms and smoke detectors often bring discounts of 5% each, depending on the company.

And remember, the best way to get a good home insurance price is by shopping around, just make sure the coverage is the same when making comparisons. Some insurance companies offer a significant discount if you install a good security system. Also, you can get a good discount on your insurance by having your roof inspected by a professional. Raising your deductible will lower your premium by up to 35%, which is very tempting, but make sure you can afford to pay the higher deductible if something should happen to your home.

Homes in West Pembroke Pines in general meet all applicable discounts since they are fairly new, and the city has been planned to meet all the security requirements of a south Florida residential community.

One last piece of advice:  Once you have your home insured, don’t call your insurance company with specific inquiries if you’re not going to make a claim. Your inquiry about your loss or damage will likely be recorded and stay on your insurance record for seven years. One phone call won’t haunt you, but multiple inquiries about various damage or inquiries combined with actual claims could lead to a higher rate at renewal time or difficulty finding a company to insure you if you want to shop around for insurance for a new home.

Contact Adrian with any questions about buying or selling a home.