Tuesday, November 16, 2021

DesignRulz

DesignRulz


6 Easy Ways To Save on Your Home Insurance

Posted: 15 Nov 2021 01:19 PM PST

It is not new news that home insurance is essential, but we all like ways to cut costs and save. The following tips are guaranteed to save you money while ensuring the same excellent service and protection for your home.

Here Are 6 Ways To Lower Your Home Insurance Costs

  1. Fewer Risks, Fewer Costs
  2. Raise your deductibles
  3. Cash In On Discounts
  4. Rebuilding costs, not real estate value
  5. Higher Credit Score, Lower Insurance Rates
  6. Don't settle

Continue reading to find out how you can implement one or more of the absolve listed in your (would be) home insurance policy.

6 Ways To Cut the Cost of Homeowners Insurance

Fewer Risks, Fewer Costs

This is pretty straightforward. The more difficult it is to insure a home, the more risk the insurer takes, the more you would need to pay to have your insurance covered. So, for example, if your house is located in a place that's frequented by flooding or any other natural disaster, you would need to pay more than if it was located elsewhere.

But seeing as you can not pick up your house and relocate, your best bet is to give the insurance company no reason, or at best, less reason to worry. It starts with something as simple as choosing a home alarm system and can be as serious as adding storm shutters or revamping your roof.

Raise Your Deductibles

The first question would be, what are deductibles? Simply put, deductibles are fees you pay towards a loss before your insurance company can cover your claim according to what's agreed in your policy. As a rule of thumb, deductibles and premiums are on different sides of the scale. The more you pay on one, the less you spend on the other.

For this reason, it is best to spend a few more bucks on deductibles when filing for home insurance. Doing this saves you thousands of dollars, especially if you don't end up filing an insurance claim. Money that you can later divert towards other investments or even retirement.

Cash In on Discounts

One of the easiest ways to save money on your home insurance is to take advantage of the discount options made available by your insurance company. Unfortunately, these discount options vary from company to company. As such, you would need to do personal research to find out the ones available to you and your insurance plan.

These discounts are often available for things ranging from having smoke detectors installed, the quality of home security equipment on-site, and in many cases, when you go a while without filing an insurance claim. For this reason, you should try to cover minor costs around the home out of your pocket. It just might be the trick to making you eligible for some juicy discounts.

Rebuilding Costs, Not Real Estate Value

One rookie mistake is confusing the cost to rebuild your home with the real estate value. Many people take up insurance with the real estate value of their home, forgetting that only the house is at risk. The land is not at risk of theft, fire, or whatever else might be covered in their policies.

Excluding the value of the land is only the first step to ensuring your home is appraised appropriately. The next step is to ensure to get a new estimate of the costs to replace your home every 4-10 years. These periodic appraisals would consider the change in the price of factors like labor, building materials, to name a few.

Higher Credit Score, Lower Insurance Rates

Maintaining good credit is one surefire way to ensure your rates are reduced when taking out an insurance policy. Many companies use your credit score to determine your premiums and coverage terms.

If you have good credit, congratulations, you have already saved yourself some money, but if you do not or are unsure, you can take steps towards building your credit score by paying bills on time and avoiding taking out credit you do not need.

Don't Settle

You are not choosing a streaming platform. The consequences if you end up with an incompatible insurance company and policy could be dire. Make sure you take your time to do as much research as is required, ask friends and family, look online. An excellent place to start would be the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

When you finally have a shortlist, do not compare just prices. As much as you want a reasonable offer, you want one that also balances quality. DO not be afraid to discard your shortlisted options and start over. This is one area you want to make sure you get it right, no in-betweens. Don't settle!

In Conclusion

Writing this makes me want to reevaluate my home insurance policy. It is an eye-opener. Putting the words on paper allows me to see things in a new light. And just like you (after reading this), I am confident I have all the information I need to choose the right insurance company and policy and save a chunk of money doing so.

The post 6 Easy Ways To Save on Your Home Insurance appeared first on DesignRulz.

How to Make Your Property Stand Out Online to Potential Buyers

Posted: 15 Nov 2021 12:55 PM PST

If you're planning to sell your property, you'll know full well that creating an online listing is practically a necessity. But, with the market being as saturated as it is, how can you make your listing stand out from the crowd?

There's no two ways about it; selling a property can be pain in the backside. The list of tasks you need to tick off is seemingly endless and, if you're trying to buy a new property at the same time, the whole process can quickly become overwhelming. You might even begin to wonder whether all the fuss is worth it!

What can make matters worse is if your property isn't gaining as much interest as you'd like from an online listing. Online property conveyancing can be a minefield at the best of times and, while you might think your property is a steal, your online listing might suggest otherwise to potential buyers.

So, if you're ready to put your home up for sale online, or you're worried that your existing listing isn't receiving the love it rightly deserves, we've put together a list of simple tips that could up the chances of your home having buyers lining up the street.

Photo credits – Tierra Mallorca via Unsplash

 

6 Ways to Make Sure Your Property Stands Out Online

1. Consider Working with an Estate Agent

First things first, you probably don't want to try and organise an online listing by yourself, especially if you've got no prior experience. Sure, you technically can set up an online listing without the support of an estate agent, but that won't guarantee you any sort of success. You might even be making some mistakes that you don't recognise until it's too late.

Yes, estate agents don't always have the best reputation, but the fact remains that they're property experts. They'll know how to stage your house in the best light and, importantly, they'll be able to list your home on a property portal like Rightmove or Zoopla. Budget depending, it makes sense.

2. Provide a Fair and Accurate Price

Let's get this out the way straight away – your property may not be worth as much as you initially expect. That's why you need to take some time to conduct a careful price assessment of your property.

You should also keep this in mind if you're looking to instruct an estate agent to help you with a valuation. You shouldn't be tempted to work with one estate agent just because they've offered a very high valuation. Often times that's only going to work against you as buyers are immediately put off by your asking price.

On the flip side, make sure you don't get short changed! If you know that your property is likely to sell for a certain price, don't be tempted to simply settle for a lower valuation for convenience's sake.

3. Stage Your Property in the Best Possible Light

Staging a property is always essential if you want it to stand above everything else in the market. That will usually mean making plenty of minor adjustments to your property like:

  • Decluttering and depersonalising your interior
  • Clearing away all worktops
  • Storing away any non-necessary items
  • Making small repairs where needed
  • Tidying up outdoor space and the property exterior

Granted, when you stage a property, it might not be a true representation of what it's like to live in, but that's not always a bad thing! After all, we imagine you don't want to be sharing images of your children's toys strewn across their bedroom floor, or those dirty dishes next to the sink you haven't quite got round to sorting – right?

Photo Credits – Tierra Mallorca via Unsplash

4. Use a Professional Photographer

While taking photos of your property on your smartphone might simply suffice, it's not exactly going to do your online listing any justice. That's why you should consider using a professional photographer if your estate agent hasn't already instructed one.

Professional photographers will have a good idea of how best to frame your property, how to use lighting to their advantage and which shots will provide the best possible reflection.

Hiring a photographer will also mean you can focus on quality rather than quantity. No one is going to want to sift through hundreds of photos of the same room.

5. Don't Just Focus on Photos

That said, don't be tempted to focus solely on photos. Online viewings give you the opportunity to be a little more experimental, so why not try and create a short video? Or, if you're estate agent has the tools, consider offering a VR experience.

This is especially important as it isn't always easy for buyers to come and view your home in person. So, giving them the tools to get a full experience online will come good in the long run.

6. Provide a Clear, Easily Digestible Description

If you want to ensure that your property has the best chance of standing out online, you will need to pair your images and videos with a clear, straightforward description that includes all if the necessary information a buyer might need to know.

Don't try and write a convoluted essay – that's not going to get anybody's attention! Keep it nice and simple and try to highlight all of the most attractive selling points as soon as possible.

It's also worth mentioning that you should always be as truthful as possible when it comes to writing your description – if you don't, it'll soon come back to haunt you.

Photo credits – Dan Gold via Unsplash

Are You Looking to Sell Your Property Through an Online Listing?

So, there you have it! If you want to make sure that your home is quick to sell through an online listing, make sure to keep these tips in mind and you shouldn't go far wrong.

There is no exact science to online property listings, so you may already be aware of some tips and tricks yourself. If so, why not leave a comment with your thoughts below.

Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained property professional. Be sure to consult a conveyancing or property professional if you're seeking advice regarding selling your property. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

 

The post How to Make Your Property Stand Out Online to Potential Buyers appeared first on DesignRulz.

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