Cheap Home Insurance Quotes: Compare Online

Whether you are a homeowner or renter, having the best home insurance policy can save you a lot of fortune. Luckily, comparing cheap home insurance quotes is not complicated. It is actually super easy. Through this article you can compare homeowners and renters insurance quotes online, expand your knowledge about home insurance, read customer reviews and find the best home insurance companies, while ending up having the best home insurance coverage at the cheapest rate for your precise needs.

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE: INTRODUCTION

Home insurance, also known as homeowner’s insurance, is a form of property insurance that protects the physical property of your home as well as the belongings you keep inside it.

After our families, our homes and contents are probably the most precious possessions we have.

That’s why household insurance is a must-have for all homeowners.

The same principle holds true for renters: despite not owning the home, renters require coverage for their precious possessions and valuable items within the place they live in and rent from someone else.

Decent home insurance will cover you for:

• Loss or theft of furniture, house contents, and other personal possessions
• Accidental damage to the structure of your home, garage, and outbuildings
• Accommodation and living costs if you’re obliged to move out of your home for repairs
• Rebuild costs should your home be badly damaged or destroyed

Depending on your policy, your cover may also include:

• Specific insurance for particularly valuable items like jewellery, art, or antiques
• Compensation payouts for injuries or accidents caused to others by you or your actions
• Insurance for personal property in storage.

It’s simple, really: if you have a home, you need insurance!

In this review, we consider all types of home insurance, various popular companies that provide it, the cost of a policy, and the pros and cons of each.

For your reference, the average homeowners insurance cost is $1,450 a year, or $121 per month.

Below, we have created several tables to show you how different companies stack up against each other, as well as how different kinds of home insurance compare.

This should give you a good idea of what to look for in the house insurance marketplace, and then we will discuss factors that may affect your home insurance policy rates and ways to ensure that you get the best home insurance quote and most cost-effective deal.

Related Read: Real Estate Agent & Realtor Insurance

CHEAP HOME INSURANCE COMPANIES: AVERAGE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE COST OF DIFFERENT COMPANIES

The following table gives the average homeowners insurance cost for annual premiums. Also, these average premiums are for homes between 200,000 and 300,000 square feet.

* Exact figures for Costco are difficult to estimate. This represents the most advertised price.

Homeowners insurance policies can vary greatly in rates depending on add-ons, features, discounts, and other factors. For example, Costco offers its members discounts on insurance through its partner, Ameriprise.

Additionally, GEICO provides clients with home insurance from 31 different underwriting partners. These include Travelers , Liberty Mutual , United P&C, and more.

AVERAGE HOME INSURANCE COST BY COVERAGE TYPE

In this table, we see the average yearly cost of different kinds of home insurance. Homeowner’s insurance comes in at the top just to give you a reminder about the baseline cost throughout the country.

Different types of insurance are designed for different styles of homes, different styles of property, and even different types of policyholders. Below, we’ll take an in-depth look at what these types of insurance mean, what they are designed to protect, and why the value of their premiums range so widely.

WHY HOUSE INSURANCE IS SO IMPORTANT?

It’s a fact of life that we’ll all experience mishaps or accidents in our homes at some stage: a burst pipe, a burglary, a broken window, fire or damage caused by extreme weather.

None of these events are ever pleasant, but you can at least mitigate the impact by knowing you have decent house insurance to help make good the damage.

We all know someone who suffered a theft or accident only to discover that their house insurance had lapsed, or that a certain valuable item was not covered by their policy. Their misfortune only serves to underline how important it is not only to have house insurance but also to have a policy that’s right for you. You may not be able to replace everything in the event of a major loss, but you can take comfort from the fact that your insurance will enable you to rebuild what’s gone.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING HOME INSURANCE

With so many different companies offering home insurance, it can be hard to make the right choice. So what factors should you look for in a homeowner’s insurance quote? Naturally, the bottom-line price will be the most important consideration for most people, but beware: cheap home insurance is not necessarily the best home insurance.

To help you make the right decision, we’ve put together this checklist of questions you should ask of any potential insurer when you’re looking for a home insurance quote:

• How long has the company been established, and how good is its reputation for customer service?
• Does it have a local presence?
• How speedy are payouts?
• Are there any sneaky terms and conditions?
• Does the policy offer replacement price or cash-value cost for lost items?

Whenever you’re signing up for any sort of contract, you should always read the small print, but this is especially true for home and renters insurance. Homeowners, remember to check and double-check your coverage – don’t be wise after the event. And renters, remember that your landlord typically doesn’t insure your belongings.

When you’re buying home insurance, it’s a really good idea to draw up an inventory of all the valuable items in your home. This will take some time and effort on your part, but it’s well worth doing. Firstly it makes sure you haven’t missed anything, and secondly, in the event that you do have to make a claim, it’ll greatly facilitate the process. Use your phone to take pictures, and make sure they’re stored on the cloud, alongside your inventory… just in case your house burns down and you lose everything.

One final piece of advice. It’s as important to look at what your policy doesn’t cover as well as what it does! Most policies don’t pay out for flood or earthquake damage, for example. That means that if you live in an area that’s prone to natural disasters, you may need extra hazard insurance.

HOW TO GET CHEAP HOME INSURANCE: FACTORS THAT AFFECT YOUR HOME INSURANCE RATES

The above table is merely an average estimate of the amount of yearly premiums homeowners pay for their insurance. In reality, several factors influence the cost that you might end up paying. Let’s take a look at a few.

Square Footage

As we’ve seen above, the size of your home is one factor that can affect whether you get expensive or cheap home insurance. Larger homes represent “more” of the asset (the property) that the home insurance policy has to cover in the event of a disaster, so they naturally have higher yearly costs.

Construction Costs

Your home insurance policy is designed to cover the cost of having to rebuild your home in the event of a natural disaster, such as a flood, hurricane, earthquake, or similar catastrophe. The National Association of Home Builders reports that the median value of owner-occupied homes throughout the nation is $205,000, and that building costs tend to range from $100 to $150 per square foot. Depending on the average market costs for construction in your area, your home insurance rates will vary.

Home Remodeling

While remodeling your house is a great way to increase its value and stay in line with modern trends, it also increases your homeowners insurance premiums. That’s because remodeling costs money, and replacing those additions would cost your home insurance company similar amounts in the future.

Your Risk Profile

Another important factor taken into account by home insurance companies is your overall risk profile. If you have filed homeowner’s insurance claims in the past (and possibly other types of insurance claims, as well), the company may consider you a higher risk than someone who has not filed such claims. Accordingly, they may increase your premiums.

Attractive Nuisances

Everyone loves having fun items around the home, such as in-ground pools, trampolines, tree forts, and other childhood favorites. Unfortunately, these are known as “attractive nuisances” because they tend to attract children, who are likely to be injured using them. Injuries on your property may result in a lawsuit, for which your insurance company would have to pay compensation, so the presence of these kinds of items is enough to increase your premiums.

Dangerous Dogs/Pets

Just as with attractive nuisances, the presence of animals on your property can increase your premiums. In fact, the Insurance Information Institute claims that about a third of all homeowners insurance claims have to deal with dog bites. You might want to keep that in mind the next time you are deciding whether to adopt a new family pet !

In short, lots of elements determine your home insurance cost. Getting cheap house insurance can mean finding the right vendor, in the right area, at the right time, and under the right circumstances. Further down below, we’ll go over some strategies for getting the best possible deal on your policy. For now, let’s explore some different home insurance policy types, their average premiums, and what they cover.

HOW TO FIND CHEAP HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE: COMPARING QUOTES

When looking for homeowners insurance, you should try to find the best possible coverage without breaking the bank. Though many homeowners desire to get policies in place as soon as possible, good research is required and can save you a lot of unnecessary expenses. You’ll need to shop around, get quotes from various providers, and compare and contrast the prices and comprehensiveness of each. Still, though the process can be time-consuming, our online tool can help you.

This page has listed averages for different home insurance companies and policies, but your situation is unique to you. The square footage of your home, your personal history with other insurance policies, the amount of coverage you need due to the value of your assets, and all the above-listed factors will determine the home insurance quote that you receive. You can leverage the list we prepared, as well as our home insurance quotes comparison tool, to go for companies and policies which you feel are right for your unique situation.

HOW TO GET EVEN CHEAPER HOME INSURANCE PREMIUM RATES: TOP TIPS

There are several steps you can take to reduce the amount you have to pay and get the cheapest home insurance possible. Sometimes you can even get a similar coverage at a lower rate. Here are our top 8 tips to get the cheapest home insurance rates:

• Shop around for quotes. As mentioned in the previous section, when it’s time for renewal, you want to compare home insurance quotes online and check out the prices offered by as many reliable companies as possible, within your budget. You may be able to get better quotes elsewhere, or you may find that your existing home insurance provider will match a competitor’s lower rate. If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
• Make sure you have the right coverage. Don’t pay for coverage you don’t need, and verify that any rebuild costs are appropriate and up to date. You want to have coverage for your unique needs, not more, not less.
• Don’t consider land values. Your home insurance policy covers the structures associated with your home (not the land itself). So, when you are shopping around and comparing cheap home insurance quotes, make sure you don’t add the value of the land itself into the amount you want insured. If you do, you’ll end up paying more in home insurance premiums than your home is worth.
• Check your deductible and raise it. The deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your policy kicks in to cover your losses. Most policies will have a baseline deductible of $500 and will offer a significant discount if you commit to covering your first $500 or $1000 of the claims. If you can afford to pay more, raising that deductible can lower your monthly premiums by up to 25%.
• Prevention is better than cure, so invest in home security devices. Better home security will lower your risk profile, which in turn makes you look like less of a risk to home insurance companies. That results in cheaper home insurance rates for you!
• Bundle your policies. Many insurers provide various kinds of policies, such as home, auto, and life insurance. If possible, request a bundle quote for all of them together from the same insurer, and you will get a discounted rate.
• Pay upfront. Paying the whole premium upfront rather than monthly will add to your savings.
• Look after your credit score. More and more insurance companies are factoring in your credit history into their home insurance quotes, so pay attention to your credit.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOME INSURANCE COVER

Depending on your housing situation, property ownership, proximity to areas at risk for natural disasters, and a host of other factors, you may want to invest in different kinds of property-related insurance. Use this as a guide to understanding what these available options cover.

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE

The most common protection, straightforward home insurance, is designed to cover both the value of your property and assets and personal liability related to your property. For example, a basic policy will insure your home to its full value, cover your valuables and belongings that are inside the home, and provide monetary relief to anyone injured on your property due to your negligence.

The ground-floor, barest-bones homeowners insurance policies typically cover items like:

• theft
• civil disturbances (such as riots)
• fires
• tornadoes or hurricanes
• hail
• volcanic eruptions

However, you can get upgraded, more comprehensive policies that cover additional occurrences like:

• damage caused by appliance malfunctions
• falling object damage (such as piled-up snow on a roof)
• plumbing system catastrophes
• electrical system malfunctions

The most complete form of homeowners’ insurance is known as “open perils” and covers all damage except events like floods and other exempted occurrences. These will require their own policies (such as flood insurance, for example). An important distinction to remember about homeowners insurance is that it only applies to dwellings that are occupied by the owner.

Our best and most recommended homeowners insurance from the research we have done is Lemonade’s , with really affordable rates that start as low as $25 per month.

RENTERS INSURANCE

Renters insurance is a form of asset protection that is geared towards those who do not own the place they live in, but rent it from the owners, however, they still wish to provide themselves a safety net against theft, destruction of property, and personal liability if an invited guest is injured in their home.

Renters insurance applies to those who rent apartments, houses, duplexes, suites, condominiums, and other living spaces they do not personally own.

Since this form of protection does not have to cover the value of the dwelling itself, its premiums are often much lower than typical homeowners insurance.

Our best and most recommended renters insurance from the research we have done is Lemonade’s , with really affordable rates averaging $15 a month and starting from $5 a month.

LANDLORD INSURANCE

Common sense means that landlords are not obliged to insure the contents of their tenants: but it also dictates that they should have property insurance for the structure of their building. Whereas homeowners insurance policies apply to buildings inhabited by the owner, landlord insurance is reserved for properties that are rented out to other parties. In other words, your regular homeowners insurance will not apply to that cabin on the lake you rent out to guests on Airbnb!

A good landlord insurance policy will cover most ways that you can suffer loss as a landlord. These include:

• the value of the property in case of damage
• liability for any tenants or guests who are injured on the property
• the value of income you lose as a result of the property becoming uninhabitable

Importantly, damage cannot be the result of your intentional acts or attrition due to neglect. Landlord insurance can be more expensive, as the insurance company will assume that you are making a profit off the property through rent.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INSURANCE

Commercial property insurance is designed to cover losses associated with properties that are used for commercial purposes . This includes buildings like hotels, motels, restaurants, retail outlets, and more. Good commercial property insurance policies should cover losses due to damaged or destroyed possessions/property, liability for injuries on-site, and potentially lost revenue or income due to forced property closure or reduced operability.

To get a really good commercial property insurance quote, compare business insurance quotes here .

MORTGAGE PROTECTION INSURANCE

Mortgage protection insurance is, despite its name, more similar to life insurance than homeowners insurance.

This form of policy typically protects your mortgage payments for a specified time if you lose your job or become incapacitated. It also pays off your mortgage should you die. It may not be relevant for everyone; for example, if you already have extensive life protection.

Mortgage protection insurance normally kicks in after you pass away. Its purpose is to shield your family from the burden of the mortgage after losing you, as a primary source of household income. Protecting your family from being inundated with mortgage payments while grieving your absence and trying to restructure their lives and income is a noble goal. However, some experts believe that mortgage protection insurance is too limiting to bother using, when you can have term life insurance that covers your mortgage.

Term life insurance covers many kinds of expenses associated with your death, including your mortgage if you wish to cover it through it, and it might be a better use of your money instead of mortgage protection policies, which only cover the payment of mortgage.

HAZARD INSURANCE

Hazard insurance is an add-on, or rider, attached to your homeowners insurance. It is the part of the homeowners insurance policy that covers damage caused by natural disasters.

Some of the events that are usually covered by most hazard insurance riders:

• fire insurance
• non-flood water damage
• smoke damage
• hail
• lightening
• earthquakes
• civil unrest and riots

When selecting the right homeowners insurance policy for your needs, keep in mind that an “open peril” homeowners policy is better and more comprehensive than a closed peril homeowners policy. With closed peril, the specific hazards insured by the policy are explicitly listed. In an open peril policy, hazards are not explicitly listed. Instead, excluded hazards are listed. As a result, open peril policies may be able to cover hazards that closed policies would not, depending on the wording of your policy, so this must be paid close attention to.

MOBILE HOME INSURANCE

Mobile home insurance, as the name implies, is a type of homeowners insurance reserved for people who own mobile homes. If you have a mobile home, your mortgage provider or community may require you to have insurance. In other circumstances, insurance may be voluntary. But for us, it’s a no brainer, for the same reasons that you’d have a policy for a brick ‘n’ mortar house.

Mobile home insurance coverage usually does not cover the home while it is mobile (coming into effect once the home has been driven to its destination).

As with other forms of property insurance, this coverage is designed to protect your:

• personal liability in case anyone is injured while on your property
• personal assets, including the home’s structure and attached structures (such as decks)

Mobile home insurance is typically cheaper than larger home insurance policies, since there is less physical property to protect.

HAZARD INSURANCE VS HOME INSURANCE

When you take out home insurance, you should check what natural hazards are included as standard. Most policies include cover for things like fire and wind damage, but you may find other areas, such as flood or earthquake damage, are not covered. If you live in an area that’s prone to these forms of natural disaster, you may want to look into that extra coverage.

BEST HOME INSURANCE COMPANIES: OVERVIEW

Here’s a brief review of the best home insurance companies in the U.S. today according to our research.

LEMONADE HOME INSURANCE: 10/10

Get the cheapest quotes from Lemonade here.

GEICO HOME INSURANCE: 8/10

Although it’s better known for its auto insurance, GEICO is still a major player in the home insurance and renters insurance sectors. Founded back in 1936, the company is renowned for its gecko and caveman ads, and for its connections with Warren Buffet, as GEICO is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. The company is long-established, financially secure, and prudently run, however GEICO doesn’t write its own homeowners insurance policies but represents some of the best home insurance providers in the market.

PROGRESSIVE HOME INSURANCE: 8/10

Progressive might not be the first name that springs to mind for home insurance, but there’s no doubt that the company has some good deals, especially if you need a range of policies. Progressive by name and progressive by nature, the company has a deserved reputation for its innovative and cost-effective approach to insurance. If you’re looking for renters insurance, for example, Progressive’s low prices start at less than $1 a day.

STATE FARM HOME INSURANCE: 9/10

The Insurance Information Institute lists State Farm as the number one provider of homeowners’ insurance in America, with a market share over twice as big as its nearest competitor. Those numbers speak volumes about State Farm’s excellence. Sometimes, when a company gets too big, it can lose sight of its customers, but State Farm’s dedicated agents deliver terrific personal service and ensure that that never happens. With State Farm’s comprehensive options, it’s easy to tailor a policy to your exact needs, for both home insurance and renters insurance.

ALLSTATE HOME INSURANCE: 9/10

Allstate is another example of a company that started out in auto insurance (back in 1931!) and subsequently branched out into other areas. It must be doing something right, as it’s second only to State Farm in terms of market share. The company has a long tradition of innovation in auto insurance, and that principle applies to Allstate home insurance too: the company offers a huge range of policies, options, and discounts. Allstate is perfect for people who like to handle all their insurance in one place.

USAA HOME INSURANCE: 9/10

USAA is one of America’s top insurance providers, but it’s only available to serving and retired military personnel and their families. That’s a shame if you’re not in service, because the company offers some really excellent rates and benefits to its customers. As an example, USAA home insurance includes coverage for identity theft (in most states), and replacement of military uniforms damaged in service with no impact on deductibles. If you’re serving the USA, let USAA serve you!

COSTCO AMERIPRISE HOME INSURANCE: 8/10

Unless you’re a Costco member, you might not have come across Ameriprise, but this insurer is something of a hidden gem. Costco Ameriprise home insurance features a number of additional benefits that you won’t find as standard on other insurers’ policies. And as you’d expect from a company associated with Costco, it offers some extremely competitive rates. The brand is also known as CONNECT and is underwritten by American Family Insurance. This is quite possibly the best insurer you’ve never heard of!

METLIFE HOME INSURANCE: 8/10

Metlife just pips Travelers to the title of longest established company in our review. There’s only a year in it, but Metlife has been proudly serving customers since 1863. Wow! The chances are that you know Metlife through its affiliation with your workplace or numerous associations across America, but the company also sells direct to individuals. Metlife home insurance is just one of many insurance products in the company’s broad portfolio: and that means there are some serious bundled savings to be made!

AMICA HOME INSURANCE: 9/10 

Did you know that Amica stands for Automobile Mutual Insurance Company of America, and that this company is America’s oldest mutual insurer of automobiles, having been founded in 1907? One of the primary reasons that the company has survived and thrived for so long is due to its emphasis on customer service: in that respect, it really is one of the best! As with its auto insurance, customers of Amica home insurance benefit not just from the superb service, but also from the advantages associated with a mutual (such as dividends!).

AAA HOME INSURANCE: 8/10 

American Automobile Association, or AAA, like so many of the companies featured here, expanded its initial coverage from auto insurance to include home insurance. And we think that’s a good thing, because AAA is great at the human, personal side of the insurance business. Alleluia. You’ll find real people and not computers and phone lines! AAA home insurance really comes into its own if you’re already a member: there are some great discounts, bundles, and perks to be had.

TRAVELERS HOME INSURANCE: 8/10

Not many companies can claim to have been in business since 1864, but Travelers can. This long-established old favorite offers a wide range of policies and discounts, meaning it scores very highly if you need multiple policies. Travelers’ home insurance is especially good for people who are into saving the environment: there’s a green home discount on offer, plus you can also avail of the Green Home Coverage that allows you to repair, replace or rebuild with eco-friendly materials in the event of a loss.

LIBERTY MUTUAL HOME INSURANCE: 8/10

Although it was founded in 1912, Liberty Mutual is a bit of a newcomer to the home insurance market. That hasn’t stopped it from becoming a major player, though: since it acquired Prudential’s business in that area in 2003, Liberty Mutual home insurance has grown to be one of the very top performers in the market. And it’s not hard to see why: great rates, great discounts, especially via affiliate programs, and a website and app that are among the best on the market.

BEST HOME INSURANCE COMPANIES: COMPARISON

To help you compare the best home insurance companies, we’ve put together this handy home insurance comparison table, looking at the pros and cons of each of the best providers on our list.

We’ve also given our overall rating. Because everybody has different requirements and priorities, we recommend that you do your own research at the same time as taking our views into consideration.

It’s definitely worth speaking to your family and friends to see what their experiences of home insurance are and whether they favor a particular company. Word of mouth is often the very best recommendation you can get!

So with all that in mind, here’s our overview to help you compare house insurance from the leading brands. Any views are subjective, but that said, we have no qualms about recommending any of the companies listed here.

BOTTOM LINE

We think that the brands featured here represent the finest home insurance companies in America. Which one offers the best homeowners insurance ultimately depends on your exact circumstances and requirements. Getting house insurance is no different from many other necessities: if you do your homework and make the effort to compare home insurance quotes from different companies, you’ll earn a better deal for yourself and find the best homeowners insurance policy for your unique needs. We hope our overview will help you do just that!

RESOURCES & REFERENCES:

• • Fire insurance
  • https://www.iii.org/article/spotlight-on-dog-bite-liability
  • https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-homeowners-and-renters-insurance
  • https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-insurance-company-rankings
  • https://www.irmi.com/term/insurance-definitions/commercial-property-policy
  • https://www.iii.org/article/mobile-home-insurance
  • https://www.iii.org/article/twelve-ways-to-lower-your-homeowners-insurance-costs
  • https://www.usa.gov/property-insurance
  • https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance