Four Ways to Save on Your Homeowners Premium

4. Connect Your Roof to Your Walls as Tightly as Possible

Just imagine a giant showing up one day and ripping the roof off your house and dumping millions of gallons of water into it. That's pretty much what happened to homeowners in south Florida when Hurricanes Frances and Jean hit in 2004.

Frances blew the roofs off and Jean came along and poured torrential rains on them, causing homes to be completely gutted. That's why it's important to make sure the lid to your house is screwed on tight. That may sound crazy, but believe it or not, there are things you can do to make sure your roof is attached as tightly as possible.

They involve things called toe nails, clips, single wraps and double wraps. You should make it your business to know what they are, whether you have them, if you can upgrade to them, how much it costs and how much they can help you can save on your insurance premiums. You may already qualify for the discount and not even know it.

The bottom line is that you are the only person who can make sure that you're getting the lowest premium possible. You need to understand what discounts your insurer offers and if you qualify for them. You can't control Mother Nature, but you can be an educated consumer and get the best price possible.