LOS ANGELES, Calif. (CBS NEWS) – Home insurance rates have skyrocketed in the past few years. People living in areas at higher risk of fires and hurricanes are being hit the hardest.
Like most Americans, Gauruv Bhardwaj is dealing with inflation. That includes the insurance on his 1600-square-foot house.
Nationwide, home insurance rates are up nearly 38% since 2019, according to Lending Tree. But it’s much more in some states.
Bhardwaj lives in southern California where his rates skyrocketed 200%
“Even if I shop around, I may be able to save 5, 10 bucks a month but it’s going to be a hassle, so I think I have to live with that,” said Bhardwaj.
“I see people paying anywhere from $5-6,000 when it was $1,500 or $2,000,” said Karl Susman, an independent insurance broker.
Susman explains you can cut your premium if you’re able to live with a high deductible.
“Look to go from $1,000 to $5,000, even $10,000 if you can. And even though that seems like a lot, if there a largest claim that you have, like your house burns down, $10,000 is not going to make or break you from rebuilding your home,” said Susman.
Homeowners should also take a closer look at their policy.
“For example, personal property- that’s the stuff in your house- if you look at that number and say I don’t have that much personal property, then you can reach out to your carrier and say let’s lower that down,” said Susman.
Some insurance companies will lower monthly payments if you make upgrades, like a security system, storm windows or a fire sprinkler system.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.