Everybody wants to save money on homeowners insurance in South Carolina, but they want to have plenty of fun features in their homes, too! Unfortunately, some of the most-loved features of fun-loving homeowners can also raise the premiums of their homeowners insurance. Here are the top five most popular home features that can raise your rates. Want to know just how much each of these could change your insurance premiums? Give us a call today!

1. A Trampoline 

Remember as kids, we used to get so excited to go to a friend’s house with a trampoline! All that bouncing, stomach-churning fun … we just couldn’t get enough of it. So it makes sense that, as adults with kids ourselves, we want to give our children that same fun right in our own backyards. Unfortunately, having a trampoline is fun for your kids, but not so fun when it comes to paying your homeowners insurance premiums.

Having a trampoline on your property can raise your South Carolina homeowners insurance rates because it increases the likelihood that someone will get injured at your home. Many homeowners insurance companies in South Carolina will increase your premiums if you have a trampoline, but not all of them do. Give us a call, and we can help you find an affordable homeowners policy that keeps prices low whether or not you have a trampoline.

2. A Swimming Pool 

Not only are swimming pools expensive (and therefore expensive to replace), but they drastically increase the likelihood of injury or death on your property. Swimming pools are also considered an attractive nuisance, meaning that someone outside your property could be “attracted” to your pool and use it without your consent, such as a small child who lives across the street or neighborhood teenagers popping in for a late-night swim without your knowledge. Yes, even if someone is on your property without your permission, you can be held liable if that person is hurt or killed.

3. A Fireplace 

Nothing beats a crackling fire in the wintertime. But with the luxury of a fireplace typically comes an increase in your homeowners insurance rates. Wood-burning fireplaces are, of course, a fire hazard, especially if they’re not properly maintained. If you’d like to enjoy all the comfort of a fireplace without the rate hikes, consider a gas fireplace instead.

4. A Hot Tub 

Like a swimming pool, a hot tub increases the risk that someone could incur a slip-and-fall injury, a burn, or even drown on your property. Though your homeowners insurance premiums are not likely to increase as much as they would with a pool, you can still expect a slight bump with a hot tub.

5. A Finished Basement 

Every square inch you add to your living space adds to the value of your home … and the cost of your homeowners insurance. If you decide to finish your basement and turn it into living space, your South Carolina homeowners insurance premiums will also increase.

Wondering how to improve your home without paying more for insurance? 

Give Edwards Insurance Agency a call today. We’ve got access to homeowners plans from all the different insurance carriers, and we can help you find a policy that makes it affordable to add all the fun you want to your home!