{"id":6567,"date":"2026-07-30T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandpointrealtyidaho.com\/blog\/2026\/07\/30\/buying-a-home-heres-what-you-should-know-about-home-insurance-costs\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T10:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T10:30:00","slug":"buying-a-home-heres-what-you-should-know-about-home-insurance-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandpointrealtyidaho.com\/blog\/2026\/07\/30\/buying-a-home-heres-what-you-should-know-about-home-insurance-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying a Home? Here’s What You Should Know About Home Insurance Costs."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

$\"Buying$ \n

If buying a home is on your radar, you\u2019ve probably been keeping an eye on mortgage rates and home prices<\/a>. But don\u2019t forget about homeowners insurance.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Homeowners insurance has always been part of owning a home. But over the past few years, it\u2019s become a larger expense for many homeowners \u2013 something that\u2019s especially frustrating when affordability<\/a> already feels tight.<\/p>\n

The good news? While premiums are still rising, the latest data shows those increases are beginning to slow. Here\u2019s what buyers should know.<\/p>\n

Home Insurance Costs Have Gone Up<\/strong><\/h4>\nYou\u2019ve probably heard stories from friends or family about their premiums going up. And that\u2019s not really a surprise when you consider data from the Pew Research Center<\/em><\/a> shows 71% of homeowners say their insurance costs have gone up over the past few years.<\/strong><\/p>\n
While no one likes rising costs, knowing what to expect can help you plan ahead. Your first insurance payment is typically included in your closing costs, but after that it\u2019ll become part of your monthly housing expenses.<\/p>\n
Getting an insurance quote early can help you build a more realistic budget and avoid surprises later.<\/p>\n
Premiums Are Rising, But Not as Fast as They Were<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Most of the headlines focus on how home insurance is getting more expensive. And that\u2019s true. But here\u2019s the part that\u2019s easy to miss.<\/p>\n
Insurance premiums are still rising.<\/strong><\/p>\n
But they\u2019re not rising as fast as they were.<\/strong><\/p>\n
According to the latest report from Rate Insurance<\/em>, 2025 saw the first slowdown in annual premium increases since 2019 (see graph below<\/em>):<\/p>\n
$\"a$ \u00a0<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean premiums are getting cheaper. It simply means the rapid increases of the past several years may finally be starting to ease \u2013 a small but welcome step in the right direction.<\/p>\n
But what you\u2019ll pay in one part of the country can look very different from what someone pays somewhere else.<\/p>\n
Where You Buy Can Make a Big Difference<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Insurance costs vary because some parts of the country experience more claims than others. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to look at what\u2019s happening locally.<\/p>\n
Your premium will depend on things like where you\u2019re buying, the home itself, and the coverage you choose.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Forbes<\/em> data<\/a> can give a rough idea of your state\u2019s typical premiums. Check out the map below \u2013 the darker the blue, the higher the costs tend to be in that state:<\/p>\n
$\"a$ <\/p>\n
Ways To Lower Your Costs<\/strong><\/h4>\n
While you can\u2019t control every cost that comes with buying a home, you can control how prepared you are. If you\u2019re crunching the numbers and trying to find ways to save, Insurify<\/em> and NerdWallet<\/em> offer these tips that can help you get the best insurance price possible:<\/p>\n
\n
\n
Shop Around<\/strong> \u2013 Compare quotes from multiple companies.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
Bundle Policies<\/strong> \u2013 Combine home and auto to see if a bundle price is cheaper.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
Ask If There Are Discounts<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t miss out on savings you may qualify for.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
Highlight Upgrades<\/strong> \u2013 Features like a new roof or storm windows can cut costs.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n
Improve Your Credit<\/strong> \u2013 A stronger credit score can mean better premiums.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
One of the smartest things you can do is get an insurance quote before you make an offer. That way, you\u2019ll know what your monthly housing costs are likely to be before you commit.<\/p>\n
An insurance professional can walk you through your options and help you find coverage that fits both your needs and your budget.<\/p>\n
Bottom Line<\/h3>\n
Homeowners insurance has become a bigger part of the homebuying conversation. But it doesn\u2019t have to become a bigger source of stress.<\/p>\n
The key is knowing what to expect before you buy. Get an insurance quote early, factor it into your budget, and lean on trusted local professionals to help you make the most informed decision possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If buying a home is on your radar, you\u2019ve probably been keeping an eye on mortgage rates and home prices. But don\u2019t forget about homeowners insurance.\u00a0 Homeowners insurance has always been part of owning a home. But over the past few years, it\u2019s become a larger expense for many homeowners \u2013 something that\u2019s especially frustrating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6568,"comment_status":"registered_only","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[29,27,20,18,28],"class_list":["post-6567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-insight","tag-idaho-real-estate","tag-north-idaho-homes","tag-rain-silverhawk","tag-real-estate","tag-sandpoint-idaho"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t