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It's no wonder that almost all New Jersey homeowners have homeowner's insurance. Anyone who finances a home is forced to buy homeowner's insurance by their mortgage company, but even after a home is paid for free and clear the vast majority of homeowners still voluntarily purchase homeowner's insurance.

The reason is easy enough to understand. For more than 93% of all New Jersey residents their home is their biggest investment. It is also their most valuable asset and so it only makes good economic sense that they would want to do everything possible to protect that asset.

Even so, there is still no reason in the world why anyone should pay even one cent more for their homeowner's insurance than they have to. So let's look at some simple steps you can take to get the best rates on homeowner's insurance in New Jersey.

Let's start with the most common claim made by homeowner's against their policy. Most people think that the most common claim is for fire damage, but actually it's exactly the opposite; the most common claim is for water damage caused by a busted water pipe or a broken connection to a dishwasher or ice maker.

If your home is more than 10 years old talk to your agent and find out how much you could save every month if you were to upgrade the plumbing and electrical system in your home.

While you're at it, ask how much you would save if you replaced all broken or buckled cement walkways, filled all potholes, and replaced all loose or rotting boards on all of your porches and decks.

Also ask if you could save money by clearing weeds and brush back away from all the structures on your property and trimming all bushes away from windows to reduce the chances of a burglary. Ask how much you will save every month if you install floodlights with motion-sensitive triggers as another means of reducing burglaries.

Don't stop there. Let your agent know that you are also installing deadbolts on every single exterior door on your property and that you are putting locks on every single window - including windows on upper stories. Ask if you can save money if you install rope fire escape ladders that can be dropped from upper story windows in case of a fire.

Consider installing a home protection service that monitors your home 24/7 and reports any fires or burglaries to the proper authorities. However, don't sign on the dotted line until after you have talked with your agent to see exactly how much you will save each month - some services will result in a much higher reduction in your monthly premium than will others.

If you don't already have the proper number of fire and smoke detectors for the size and layout of your home then install them and let your agent know. Replace batteries twice yearly.

Buy a fire extinguisher for your kitchen and make certain that it is specifically rated for kitchen fires.

While you want to insure your home for the full cost of rebuilding it from the foundation up and for replacing all of the contents of your home (remembering not to add in the value of the land under your home which does not need insurance coverage) you should also consider the deductible you have on your policy. The higher your deductible the lower your monthly premiums payment will be.

Consolidating all of your insurance policies - health, life, auto, etc. - with the same insurance company will also give you a deduction your homeowner's policy.

Now that you know most of the things you can do to create a homeowner's policy that will be as inexpensive as possible, go online and compare the cost of your new policy from a variety of different insurance companies here in New Jersey.

Take your time and make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites devoted to making homeowner's insurance comparisons. Then simply choose the best rate from a company you trust to be there when you need them and your job is done!

You have now done everything you can to get the best rates on homeowner's insurance in New Jersey and you can rest assured that you are now saving as much money as you possibly can each and every month, year after year.