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Many Americans may live in areas that require them to have home insurance policies that specifically protect them from the fallout caused by hurricane damage, and this is often an unfortunate and expensive fact of life. However, what many may not know is that in certain circumstances they may be able to qualify for more discounts on this type of coverage than they are taking advantage of. And, as such, it might be wise for insurance agents to do a little more outreach as a means of helping them to find more affordable plans that still fit their needs.

One place where state law has a number of ways that consumers can legally reduce their home insurance costs when it comes to hurricane season is South Carolina, and the savings can add up to be quite sizeable in the right circumstances, according to a report from the Charleston Post and Courier. Consumers who do more to make sure their homes are insulated from damage for relatively low start-up costs can end up saving big every year as a  result.

What can they do?
The simple act of installing windows and doors that are less likely to be broken or damaged by wind or debris is one great way to significantly cut costs, but one that's more common is actually the installation of roof tie-downs, the report said. However, it's important to note that in many cases, consumers will have to have their homes' new safety precautions certified by licensed inspectors before they will be legally able to claim these premium discounts - but that process is relatively simple and may give consumers access to significant annual savings as a result. Moreover, the state's law mandates that consumers who have had such precautions in place for some time are able to obtain premium discounts retroactive to 2008.

Consumers are likely to greatly appreciate this kind of advice from insurance agents which, in turn, is therefore probably going to engender better relationships with those clients overall. Having high customer satisfaction ratings is often more important to retention and even the driving of new business coming in than simply being able to provide lower prices. As such, the insurance agents who can do the best job at striking a strong balance between the two could be the ones best positioned for success going forward.

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