The average $300,000 home in South Carolina has a $2,611 annual home insurance bill, adding over $200 to your monthly mortgage payment. These prices are also on the rise as South Carolina homeowners face increased risks from tropical storms and flooding. But there are several strategies you can use to lower your home insurance premiums without compromising on protection and peace of mind. At LW Short Insurance Agency, we work with each of our clients to find the right home insurance premium in SC, and we know what tactics can lead to lower insurance costs. Read this quick guide and contact us to get started.

Steps You Can Take to Lower Your Home Insurance Premium

If your goal is to lower your monthly premium, there are different changes you can make to your policy while still maintaining enough home safety insurance to satisfy your mortgage company and your own requirements. Consider these steps:

​

• Consult with LW SHORT INSURANCE. They can streamline the process by comparing multiple policy options and quotes from different providers to find the best premium for your needs.

• Increase your deductible. A higher deductible will lower your premium, but you'll have more to pay out-of-pocket if you file a claim. For handy homeowners or homeowners okay with risk, this can be a great strategy. (Conversely, you can reduce your insurance deductible if you'd rather have a higher monthly fee but lower upfront costs in an emergency.)

• Home maintenance can prevent claims that would increase your premium. In addition to routine care, certain home improvements can make your property safer—and may even qualify you for discounts on your policy. Features like a monitored home security system, hurricane shutters, or a newer, more durable roof can reduce risk, strengthen your home's protection, and potentially lower your insurance costs over time.

These changes can have a direct impact and lower insurance costs.

Discounts Available for Homeowners in South Carolina

Many insurance providers also offer insurance discounts that you may qualify for. For example, you might qualify for loyalty discounts or discounts due to years without making claims. But when you're considering switching to a new provider, you can't access those discounts yet. Instead, ask if you receive a lower premium if you bundle home and auto insurance. Also, ask if additional policies, like hurricane insurance in SC, can lower your home insurance policy costs or give you a discount for signing up for more robust coverage.

Home Maintenance Actions That Can Lower Home Insurance Premiums

If you're looking for budget-friendly SC home insurance tips, home maintenance can play a significant role in keeping your insurance premiums lower. Keeping your gutters clean, checking your plumbing every season, and cleaning out your dryer vent all reduce the risk of you having to make a claim for a new roof, water damage, or a fire. Keeping your home low-risk is one of the most effective ways to see a lower home insurance premium in SC over time.

Effective Policy Bundling for Lower Home Insurance Premiums

Bundling your insurance policies with a single provider offers several benefits. You can lower insurance costs by getting a discount for choosing home insurance and car insurance from the same company. This also offers benefits like easier bill paying and simplified claims management because all of the details are in one place.

​

In some instances, bundling can save you money, but in some cases, shopping with multiple providers separately can be beneficial.  An Agency, like LW Short Insurance, can do both and look at it multiple ways to get you the best deal.  The benefits of using an independent agency are that they can shop multiple providers, where they can look at all your options to get you the best price.

​

Get a Quote Today

At LW Short Insurance Agency, you can help simplify the insurance comparison process. Our agents can put together quotes from different providers and with different policy options, including different coverage types, different coverage levels, and different deductibles, to see what works best. Contact us today to get a quote and start exploring your options.

Featured Image: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock

As soon as the clock strikes midnight on November 1, it's as if there's a sudden change. Pumpkins and cornstalks yield the floor to evergreen trees and inflatable reindeer. Candy corn and creepy gummies seem to magically turn into candy canes and fancy chocolates. Mariah Carey breaks forth from the ice and takes over Adult Contemporary radio with her Christmas list.

All of these hallmarks can only mean one thing: the Holiday season is upon us. With it, a sudden realization sets in - this is your year to host the family for both Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities!

It may seem overwhelming, the need to prep. However, there's no need to panic. Below, you'll find a seamless five-point plan to help you get your home ready for the Holidays as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

1: Clean and Clear Out the Clutter - This is one of the most frustrating parts of getting your home ready for company. At least, it feels that way sometimes. In reality, it doesn't have to be so hard. Make cleaning and decluttering easier by taking things step by step. Declutter first, going through things that can be donated, sold, or simply tossed out. Once your home is free of clutter, give your home a good, thorough cleaning. That could simply mean going around with a vacuum once or twice, or giving the entire place a strong deep clean.

2: Stock Up On the Essentials - Hosting means you're probably going to have guests come in from out of town. Some of those guests may have accommodations elsewhere, while others may opt to stay with you. Make those guests staying with you feel as welcome as possible by stocking up on clean bedding, fresh towels, hygiene products, food, and beverages.

3: Pile On the Holiday Cheer - So, you've cleaned up. Stocked up on the essentials. Yet, your house doesn't quite feel as full of Holiday cheer as you'd like. This means it's time to start decorating! Your decor can be as simple or as elaborate as you'd like it to be. For some, it's as simple as a nice table setting and a few lit evergreens placed tastefully around the house. For others, it's turning the house into a true winter wonderland, with fake snow and reindeer, and perhaps a vision of jolly old Saint Nick himself...

4: Deck the Halls With Scents of the Holidays - Smells make up a great percentage of the atmosphere in your home. If you have Christmas trees and decorations set up all around, but the scent wafting around is making guests think of palm trees and Bahama breezes, it's not going to feel so Holiday-cozy. Utilizing seasonal scents, such as cinnamon and freshly-cut evergreen, will make your house feel like a living embodiment of the Holiday season.

5: Utilize the Sounds of the Holidays - For a nice final touch, get your guests in the spirit of the season by playing Holiday music. This can be anything from lovely choral Christmas hymns to more modern Christmas classics. Create a playlist of one, the other, or a mix of both!

We've reached the end of November, which means the Holidays are in full swing around here. Myrtle Beach always offers plenty for families to do during the season - this year is no different! Let's take a look at some of the Holiday goings-on in Myrtle Beach for 2025.

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS:

NOVEMBER 28 - JANUARY 4: Winter Wonderland at the Beach, Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion Place

DATES TBD: Nights of a Thousand Candles, Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet

NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 30: The Great Christmas Light Show, North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex

DECEMBER 6, 7, 13, & 20: A Rivertown Christmas, Downtown Conway

DECEMBER 31, : A Southern Times Square, The Market Common

TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATIONS:

NOVEMBER 29, 5:30PM: Ripley's Aquarium Festival of Trees Lighting Ceremony

DECEMBER 2, 6PM: North Myrtle Beach Christmas Tree Lighting

DECEMBER 4, 6PM: City of Conway Tree Lighting

DECEMBER 4, 4PM - 7PM: Town of Surfside Beach Christmas Tree Lighting

DECEMBER 6, 4PM - 6PM: Murrells Inlet Christmas Tree Lighting

HOLIDAY PARADES:

NOVEMBER 30, 5PM: Intracoastal Christmas Regatta, Intracoastal Waterway, Little River

DECEMBER 5, 6PM: Loris Christmas Parade, Downtown Loris

DECEMBER 6, 11AM: A Very Broadway Christmas Parade, Broadway At the Beach

DECEMBER 6, 5:30PM: North Myrtle Beach Christmas Parade, Main Street, North Myrtle Beach

DECEMBER 7, 3PM: Holiday Golf Cart Parade at Barefoot Landing, Barefoot Landing, North Myrtle Beach

DECEMBER 13, 2PM: Surfside Beach Christmas Parade

DECEMBER 13, 10AM: City of Conway Christmas Parade

DECEMBER 14, 3PM: Murrells Inlet Christmas Parade

In the event of a disaster, it's important to have enough supplies to get you through, at the very least, the first 72 hours of the event. Those first 72 hours are often the worst, especially when it comes to emergency crews navigating damage to restore crucial resources, such as power. You could honestly go without those crucial resources for longer than 72 hours. For this reason, it's very important to have enough resources in any Disaster Preparedness kit to last a week, if not a little longer.

Below, you'll find some of the most important items to put in any Disaster Preparedness kit.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MUST-HAVES:

• Water, two gallons of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• First aid kit

• Whistle to signal for help

• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

• Manual can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)

• Local maps

• Cell phone with chargers

• Prescription medications and glasses

• Infant formula and diapers

• Pet food and extra water for your pet

• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container

• Family emergency contact information

• Cash or traveler's checks and change

Some additional items to consider include sleeping bags, warm blankets, fire extinguishers, matches in waterproof containers, and a multi-purpose tool.

A "distraction" is listed as anything that takes your attention away from the road while driving. This could be anything from a backseat argument to feeling the need to answer a text message. In fact, mobile device use presents the highest risk for getting into an accident while driving than most other distractions today.

To help prevent accidents related to drivers being distracted by their mobile devices, South Carolina has introduced a new Hands-Free/Distracted Driving Law. The law goes into effect on September 1, 2025.

Under this new law, drivers are no longer allowed to:

• Hold or support a mobile device with any part of their body*.

• Use a mobile device to read, compose, or transmit texts, emails, app interactions, or website information.

• Watch motion on a mobile device, including a video, movie, mobile game, or video call.

Violations of this new law could lead to fines and points being taken off of your license. As harsh as that sounds, the state is leaving some room for leniency for the first 180 days the law is in effect. During that time, law enforcement will be able to issue warnings, as opposed to handing out tickets immediately.

That doesn't mean you're free to just use your mobile device behind the wheel for the first three months the law is in effect. Use this time to practice safe driving habits. Keep your phone out of your hands and your eyes on the road - we'll all be better off for it!