If you find yourself searching for the perfect home insurance policy, it can often times be difficult to “pull the trigger.” Even when you think you have found what you are looking for, you may not be 100 percent confident in moving forward.

Here are five major (but common) mistakes associated with buying home insurance.

1. I’ll purchase the first policy I can find. Yes, this is often times the quickest way to buy coverage. However, it can also lead you down the wrong path. With so many available options, you should compare several quotes before you do anything.

How will you truly know which policy is most affordable until you compare several? You need to focus on everything from the premium to the coverage being offered to the customer service. Only then can you make an informed decision.

2. Not reading the entire policy. Like many, you may be worried about one thing and one thing only: the rate. You want to save as much money as possible while still protecting your home.

Remember, the lower the rate the more likely it is that you are not getting the highest level of coverage. Double check on the coverage, including the deductible attached to your policy. You may find that you are saving money but coming up short in terms of coverage.

3. Ignoring the advice of your agent. In today’s day and age, it is tempting to shop for insurance on your own – without ever listening to what an agent has to say. The problem with this is that you don’t know as much about the industry as you think.

When shopping for a home insurance policy, first touch base with the agent who handles your car insurance. Ask questions. Get some feedback from your agent. From there, you can compare your first quote to others to see if you are truly getting a good deal.

Tip: if one agent treats you poorly you should not take it out on the entire industry. There are many who are more than willing to help.

4. Buying more coverage than you need. Entirely too many homeowners do this and there are many reasons for making this mistake.

First and foremost, you may be tricked into this by an agent who does not care about your well-being. Instead, he or she wants you to buy as much as possible as a means of earning more money.

Additionally, your decision may be driven by fear. You are worried that you will not have enough coverage should something bad happen. Subsequently, you overspend when you don’t really need to.

5. Not updating your coverage when necessary. At least once per year you should review your policy and decide if you need to make any changes. Have you built an addition on your home? Are you now keeping more valuables inside your property? Did you purchase a dog that could be considered dangerous?

Any changes to your situation may lead to a change in your home insurance coverage.

Do yourself a favor and avoid these five mistakes when shopping for a policy.

On the flip side here are a few good tips of what you can do before buying.