By Kathleen Lynn,The Record (Hackensack N.J.)

HACKENSACK, N.J. – What do you like best about your house – the sunny kitchen, the shiny wood floors or the cozy bedrooms?

Or is it the fact that your house makes up a big part – maybe the biggest part – of your net worth?

Either way, you have to protect what you have, using homeowners insurance.

Although there were reports a few years ago of higher prices and limited availability for homeowners insurance, the market has opened up again, according to J. Robert Hunter, insurance director for the Consumer Federation of America. Premiums are expected to rise by no more than the inflation rate this year, he said.

“The market remains a competitive one where homeowners insurance shoppers can be selective,” said Marshall McKnight, a spokesman for the state Department of Banking and Insurance.

Here are several ways to save on home insurance:

-Shop around. While many homeowners believe that all insurance companies charge the same, that’s an expensive mistake.

“You can go from one company to another and pay twice as much,” said Hunter.

And don’t just call an agent and expect him to do the shopping for you, he advised, because agents don’t represent all companies and might not get you the best deal.