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Home Warranty A Must

One of the most important and money-saving feature a new homeowner can own is a home warranty. For a small set fee, usually under $100 you will have protection against most break-downs of most systems in your home.

The cost of this “peace of mind” feature ranges from $350 – $450 for a standard home warranty plan. Obviously, the more systems, (pool & spa) and features you may wish to cover the cost will be higher.

Q: Why would I buy a home warranty I can fix it cheaper myself?

A: From my 38 years of residential real estate sale I have noticed a common thread when new homeowners move into their new home…Something breaks! The reasons are many such as; system was already at the end of its life cycle, the new homeowner turned the “knobs” on the system differently than the previous homeowner and it breaks, additionally there are always different needs of the different systems by the new homeowner over the past homeowner. In any case I have seen it many times systems break down within the first 30 days of moving in. Don’t be left out in the cold without a home warranty or you’ll have a costly price waiting for you in the future.

Systems most home warranty companies will cover in one of their standard policy are as follows: Electrical systems, Heating systems, Duct system, Plumbing system, Water heaters, Garbage disposal, Valves, Stoppages, Pumps, Bathtub Whirlpool Equipment (Built-in), Kitchen appliances, Exhaust fans and ceiling fans, Attic fans & whole house fans, Central vacuum system, Garage door openers, Telephone wiring.

If you have ever had one of these system break down you know how long and costly it was to you or your landlord. You saw the invoice. With a home warranty all you do is call the warranty company and they send out a technician to make the necessary repairs. You have to pay a small fee, however the broken system will be repaired or replaced at no further cost to you.

For example, let’s say the water heater breaks and water is all over your garage floor some night when you get home from work. What do you do? You call the home warranty company and they schedule a technician to come to your house to assess the problem. With the proper coverage the technician will pull the required permits, replace your water heater along with all the part/values and bring the hot water heat up to today’s building code. They will haul away the old water heater too.

There are also home warranty plans available for rental properties, up to four units. As a landlord you will appreciate this come that call at 2 am from your tenants.

If you are buying a home or already own one and you want a home warranty I can highly recommend it to you. It’s a feature that makes home-ownership a little better.