Community Chat

[gertrudecloset]

These home warranties don't cover things that affect the dwelling.  Your homeowner's policy takes care of that.

These additional home warranties supposedly cover broken appliances and things of that nature.  First off, always check the warranties on products you purchase (i.e., heating system, water heaters, air conditioning).  Some of this stuff have longer warranty periods, but the cost of labor is not included.

Check with your locality about getting additional coverage for sewage and water coming directly into your home.  I have this in the event the city's sewere line or pipes that come into my home break.  It is added to my quarterly water bill. 

Be very careful.  Read up on these things before you shell out money for nothing.

[RealtyGal2]

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@Meowingkitty wrote:

Not worth it. For starters the quality of service is questionable because the vendors under contract usually goes to the lowest bidder so most likely you don't get to choose the company you want to do business with. We had an example here that someone's air conditioning broke in the middle of summer. They called the home warranty company and they said it needed a part that would take weeks to get. You can't live without a/c in the hot Arizona summer. Seems the owners would not accept this and called a reputable a/c company who fixed it that day. 

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I live in Arizona and that happened to me. The A/C part had to be shipped and no one would pay to have it shipped overnight so I was without A/C for a week and the temps were over 108. Also, once the part arrived, I had to pay for the coolant to be replaced which was several hundred dollars. There are always additional costs and the quality of the vendors is not good. I had my water heater break and went without hot water (in winter) for 5 weeks because the plumber burned out the element in the new water heater when he hooked it up and lied to everyone about it. He even told the warranty company that it had been tampered with by someone else, which was not true, and the warranty company told me I was on my own and would have to pay for a new water heater out of pocket. I called a plumber that was a factory trained representative of the water heater company. He came out and took the water heater apart and discovered the burned out element and replaced it. He said they usually charge for the work they do, but he felt I had already been treated badly and he and his boss chose not to charge me. He is my new plumber. My warranty company charges me $62.00 per month and $75.00 every time I call them to come out. I did have one good experience with my stove. It broke and the repairman came out and fixed it in under an hour and it has worked fine ever since. I think I saved a little on that one. It is unfortunate that the warranty companies do not cover enough on the repairs and pay their vendors so little that you do not get quality vendors who rip you off for extra money because they are so underpayed (and the warranty companies support them in this).

[AngelPuppy1]

@ssfbeagle 

I am very sorry for the loss of your husband --- my condolences!!!  We got a home warranty when we purchased our home.  We feel it is a good thing and have had really good luck with it. We have had to use our plan quite a number of times and we feel it's been quite helpful. We've always had really positive experiences.  

[Suzeecat]

Home warranties are a ripoff.  The deductible is usally high and if you read reviews, you will find that most are unhappy with the service, either the service is slow and/or subpar.  I have my major appliances covered through my local electric company for an extra $20/month added to my electric service bill, and that has proven to be very helpful.  Repairs are quick and professional, and 100% covered. 

[songbird]

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@Anonymous032819 wrote:

To me, they're not really worth it. Appliances break. There's always a sale going on, and it's easier to just replace.

If I was going to have anything covered, it would be HVAC, but really, how often do they break down to the point of needing to be replaced?

Not very.

Save your money.

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We've never had a home warranty.  I don't think ever.  Our major appliances have lasted years.  I can't even begin to think how long we've had our refrigerator.   Years and years.  

[Sweetbay magnolia]

We had one for the first year in our current home, simply because the seller paid for it (at the recommendation of our agent).

It came in handy when a garage door opener broke.  It just so happened that the company under contract with the warranty people were working close by, and they fixed it immediately (stroke of luck).  And, I found a really great locally owned operator who has done other repairs to the garage doors for me.

The experience I had with a plumber?  Lousy.  I've found my own preferred plumber - came as a referral from my HVAC people with whom I've done business for years.

Finding qualified help around the home can be challenging.  I'm sad for what you are going through.  You have so much to take care of, but it might be helpful to evaluate, or have someone help you to do so, what you think might need work in the near future and compare it to warranty coverages.  Ask around for recommendations for service people and have their numbers handy should you need service right away - as in heating/cooling and plumbing.

Best wishes to you.  I have found this board to be a great place to solicit opinions and assistance with home projects.  Many are in the same boat.

[Still Raining]

Only worth it for as a sale perk for the buyer.

The best thing to do now the house is your responsibility, is to better understand it all.  Know where everything is, like the water cutoff.

Then get a vetted list of phone numbers.  Garage door, electric, roof.

You can do it, just takes some practice.

[GeorgiaJanet]

I'm single and have been in this house for a long time. My experience many years back when the house was newer, was poor.  Like others said, when the AC needed work, the quality of the repair person who was sent was weak and it took awhile to get him to come out.  We patched it a couple times and then I needed to get a new system.  So when I finally bought a new HVAC/AC system, I picked a local company that had been a good one for my sister and always had them come out regularly to service the system each year and have had good service all these years. . 

Their warranty plumbers were the same way, poor service.  My friend across the street is recently widowed and she and I have tried to get a collection of repair people as we go through house problems.  We asked all our friends and anyone local to find good people.  Seems to be no real easy way to deal with it all but we finally seem to have a group of good companies now to call when we need help . 

And that is a good suggestion to set money aside each month and then you'll have it handy when an appliance goes out and has to be replaced.  I did that for many years. So sorry for your recent loss. 

[Linmo]

@ssfbeagle I'm sorry for your loss.  We've had a home warranty on our home since we bought it over 20 years ago.  For us, it's been a money-saver.  With a 60 year old home, at least one thing needs repair every year and in our area of the country, SF Bay, everything is expensive.  We have an extended policy that covers more than the basic ones.  It costs us around $600 a year, but everything is covered, from air conditioning to appliances to garage door springs.

[jannabelle1]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband.

Regarding the home warranties, I'm with the others here - I would not purchase one. I think they are similar to the car warranties that are advertised on television (I have plenty of experience with them and my late mother). They may sound great, but there are too many things that are not covered if you read the fine print on the contract that they want you to sign. They also have a habit of wanting to set up a direct debit each month from your checking account for the monthly fees....don't fall for it, or provide them with your checking account number, bank routing number, etc.

Talk to your friends and find a good handyman that you can trust to help you when the need arises.