One Warranty for Everything

If your furnace dies on a blustery winter morning, you’ll need a few hundred dollars to get it fixed or, worse yet, a few thousand dollars to have it replaced. The same could be said for the refrigerator, oven, plumbing system, water heater, air conditioner, electrical system, washing machine, clothes dryer, or garbage disposal. Unless, of course, it’s under warranty or covered by a home service plan or home warranty.

When Things Go Wrong
The complexity of modern homes, and the cost to keep them running smoothly, is one reason more homeowners than ever before are turning to home warranties. The other reasons are the aging of the American housing stock, and the desire homeowners have for, as home warranty companies invariably put it, “peace of mind.”

Home warranties, also known as home service plans, are not new —they have been around since at least 1971. According to the Better Business Bureau, home warranties and service plans overall are increasing in popularity.

The appeal of home warranties is obvious. For an annual flat fee of about $400 or less, most warranties will pay for repair or replacement of your home’s appliances and systems that fail because of normal wear and tear. Policies are typically issued without a home inspection, take effect 30 days after payment is received, and cover appliances and systems that were in good working order when the policy was ordered.

With just one toll-free call, a good home warranty can make life simpler no matter what goes wrong. There is typically a deductible to pay when a service technician comes out. Deductibles range from $35 to $100, but the policy pays for covered repairs beyond that.

Who Needs a Home Warranty?
If you just bought a new home, your builder likely handed you a stack of warranty and maintenance documents for various elements in your home. Virtually all new appliances and systems are already covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. A home warranty will not kick in until those warranties have expired.

The National Institute for Consumer Education at Eastern Michigan University states that most defects in appliances show up while the item is still under the manufacturer’s original warranty, or after a store-bought extended warranty has expired. So, while you may be encouraged to buy third-party extended warranties for individual appliances at the time of purchase, the consumer Web site believes, “The only ones getting a good deal are the sellers, who find these programs very profitable.”

Dollar for dollar, it’s far better to purchase a home service plan or home warranty that takes all systems and appliances into account, no matter the age or place of purchase. Indeed, home warranties make great sense when the house and its appliances and systems start to wear, perhaps after 10 years.