Home warranties are a service contract that will cover the cost of appliances and household system maintenance for a set period of time. Home warranties are usually advised for home buyers looking to purchase a relatively older property. But how exactly do home warranties work? We will explain how they work so you can decide if it is the kind of service that will work for you
How do Home Warranties Work?
Warranty providers will help home owners when certain appliances and household systems are damaged or begin to malfunction. Warranty companies will usually work with certain home service providers, like contractors that do electrical or plumbing work.
Once the warranty company has been notified by a home owner concerning a warranty claim regarding damaged household systems or appliances, they will contact and request services from contractors they are partnered with. Upon receiving a request for service contractors will assess and analyze the reported damage or malfunction and report back to the warranty company with a detailed report.
The contractor’s report report will describe the extent of the damage to the household systems or appliances and what may have potentially caused the damage in the first place. After reviewing the report the home warranty company will determine whether or not the home owner’s contract covers the system or appliance that has been damaged. Once approved, the warranty company will hire a contractor to repair and even potentially replace the household system or appliance.
What Will my Home Warranty Plan Cover?
Typically major appliances and systems like refrigerators, water heaters, plumbing, HVAC, stoves, and electrical are covered by most home warranty plans. When signing a contract for a home warranty plan you want to make sure that you read the entire thing, fine print included, to be absolutely sure of what will be covered in your policy.
Beyond just your basic plan with the most crucial appliances included, it may also be possible to pay for additional coverage for specific items. This can be a good thing to negotiate in your contract if you are aware of a less common element in your home that is starting to show its age.
Home Warranties are not Home Insurance
Home warranties may sound like an insurance plan, but it is important to remember that they are not quite the same thing. Warranties will specifically cover household systems and the maintenance of their functionality should they get too old and break. Insurance covers loss or damages that happen to the home itself, usually resulting from events like fires and floods.