The majority of us know that our home can be one of the largest investments we ever make. As a result, we all take a great deal of care when it comes to looking after it, including the likes of security, insurance, and much more. However, many of us might forget about the contents of our home, with our appliances being one of the most notable of these. This can wind up being a considerable mistake, as when it comes to repairing or replacing them because of damage, we might have to pay a significant amount of money.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case as a home warranty can cover the majority of this cost. Home warranties have been something that has become increasingly more popular over the past few decades, with the likes of a TotalProtect Home Warranty providing coverage for a significant amount of people. Despite this, there is still a considerable amount of people who aren’t aware of what these are, as well as how they can benefit. Those that do, though, may not realize what they should look for in a home warranty.
That doesn’t mean that you should stay in the dark, however. With that in mind, there are a few notable things you should know before you purchase a home warranty.
What Is A Home Warranty?
While many people may assume that a home warranty and home insurance are the same thing, this isn’t the case. Home insurance will cover any damage or repairs to your home. In contrast to that, a home warranty will cover many of the contents in your home, with the majority of this being focused on your major appliances. Though this may not seem like much of a difference, it can often prove to be vital in the case of any repairs or replacements that you have to make in the future.
These home warranties may also cover the likes of air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems, as well as your appliances, which often may not be covered by a home insurance policy. With that in mind, you can think of it as something similar to a manufacturer’s warranty, but applied to a variety of your appliances and more. Because of that, many people have seen a warranty as an extra layer of protection when combined with a home insurance policy.
Benefits of A Home Warranty
Similar to insurance, a warranty is a way to protect yourself from unforeseen expenses such as repairing or replacing a major appliance. With that in mind, the primary benefit of a home warranty is protection against being significantly out of pocket should one of your appliances break or needing to have plumbing repairs. While this can be a significant benefit for everyone, it’s especially true when it comes to those of us who may not have access to emergency funds or may not be able to budget to include these kinds of fixes or replacements.
This also gives the majority of homeowners a considerable amount of peace of mind, as they won’t need to worry about any of these appliances breaking and leaving them too much out of pocket. In many cases, a warranty can be offered to home buyers when they’re initially purchasing a house. This can provide a certain amount of reassurance to them as they won’t need to worry about how large appliances and the likes of plumbing have been maintained by previous owners.
Drawbacks of A Home Warranty
While there can be a significant amount of benefits to a home warranty, there are also a few notable drawbacks. Perhaps the most obvious of these is that you may not need to use your policy very often. Because of that, you can often wind up paying significantly more to your policy provider than you ever use for repairs or replacements. On top of this, a warranty won’t cover the full amount of these, and you’ll still have to pay a certain amount towards the repairs.
Many warranty providers may dictate which professionals you can use to fix your appliance. This also means that you won’t have the freedom to choose who performs these fixes. Another drawback of this is that having work done by an unapproved professional may result in your warranty being voided.
