Home Warranties in Georgia: To Buy or Not to Buy
When deciding whether or not home warranties are a wise purchase for new homeowners, you first need to fully understand what a home warranty covers and how it works. Home warranties offer coverage that goes beyond that of homeowners insurance. For a low monthly cost a home warranty covers repairs and replacement of a home’s appliances and home systems, and the more you pay the more systems are covered through the service agreement.
The key to learning whether to buy a home warranty for your home in Cumming relies on understanding the ins and outs of how home warranties work, and understanding and of course signing up with the right company which accepts clients from Georgia.
What’s Covered
Typically a home warranty in Georgia covers kitchen appliances like the refrigerator, freezer, built in microwave, oven, stovetop, dishwasher, garbage disposal and other home appliances like the washer and dryer. It also usually covers the hot water heater, furnace and sometimes the air conditioning unit.
Optional add-on coverage can be purchased. Add-ons like a pool, spa, second fridge, and other luxury appliances (within reason). You can even add on if you have a second air conditioning system, which are usually only found in homes of a certain square footage.
What’s Not Covered
With any coverage, there are things that are excluded from coverage. Understanding when things are not covered is an important part of understanding what IS covered under the home warranty. Pre-existing conditions are not covered. If you buy a home warranty after your ac has already broken it will not cover the repair or replacement of it. If everything is in working order when you buy the home warranty coverage it will most likely cover it, but not always. If your home has a 35-year-old fridge, there is a good chance that even while it is ‘working’ it may not be included in the home warranty coverage, especially if this older fridge is a second fridge that is in the garage or basement.
It is important to understand that even with a home warranty service plan you need to maintain your home’s appliances and home systems. This means changing filters and having annual maintenance done on furnaces and other home systems. If a service professional comes out and sees the appliance has been neglected the home warranty service repair or replacement could be denied. Not fully understanding how to upkeep appliances and home systems is one of the main reasons homeowners call for professional service people to perform regular maintenance and repairs.
Helpful Homeowner Tips to Keep in Mind to Make Sure They Meet the Policy of Home Warranty Companies
- Change your furnace filter monthly.
- Air-conditioning filters should be changed every 3 months.
- Have your AC unit serviced before summer.
- Service your furnace before winter.
- Clear debris away from the AC fan.
- Regularly clear the lint trap from the dryer.
What’s the cost?
Depending on your home and where you live the prices for a basic home warranty service plan may vary, but on average a home warranty will cost between $25-40/mo for the basic plan. It appears like residing in Cumming, Georgia, does not impact the cost of the home warranty in comparison to the most popular locations (Texas, Arizona and Florida). With add-ons the price will go up. When considering a monthly coast for any size budget, putting in $25-40/ mo is much more feasible than repairing an air conditioning unit, which ranges from $350-3500. Some home warranty service plans have service call fees from $60-100 and this service call fee would be the only payment when the repairs needed are covered. If you purchased a home warranty service plan that does not have a service call fee, the monthly cost might be a bit higher, but not having to shell out $60-100 each time you need service performed might make it worth the while.
Why Wouldn’t You
There are a few scenarios where a home warranty may not be cost effective or even outright unnecessary. However these are usually for only short-term periods of time. After you have built a brand new home, all home systems and home appliances should be covered by a manufactures warranty. However once those manufactures warranties expire, it is a good idea to purchase the home warranty coverage. Even with brand new appliances not all things will be covered by the manufactures warranty that would be covered by a home warranty, so it’s not a ‘bad’ idea to have the added coverage even with the brand new appliances.
Where to Find Reputable Home Warranty Companies
When looking for reputable home warranty service providers, it’s always a good idea to check out what others have already experienced. Check out the top home warranty providers found on Reviewhomewarranties.com, which auto sorts its selection based on your geographic location. Review Home Warranties offering valuable information on home warranty providers all around the United States. Whether or not you feel the home warranty service plan fits in your budget, it is always wise to weigh out your options and be prepared for the unexpected.
