If you’ve bought or sold a home in recent years, you’ve no doubt come across solicitations to consider a home warranty. If you’re like many buyers or current homeowners, that may have been the first time you ever heard about this type of service.

I remember when I bought my current house six years ago, my realtor handed me the brochure for one of the more popular home warranty companies, I couldn’t believe that what I was reading was really true.

Convection Oven

I mean could it actually be possible to purchase coverage for just a couple hundred bucks that would cover breakdowns for anything from my air conditioner to my refrigerator to my microwave, and basically make me immune from typical household repair bills for an entire year?

That’s what I set out to uncover. What I found was really surprising, and I think it’s going to help you make a decision about whether or not a home warranty is something that you’ll want to consider.

In a second, I’m also going to tell you about a couple resources where you can find information on what many people think is the best home warranty service available. So stay tuned for that, it’s coming up at the end of this article.

What a Home Warranty Does

As I said above, there are many people that may not have been exposed to the concept of a home warranty before. But that doesn’t mean that they are an exotic kind of insurance policy. Far from it. In fact, home warranties are becoming more and more popular every day with both sellers and buyers alike opting for the peace of mind that they can provide.

A home warranty essentially works like this: you purchase coverage for most of the major appliances and systems that your home relies on (i.e. plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, etc.) and if something breaks down, you call the home warranty company, they in turn call a repairman that they already have a relationship with, that repairman shows up at your house and either fixes the problem or replaces the system that’s causing the problem.

Sounds like a great deal, right? In truth, it certainly can be. The only caveat to all of this is that you need to read your policy closely so that you know exactly what’s covered and what isn’t.

Also, you probably don’t need a home warranty if you’re moving into a brand-new house that is still going to be covered by a builder’s warranty.

But for everyone else — in other words, for people who are buying an existing home — a home warranty can be a great way to avoid unexpected repair bills, especially during the period when money may be tight, immediately following the purchase of your home.

A warranty also makes a lot of sense if most of the appliances or systems in your home are getting old and you anticipate that they may be nearing the end of their life cycle, or a least might be in need of some repairs within the next year.

Home Warranty Companies – Which is the Best Home Warranty Service?