For new or existing homes, after you've moved your things in, the work isn't over. Protecting your stuff over the life of your home is important.
Home warranties are worth it to protect your investment! Home Warranties protect and cover different products and systems in your home. The warranty company providing your home warranty coverage is worth it depends in large part on the company providing the coverage. Home warranty coverage is different than homeowner's insurance though.
Let's look at what distinguishes a home warranty from homeowner’s insurance, what a home warranty coverage offers to make it worth having a home warranty.
To better understand if a home warranty is worth considering, first, let’s outline how home warranties differ from home insurance. There are several important distinctions, so you should understand what’s covered by each.
A home warranty is a service contract that covers your HVAC, electrical systems, plumbing, kitchen appliances, computers, internet connections, and other home products. If it’s an appliance inside your home and it’s not working properly, there’s a good chance it can be covered by a home warranty plan.
Let’s say, for example, that you have a furnace and hot water heater combination unit that has stopped working during winter, meaning you can no longer heat your home and no one has hot water for showers and washing dishes. A good home warranty won't leave you freezing in the middle of winter due to a broken appliance. They'll take care of your repair quickly and effectively.
Homeowners insurance covers a different set of problems that may arise with your home, specifically damage and theft. Typically, a standard homeowners insurance policy covers natural disasters and perils including fire, wind, hail, and lightning. Unfortunately, those policies do not usually cover floods and earthquakes, so you have to shop around for those separately.
In other words, homeowner's insurance covers you for structural issues that affect your house and property while home warranties cover you for non-structural issues. If your broken furnace needs repairs, a home warranty is your friend. If that same furnace unit were to cause a fire that damages your basement, home insurance can help you.
Let’s take a closer look at what home warranties can cover. Most home warranties coverage devices including:
Some providers, such as HomeEase, also cover the following devices:
Not all home warranty companies are alike and what they cover differs. Some home warranty companies will charge you hundreds or thousands of dollars per year to cover a fraction of the systems, devices, and appliances you own. Still, other companies allow you to customize packages that cover only the systems and appliances that make sense for you.
Consumer Reports recommends that you ask a lot of questions to a home warranty company before signing a contract. You need to ask strategic and specific questions about what your policy covers. Any company that doesn’t want to get into specifics and answer every question thoughtfully is not a company worth buying from.
Now that you’re familiar with home warranties, it’s time to decide if it’s worth the cost.
When considering a home warranty, first measure the financial value. The HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems in your home are worth thousands of dollars. A warranty that ensures your home systems will be fixed in a timely fashion is likely worth it if you have room in your budget for it. Standard home warranties can range between $300 and $600 per year.
It’s also worth considering peace of mind when it comes to home warranties. Constantly worrying about your home systems breaking down or the cost of unexpected repairs can keep you up at night.
On the other hand, if your home is paid off or you prefer to address repairs as individual units break, you may not need a home warranty. Either way, it’s important to do your homework before making a decision.
If you have additional questions about home warranties, fixHomz is happy to help you better understand what they can cover and if a home warranty is worth it for you.
Learn more about how fixHomz is changing home warranties for the better.
We know what you may have heard about home warranty companies. But rest assured, we’re not like most home warranty companies.
You see, somewhere along the way, home warranty providers took a wrong turn. They started caring more about profits than customers. They stopped caring if people sat on hold, paid for coverage they didn’t need, or had to take cold showers in the middle of winter. Seriously, what kind of company does that!? Certainly not one focused on its customers’ experiences with their brand!
When we set out to build fixHomz, we knew we had to come up with a better way. HomeEase is dedicated to finding a more modern approach for helping you benefit from a home warranty system that’s actually useful. To figure out exactly what was broken, we asked you about your biggest frustrations. Here’s what we discovered:
Of course, why wouldn’t you want those things? We want to give you all of that and more. At fixHomz, our goal is to make your life easier.
We go beyond the old “break-fix” warranty model by offering the perfect mix of prevention and ongoing care. Our on-demand service and extended protection for your home products and appliances mean, whether it’s a dishwasher repair, home theater installation, or tech troubleshooting, fixHomz has you covered. fixHomz home warranties are worth it!
Check out our home warranties, which are totally worth buying, extended electronics warranties and on demand services by clicking below!
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What is a Home Warranty? |
A home warranty is an annual service agreement that helps defray the expense to repair covered home system components and appliances when they break down due to normal wear and tear. When you request service, you'll pay a deductible to initiate the service request. We will schedule an appointment with a licensed, independent contractor with you to determine the issue. If the problem is covered by your home warranty, fixHomz Customer Advocates will direct the contractor to repair or replace your covered item subject to the terms and conditions of the home warranty. |
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How is a Home Warranty different from homeowners insurance? |
Homeowners insurance covers loss from incidents like fire, storms or vandalism. Home warranties pay for the cost to repair covered appliances and home systems. The coverage provided by a home warranty and homeowners insurance does not overlap but they do complement one another to provide comprehensive protection. |
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What does a Home Warranty cover? |
A home warranty covers systems like central air conditioning, heating, plumbing, electrical, and water heaters as well as appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers. |
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What doesn’t a Home Warranty cover? |
Home warranties don’t cover the costs to bring out-of-code systems into compliance, structural modifications, modifications to existing equipment, secondary damage and cosmetic issues are examples of items that may not be covered. |
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What's a deductible? |
With a Home Warranty you pay an annual fee for the warranty. You pay a set deductible (fee) for each service call you request. The fee is collected prior to sending out a service professional to complete the request and the remainder of the bill is sent directly to fixHomz by the contractor. The deductible keeps our costs down, so keeps your renewal costs down. You have no other of-pocket expenses! |
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Can I view a sample contract? |
You can view a sample contract here. However, keep in mind that contracts and coverage vary from state to state. |
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When can I start using my plan? |
You can start requesting service 30 days after you buy your warranty. |
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How do I file a claim? |
When a covered item breaks down, request service by calling 833.FIX.HOMZ Your fixHomz Customer Advocate will collect your deductible and coordinate a day and time to have a service professional come to your home. Your service professional will diagnose your problem and if it's covered by your home warranty, the technician will repair or replace your covered item subject to limitations and exclusions. |
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Are there any exclusions to my contract or limits to my coverage? |
Yes. We cover breakdowns that occur due to normal wear and tear. We don’t cover damage. See how it works in this video. In addition, other exclusions and limitations may apply. See a sample terms and condition above. |
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How long does my contract last? |
The standard home warranty on an existing home can be from 1- 3 years with renewals up to a certain date. |
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How do I request service? |
Once your coverage begins, you can request service by calling 833.FIX.HOMZ. |
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Is there a limit to the number of repairs during my contract term? |
No. We do not place a limit on the number of covered repairs, although some coverage limitations and exclusions, such as dollar amount caps, may apply. |
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How long until my covered item is fixed? |
There are many factors that affect how long it will take for your covered item to be fixed (such as parts availability). However, since we’ve recruited our network ahead of time, our goal is to dispatch your job when you call and get the contractor out within 24 hours. |
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Who are the service professionals that fixHomz sends out to customer’s homes? |
We use licensed, independent contractors from our contracted repair network. They’re managed to specific customer service and repair metrics. And they’re reevaluated on a job by job basis. Our goal is to provide the best customer service experience possible. If a contractor falls off, he or she is out. |
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We thought the issue was fixed, but it’s not. What now? |
We offer a 60-day warranty of work on repairs. The tech or a new one will be sent back out to get the job done. |
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Can I purchase coverage for my pool or outside utility line? |
Yes. You can add coverage for your pool, in-ground spa or utility lines to any of our plans. |
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Doesn’t a manufacturer's warranty cover the same things a home warranty does? |
A manufacturer's warranty typically covers the failed part of a single appliance or system, but it doesn't always cover the cost of the labor or repair. A home warranty pays to repair covered appliances and home systems that break down due to normal wear and tear outside the manufacturers’ warranties. |
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Can I cancel? |
Yes, you can cancel at any time. If you cancel your contract within the first 30 days of your coverage, we'll refund your contract fees minus any service and claims incurred. If you cancel your contract after 30 days, you'll receive a pro-rated refund of your contract fees for the rest of the contract term less any service or claims costs incurred. Terms may vary by state. |
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How do I cancel my Contract? |
To cancel your contract, please call 833.FIX.HOMZ |
See how a fixHomz can make it easy to protect and repair all the products in your home.
