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Looking for home warranty advice...

CaliforniaTide

CaliforniaTide

All-American
Aug 9, 2006
3,835
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107
Huntsville, AL
My wife and I bought a home in the Huntsville-area a couple months ago, and while things are great with the home, I know that things will eventually fall apart. I'm not particularly handy, and while there will be some things I'll learn to do, there are other things that are just better for an expert to check out. Thus, we are considering getting a home warranty. I know that the cost of these plans depends on what is covered, but I wanted to see if any of y'all have or have had one, and what y'all's thoughts/advice/tips on them. At the very least, the plan itself could help us get through any possible breakdowns and we don't have the cash to get it fixed.
 
We've had American Home Shield ever since we moved into our house 17 years ago. It's been a godsend for us, as they've paid for a new furnace, a new AC coil, a dishwasher, various other AC issues, and a host of plumbing issues.

There are a lot of little catches in the contracts--for instance, our pipes are covered, our sinks are covered, but the brass disc that goes between the sink and pipe? Not covered. Didn't find that out until the plumber came out to inspect the leak and discovered that said disc had corroded--we had to pay both the standard visit fee plus the plumber's standard rate to fix the problem.

If you have a plumber and AC guy that you currently use and like, check with them and see if they are affiliated with a home warranty group--that way you get the best of both worlds.
 
I've always ascribed to the theory that if it were a good deal for me financially that no corporation would offer it to me. But I've also had to come out of pocket for a fridge and a dishwasher in the last 30 days
 
I think it depends. One way is to "self insure" by saving money for a "rainy" day. Another is to spend money on a warranty policy that over time may or may not "pay you back", depending on the terms of the contract and your luck. The house we are buying will have a 1 year policy, offered by the seller at the seller's expense without it being asked. I suppose I could have turned it down and asked for the $500 in a more direct way, but I just smiled and thank them. But keeping future repair costs in mind makes me aware to choose more reliable appliances and such. It makes me aware to save for such things. It makes me aware to keep my credit in such shape that I can finance a major expense at reasonable terms/costs (perhaps less than the expense of the warranty over time) if it comes to that. I have not priced it out over the long term, though. But I also live far from major metro areas and prefer to choose for myself what is to be done and who will do it. Forbes says maybe it's worth it. Howard Clark says they aren't worth the paper they're written on. Personally, I think may be of limited benefit to some people but best be prepared either way to foot the bill yourself.
 
CaliforniaTide said:
My wife and I bought a home in the Huntsville-area a couple months ago, and while things are great with the home, I know that things will eventually fall apart. I'm not particularly handy, and while there will be some things I'll learn to do, there are other things that are just better for an expert to check out. Thus, we are considering getting a home warranty. I know that the cost of these plans depends on what is covered, but I wanted to see if any of y'all have or have had one, and what y'all's thoughts/advice/tips on them. At the very least, the plan itself could help us get through any possible breakdowns and we don't have the cash to get it fixed.
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We used to use American Home Shield (on our personal house and rental properties) until I had one issue on one of my rental properties and an issue on my personal home that didn't turn out in our favor. Long story short, make sure you read what the policy covers and any caveats (because there are many) that are in there which would keep them from paying. We no longer carry American Home Shield. Over the years they have put so many caveats in their policies to vastly increase things they won't cover. It simply wasn't worth it to us anymore.
 
I have had American Home Shield for around 9 years now. They replaced an air handler when it corroded out. I really need to replace the compressor too, as it is old and not strong or efficient enough to cool upstairs sufficiently. However, the air handler had to "match" the compressor so the whole system is insufficient. If the compressor goes out, I would probably have to get one that "matches" the insufficient air handler and so on. The proper (expensive) thing to do would be to replace both units simultaneously, but that 100% is not happening under home warranty.

I also had a water heater fail, causing water damage. The warranty covered the water heater itself, but no damage ancillary to the failure. At this time, I opted to replace the tank water heater with an on-demand water heater, which 1) cost more than the tank water heater, and 2) required an upgrade to my electrical box to support the higher power draw. The warranty company gave me a skimpy credit to apply toward my own handling of this installation.

These companies make their money by paying low prices for hardware, and replacing only what is absolutely required, and explicitly covered in their policies. They also are able to pay their contractors less, presumably with the offsetting benefit of providing steady work for them. My guess is that a contractor connected and talented enough to stay busy has no need of an affiliation with a warranty company.

Once in a while they will send somebody out who really doesn't feel like making an effort. When an issue becomes complex, they just want to get out of there instead of seeing it through to resolution. Other times, the person they send really takes ownership of the issue and has pride in their work. It'***** or miss.

All that said, I feel like I have gotten decent value from the service, and will continue to use them.

I like having someone to call. If I had any inclination to fixing crap around the house, I would do it myself. Spending $ on quality doesn't faze me, but I want someone who knows what they are doing.
 
I'm pretty handy, in that I repair microwaves, washing machines, dishwashers and the like. I handle all electrical and plumbing. As I've aged, I no longer attempt anything involving something heavy enough I need someone to hold up the other end. As a consequence, I've never felt the need for home warranty. However, my secretary has. She lives in a condo/townhouse development which needed three different contractors to finish the build-out. Bankruptcies caused that. She's had AHS for over ten years and it's been a godsend for her, as a widow. On HVAC alone, they've replaced both a condenser and evaporative coils. It's been a mixed bag and she's had to stay on them from time to time, but she's a very stubborn, determined person and that seems to be a requirement...
 
TIDE-HSV said:
I'm pretty handy, in that I repair microwaves, washing machines, dishwashers and the like. I handle all electrical and plumbing. As I've aged, I no longer attempt anything involving something heavy enough I need someone to hold up the other end. As a consequence, I've never felt the need for home warranty. However, my secretary has. She lives in a condo/townhouse development which needed three different contractors to finish the build-out. Bankruptcies caused that. She's had AHS for over ten years and it's been a godsend for her, as a widow. On HVAC alone, they've replaced both a condenser and evaporative coils. It's been a mixed bag and she's had to stay on them from time to time, but she's a very stubborn, determined person and that seems to be a requirement...
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Maybe I could hire her to bother my HOA and their management company.

We have had a window leaking during heavy rain for years, and they will say they sent somebody out and they caulked it, and then the next time it rains heavy (it could be months) water will come pouring in again. I suspect it is coming in from somewhere higher up, and that black mold is in the walls.

Also, we had a tree branch knock off gutters after the April storms. The gutter being knocked off exposed the rotten wood that it was attached to. "Whelp, can't hang a new gutter on rotten wood, so I guess we will just leave it as it is" seems to be their way.

I can't do the repairs because it's the HOA's responsibility and they get fussy about how it gets done, and they won't do it because they're broke from battling the Birmingham Water Works.

I'm about ready to move and sell the hassle.
 
cbi1972 said:
Maybe I could hire her to bother my HOA and their management company.

We have had a window leaking during heavy rain for years, and they will say they sent somebody out and they caulked it, and then the next time it rains heavy (it could be months) water will come pouring in again. I suspect it is coming in from somewhere higher up, and that black mold is in the walls.

Also, we had a tree branch knock off gutters after the April storms. The gutter being knocked off exposed the rotten wood that it was attached to. "Whelp, can't hang a new gutter on rotten wood, so I guess we will just leave it as it is" seems to be their way.

I can't do the repairs because it's the HOA's responsibility and they get fussy about how it gets done, and they won't do it because they're broke from battling the Birmingham Water Works.

I'm about ready to move and sell the hassle.
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Scottie also fights a rearguard action against her HOA, which seems to resemble yours. TBF, I hate it when she gets off onto telling me about those battles...
 
I appreciate the responses. It's generally the same kind of thing that I've heard from others not on TideFans. At the very least, it would buy me some time to build up money so that we could eventually just pay for someone to do the work for us instead of being covered by a home warranty. So, in essence, I would keep the policy for a couple years and then just let it expire when the time is right.
 
Insurance is basically a bet with the insurance company. They are betting that you will pay more in premiums than they will pay in claims. You are betting the opposite. I therefore never get insurance on "small" things and only get it where legally required or to protect myself against "un-affordable" losses.
 
CaliforniaTide said:
I appreciate the responses. It's generally the same kind of thing that I've heard from others not on TideFans. At the very least, it would buy me some time to build up money so that we could eventually just pay for someone to do the work for us instead of being covered by a home warranty. So, in essence, I would keep the policy for a couple years and then just let it expire when the time is right.
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Good answer ! Insure for what would be a burden and save so that it will not be a burden in the future. Tomorrow always comes, until it doesn't. :-)
 
CaliforniaTide said:
I appreciate the responses. It's generally the same kind of thing that I've heard from others not on TideFans. At the very least, it would buy me some time to build up money so that we could eventually just pay for someone to do the work for us instead of being covered by a home warranty. So, in essence, I would keep the policy for a couple years and then just let it expire when the time is right.
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Luminaries such as German military strategist Helmuth von Moltke and ear-eating boxer Mike Tyson shared an opinion on this topic.
 
Well, our AC unit finally bit the big one. It was in place when we bought the house in 1999, and according to the guy who looked at it, was installed in the late 1970s. It *should* be covered by the home warranty--I'll keep everyone posted on the situation.

Right now, it's 80 freaking degrees in the house. Thank God for ceiling fans.
 
jthomas666 said:
Well, our AC unit finally bit the big one. It was in place when we bought the house in 1999, and according to the guy who looked at it, was installed in the late 1970s. It *should* be covered by the home warranty--I'll keep everyone posted on the situation.

Right now, it's 80 freaking degrees in the house. Thank God for ceiling fans.
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Oh man, sorry to hear that. Mine hit skids last summer. Let us know how the home warranty stuff plays out. Hope it works in your favor. You paid for the coverage. LOL!
 
jthomas666 said:
Well, our AC unit finally bit the big one. It was in place when we bought the house in 1999, and according to the guy who looked at it, was installed in the late 1970s. It *should* be covered by the home warranty--I'll keep everyone posted on the situation.

Right now, it's 80 freaking degrees in the house. Thank God for ceiling fans.
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A couple weeks ago I thought our upstairs air had gone out. Well, come to find out that one of my daughters had turned the heat on, and I happened to walk upstairs when the other daughter had just flipped it back to cooling.

It sucks to go to bed when it's 80-something degrees in the house. I hope you have a screened-in porch.
 
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