WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 12, 2017 15
AT HOME
All home warranties are not created equal
Having a home warranty is a
smart way to help deal with
the inevitable home repair
problems that all property owners
face at one point or another.
Aft er all, a good home warranty can
mean getting expert help when your
HVAC system needs to be fi xed, your
water heater needs to be replaced, or
your refrigerator requires a new part.
But unfortunately, all home warranties
are not created equal. And
shopping for a home warranty can be
tough, especially if you aren't familiar
with home warranty coverage and
providers.
So to fi nd a home warranty that will
protect your home and budget, here
are three important questions to ask,
along with a few tips on what to look
for in a top-notch home warranty.
1. What's covered?
Some home warranties are only
good for appliances. Others focus
on systems within your house, such
as your air conditioning, heating or
plumbing systems. The best warranties
off er broad protection at a fair
price, and even allow you to select
from various coverage approaches
based on your needs.
When shopping around, inquire
about exclusions, limitations and
non-covered expenses. Most, if not
all, plans DO have these. For example,
there may be a cap on the amount of
coverage for a particular item; an environmental
disposal fee, required in
some counties, may be excluded from
coverage; or modifi cations, not covered
under the home warranty, may be needed
to bring a covered system up to code
or in compliance with new standards.
2. Is the price aff ordable?
Obviously, you'll want to initially
know the specifics of how much a
warranty will cost you - not just for
the annual price of coverage, but also
for future service calls.
When purchasing an American
Home Shield warranty, you choose a
$75, $100 or $125 fee for your service
requests, which gives you the fl exibility
to pay more or less for your annual contract.
As with all home warranty companies,
the price of an American Home
Shield warranty plan varies based on
multiple factors, including the specifi c
type of plan you choose and your state
of residency. But basic coverage starts
at about $300 and goes up to around
$600 annually for more comprehensive
plans - a bargain considering the cost of
replacing things in your house that will
likely break down at some point.
When considering cost factors, also
ask if all the items you want covered
are included in the base cost of the
plan, or whether you will need to add
additional items to create the perfect
plan for your home.
3. Does the home warranty cover
just mechanical components?
Before you buy any home warranty,
inquire about the extent of coverage
different companies may provide
based on normal wear and tear of an
item - as well as any limitations.
Many components of home systems
and appliances contain both
mechanical and non-mechanical
features. While the primary goal of a
home warranty is to repair or replace
covered items so that they function
mechanically, American Home Shield
covers both mechanical repairs and
certain non-mechanical items, such
as handles, doors, knobs and shelves.
That doesn't mean everything is
covered, of course. So let's say your
child stands on your dishwasher door
and breaks the seal. Sorry, but that is
NOT a covered repair, because it is not
"normal" wear and tear.
Also, what happens if a repair person
comes to your home and, despite
his or her best eff orts, simply can't fi x
something covered under your home
warranty?
With an AHS home warranty, if a
repair person can't fi x a covered item,
AHS will replace it.
That doesn't mean you will necessarily
get the precise brand and color of,
say, a washing machine or dryer. Aft er
all, you may have bought your laundry
set four years ago, and the manufacturer
might not even make those exact
same models or colors today.
However, if your washer and dryer
do fizzle out completely, AHS will
install a replacement that has similar
operational features.
What's more, at American Home
Shield, 98 percent of service requests
are dispatched to local repair technicians
within 24 hours.
Using your home warranty wisely
Regardless of the type of home
warranty you buy or whom you buy it
from, always follow the maintenance
guidelines specifi ed for your home's
appliances and systems. Likewise, it's
a smart idea to have those systems and
appliances regularly serviced.
Taking both of those steps can
prevent many service repair calls
and help reduce your overall cost of
homeownership.
Ultimately, an excellent home
warranty provides you with a solid
asset that helps safeguard one of your
biggest investments.
Written by: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox,
The Money Coach, AskTheMoney-
Coach.com, AHS Financial Partner
Courtesy BPT