Home Warranty: How it works

A home warranty helps provide peace of mind and financial security, especially after spending more money on anything in your life! You never know what could go wrong, so for a small monthly fee, it is like having insurance on major appliances like a refrigerator, freezer, heating system, air conditioning, washer and dryer, and so much more. The last thing you need to worry about is what could possibly break or malfunction in your new home, since there is so much tied up in the mortgage. A home warranty is a safe and smart investment for both financial reasons, and if you are inexperienced at home repairs. It costs a lot of money to maintain a home, even changing a faucet could be $300 and with a plumber better make that $500.

Plans can range anywhere from $50 - $150 a month depending on what you want to cover and how extensive the plan is that you purchase. All easily handled monthly payments. And of course, there are always discounts and sales for free months and coverage zones. You generally do not have to pay for more than one year at a time, but additional years may also lead to further discounts.

There are many companies out there, like Choice Home Warranty, America''s 1st Choice Home Club, American Home Shield, Total Home Protection and many more. Each plan has different coverage levels, and their specific plans will list this out, but most are very similar in terms of operation. Typical process once covered by a plan includes contacting the customer service at your home warranty company when an issue with a covered appliance breaks, the company schedules an appointment with you to send a technician to your house, the problem is resolved, and much like a medical plan, there is typically a small deductible to pay for the repair (estimated $50-$100).

In summary, it is a good idea to get additional coverage at a low monthly rate that is never covered by your homeowner''s insurance policy. And these are the small things that really add up, appliance repairs and purchasing new models are a very expensive proposition!

Home Security: Choosing the right system

Depending on your needs you can go with a system that you monitor yourself, or pay a subscription fee to have your home surveilled 24/7 by professionals who will contact your local fire and police departments when alarms are triggered. Of course, the more coverage you have, the more you can expect to pay.