It is almost comical, almost. It seems like just after things go out of warranty, they start to fall apart – even when you have never has any previous trouble.
We’ve lived in our house for six years now, and while everything was new six years ago it seems the house is starting to play pranks on us. First it was the refrigerator when a little piece of plastic that keeps the in-door ice dispenser from leaking cold air broke – that little ditty cost use $300+. Next it was the ice maker, which we still haven’t fixed, and now a strange noise from the fridge. (I am afraid to even call the repairman out with the service call fees!) Then there was the garage door, the porch screen, the sprinklers… Sound familiar my fellow homeowner?
So, we have started looking into home warranty options for the house. I haven’t done much research yet, so I really don’t know much. But I like the idea of getting things back under warranty again (without replacing them, of course). Then again, if I had a home warranty company like American Home Shield, I wonder if everything would suddenly work without issue – just to spite me. Lol.
Of course I realize that the other problem with Florida home warranty programs is that they don’t cover everything. For example, I don’t think you can warranty a screen enclosure from holes – ahhhh pine trees! I also don’t think anything will help with our other major home improvement needed – the landscaping. (Seriously, one of my greatest pet peeves is our pathetic bushes that I neither have the patience or talent to cultivate.)
Yet I wonder if a home warranty would alleviate at least a few of our homeowner headaches. The joys of being a suburban family.
When we bought our house 11 years ago it came with a home warranty from American Home Shield. It has been a huge blessing for us. Living in Florida, we know how much we run our air conditioning and how much it costs to replace it when it dies (usually on the hottest day of the year). The home warranty saved us from having to pay to replace the air handler. That sold us on the value of the warranty and have renewed it every year. They have fixed the refrigerator, the dryer, the stove and have come to service the air conditioner numerous time. Soooo worth it. Yes there may be a year where we hardly use it but then you have a year where it saves you a couple thousand dollars and you will be very thankful you have it.
Thanks Emily – that is great to hear!