Home Warranty: Looking for Thoughts
- Thread starter Farnsworth
- Start date
The only thing I'd be careful about with a water heater is the gas hookup - if you're not familiar with it, or feel comfortable doing it, I'd definitely recommend hiring someone. But otherwise, yeah, it's not terribly tough. At least you're not lying on your back with your shoulders wedged into a cabinet door, trying to reach up and hook up a water supply to your kitchen faucet.
I'd expect to pay $600-800 for a good water heater, and depending on your installer, maybe another $100-150 for the installation.
Thanks for the input guys! I just needed some confirmation that my thoughts to ditch the policy were correct. I'll just throw $800 in a 'home repair fund' for now and call it good.
Like others have mentioned the first year was provided by the seller as a courtesy, so I agree with what others have said on ditching it after this period.
Like others have mentioned the first year was provided by the seller as a courtesy, so I agree with what others have said on ditching it after this period.
I had a warranty when I was listing my other house (didn't end up selling) and the water heater went out. Even with the warranty, the extra fees we spent probably amounted to paying for 1/2.
The only regular house thing I pay for is a H/C guy to come once every 6 months and look at furnace and AC.
Everything else I've ever needed, youtube videos, google searches, or basic DIY is pretty easy if you are capable enough.
Everything else I've ever needed, youtube videos, google searches, or basic DIY is pretty easy if you are capable enough.
I'm sold on tankless water heaters once I owned a home that has one. They last longer and are much more efficient. Really easy to clean too, just have to flush it once a year with a cleaning solution that removes calcium build up. They cost more to install but when you consider that the water in the DSM Metro area is fairly hard I hear of people having to replace tank heaters within 10 years some times, a tankless should last at least twice as long and is more energy efficient too so the operating costs you'll save over the long term too.
We are about as dumb as it comes to being home owners, so I've been relying on our neighbor for all these little tidbits. I have no clue what to do for maintenance or changing thing over for the seasons.
Any references for HVAC guys to come check things out every so often? Is twice a year really needed, and about what cost would that be? I just don't want to get nickle and dimed on them finding things to 'repair'.
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We have been happy with 72 degrees H&C.
Not twice a month, twice a year. Once for furnace, once for AC. Probably a hundred bucks a stop. If there is an emergency, people on their plan get pretty quick service and a discount on new parts. We had to get coolant added once to the AC, and it was nice to not really have to wait.
Most places have a service plan where they'll come out twice a year and check what needs to be checked. Once they replaced the capacitor, but every other time they told me it was all good.
I did need them on emergency call-out one time and they came out and hooked me up. Fan motor burned up. In Houston. In the summer. Yeah, it got a little toasty inside.
We use Service Legends, they come out once for furnace and once for AC checks. On top of having a service plan with them you get priority scheduling when you need emergency service call and discount pricing on repairs or new installs. Many places have similar plans like that, just have to do your research and go with who you feel comfortable with. The annual maintenance checkups pretty much pay for the service plan as if you just paid someone to do those on a per visit basis it's about the same for costs.
I'll reiterate what has already been said in here - don't bother re-upping and save your money.
Home warranties are serviced by the crews that can't get work on their own, they can't do anything without going back through the warranty company, and what you think is covered probably isn't. It's so much simpler to call your own person and get any issue taken care of.
I bought a house that was a clunker (but wasn't supposed to be). The warranty increased my frustration level greatly. I eventually asked for a pro-rated refund (was a couple hundred dollars) and ditched it after six months. It wasn't worth the hassle.
One person in particular they sent for a plumbing issue with the dimmest of bulbs. He was trying to hook up my pump on my spa tub. It was clear the fitting was the wrong size. He wrenched it on anyway and was shocked when it leaked. He ruined the fitting and the threads on the pump. I got a new pump out of the home warranty company two months later after 100 phone calls. When they showed up, I had them give me the pump and then asked them to leave without doing any work. It took me about 30 minutes to fix it myself after I replaced the PVC fitting.
Did I mention you should just dump the policy?
Home warranties are serviced by the crews that can't get work on their own, they can't do anything without going back through the warranty company, and what you think is covered probably isn't. It's so much simpler to call your own person and get any issue taken care of.
I bought a house that was a clunker (but wasn't supposed to be). The warranty increased my frustration level greatly. I eventually asked for a pro-rated refund (was a couple hundred dollars) and ditched it after six months. It wasn't worth the hassle.
One person in particular they sent for a plumbing issue with the dimmest of bulbs. He was trying to hook up my pump on my spa tub. It was clear the fitting was the wrong size. He wrenched it on anyway and was shocked when it leaked. He ruined the fitting and the threads on the pump. I got a new pump out of the home warranty company two months later after 100 phone calls. When they showed up, I had them give me the pump and then asked them to leave without doing any work. It took me about 30 minutes to fix it myself after I replaced the PVC fitting.
Did I mention you should just dump the policy?
Option 1: (All insurance works like this.)
Agent: "Buy policy x, it isn't that much, spread over the course of the year and will cover all sorts of things."
<All sorts of things happen.>
Customer: "Hey all sorts of things happened, can you help?".
Agent: "Sorry how that happened isn't covered" or after 100 calls "We'll cover it, give us half of the cost via a deductible and we'll get it squared away"
<fixes the problem as cheaply as possible>
Customer is unhappy. Insurance agencies are in business to make money.
Option 2:
<All sorts of things happen.>
Customer pays to fix it "the right way".
Customer is happy.
I started out as an Option 1 guy, but after a while I have turned into Option 2 guy.
Agent: "Buy policy x, it isn't that much, spread over the course of the year and will cover all sorts of things."
<All sorts of things happen.>
Customer: "Hey all sorts of things happened, can you help?".
Agent: "Sorry how that happened isn't covered" or after 100 calls "We'll cover it, give us half of the cost via a deductible and we'll get it squared away"
<fixes the problem as cheaply as possible>
Customer is unhappy. Insurance agencies are in business to make money.
Option 2:
<All sorts of things happen.>
Customer pays to fix it "the right way".
Customer is happy.
I started out as an Option 1 guy, but after a while I have turned into Option 2 guy.
So I really like this plan to have someone come out every 6 months for AC and Heat. As far as service in Ankeny goes based on these quotes in the thread, here are my two options, both seem to offer fairly similar services.
72 Degrees: $185 per year
Service Legends: $240 per year.
Anyone have experience with both or can compare/contrast as to why they went with one of the other? Service Legends information seems more detailed based on what the provide on the website, but that doesn't mean much.
After three houses and 15+ years of owning a home, I'm firmly in the option #2 camp as well.
When I sell this house (which will probably be soon), I'll include a home warranty because home owners seem to want one and because real estate agents push them. When I buy my next house, I'll tell them to knock $500 off the price and drop the warranty.
