Home warranties what do you think of them?

Question

What do you think of home warranties?

Are they any good or just a bunch of nonsense?

Answer 1

Home warranties can be a very good resource- you just have to understand that there are limits on what the company will cover.

You can't expect them to pay for carpet, subflooring, etc. when a dishwasher goes bad- but if you ever have a dishwasher go bad they will replace it.

So read the fine print, learn about what the warranty actually covers, and don't expect a free ride if you ever have to make a claim.

Answer 2

I think they are a great deal.  My parents sold their house and the people got a warranty...  The air conditioner and the frig both went out within the first year so they got both new appliances for basically free with the warranty.

Answer 3

I wouldn't waste my money on one.  They usually have a deductible and only pay actual cash value.

We purchased a house that the dish washer went bad in the first year under warranty.  They calculated that it's used value was only $100 even though it was a $400 unit to replace.  They had a $50 deductible so we got $50.

Answer 4

Most of them don't actually save most people any money.

And sometimes it's really, really hard to get a claim paid.

Answer 5

On average you will probably spend about the same or slightly more with a home warranty then by just paying for repairs yourself.  But with the warranty it will be regular payments whereas if you pay for repairs yourself it may be zero expense for several years and then $2000 one year when something major happens.  

So it comes down to: do you want regular payments but pay slightly more, or do you want lumpy payments but overall maybe save a little bit of money?  If you are the handy type that can fix a leaky sink yourself etc you are definately better off without the insurance since using your own labor will be less costly.

Answer 6

Thank goodness for home warranties.  We've had one with every house we've owned, and have the come in handy.  Personally, I think they are well worth the expense.