<p>The seller of the home my son is purchasing is going to provide an American Home Shield warranty. I am not familiar with home warranties other than to know I would not purchase one! I find you usually spend a lot of money that could have been saved for the repairs when they happen, but I did want the seller to provide one. As we have seen that the seller did not keep up with the maintenance on the furnace/AC and roof, we figure the other appliances might not be in perfect condition either.</p>
<p>Anyone that has a home warranty know how hard it is to get them to repair or replace items? The biggest concern I have is the furnace; they have made the repairs we ask for that were found during our inspection, but I worry that they might have repaired in places where a replacement might have been better. I understand that the seller just needs to make sure everything is in working order; while I, as the buyer, want it to be perfect! I just hope in the month it takes to close that the furnace is still working. The other concern is the water heater that is 14 years old!! According to our inspector, it still works fine, but I know we will be replacing it shortly. Maybe it will go out before our year warranty is up, but with my luck it will blow the day after the warranty expires!</p>
<p>Any tips on getting the best service from a home warranty company?</p>
<p>I have had AHS for years and always found them easy to deal with and reasonable when it can to repair/replacement. I have kept the policy in force for 14 years and don’t regret it.</p>
<p>I forgot about AHS and how great they were! Yes, we had AHS on our first home, and it was great. It was an older home, so we did have some problems come up in the first year, but they were covered and serviced readily (including replacing a water heater), so I renewed it every year that we lived in that house. This was 17 years ago, however, so things may have changed, IDK.</p>
<p>We had one when we bought the house. We used it twice (to repair a built-in microwave, and to replace the air conditioning (the air conditioning broke 3 days before the insurance expired…)). You have to go through their agent, and use the companies they associate with. But it was fairly straightforward…</p>
<p>Our seller purchased an AHS warranty for us when we bought our house many years ago, and we’ve kept it in effect ever since. In addition to the annual fee, there is a co-pay per visit - ours was just raised to $55.00. AHS is fairly good about responding, but the quality of their work is highly variable, depending on the contractors they use in your area. Some are very capable, others are incompetent, and most of them are somewhere in between. Our experience has been that plumbing problems are easily solved and parts replaced without complaint, probably because of the nature of the beast - we’ve had 2 new water heater tanks paid for by AHS. Same with electrical. On the other hand, our air conditioning system has been a nightmare - keeps breaking down and what we really need is a new unit. Instead, AHS refuses to authorize the replacement of the entire unit and insists that band-aid repairs will be sufficient, so we are now in the market for a new air conditioner unit to take us through the summer. </p>
<p>Be sure that you look carefully at the policy exclusions to see what is and isn’t covered. Things like the roof, foundation, water lines outside the footprint of the house, sprinkler system, etc. may be excluded. Even so, if there is doubt as to whether the house was properly maintained by the previous owner, a warranty policy does give some protection against unbudgeted and unexpected repair costs.</p>
<p>Snowball, We have First American Home Warranty which was included when we bought our home about a year and a half ago. We renewed it ourselves when it came time to renew. It has already paid for itself. Had to pay $55 last month for service call but had a water heater replaced that would have cost hundreds with parts and labor. The technician said First American is the best of the warranty companies he has worked with. Especially if it is an older home as ours is, your son should at least consider it if he thinks it may work for him(even if you yourself do not think it is a good idea).</p>
<p>The seller is providing the warranty as we ask that it be included with the sell if the home. My husband and son are buying the home together for my son while he is in medical school. I of course get to deal with the contracts, repairs, and anything else involved with the house except for the paying the mortgage!</p>
<p>We had a great inspector for the house, but I am sure something can still go wrong. We know the water heater will need replacing shortly, and the furnace/AC is questionable. I am just hoping the repairs the owner had done on the units will be enough for us to get by, and just maybe if something goes wrong, the warranty will at least pay for most of the repairs.</p>
<p>I do not have a copy of the actual warranty yet, but if I need to upgrade, I will. I want everything covered that can be covered. This home is the same age as our home, so I know what appliances are close to their expiration dates! This home is in a small town and I know several people there that can lead me to good repair people when I need them. I just hope some of these good people are on AHS list!!</p>
<p>We’ve had AHS for the past 16 years on two houses. I wouldn’t own a home without it. Well worth it, especially on older homes where everything is always breaking! We didn’t like one plumber that they sent for our hot water heater but in 16 yrs. that’s a pretty good record. We highly recommend them.</p>
<p>Snowball, The first year is free as the seller has agreed to provide it for your son. It is after the end of the the first year that your son (and husband) will need to decide if it is worth purchasing it on their own. I have heard good things about First Home and AHS. As long as you stick with a reputable company, as others have said, the yearly premium can be well worth it. It does provide peace of mind .</p>