There are numerous home warranty companies out on the market, and finding the best can be daunting. However, here at Choice Home Warranty, our services distinguish itself from the competition in various ways. This ranges from our exceptional customer service to our coverage plans.
Our staff is a team of a dedicated and family-structured team ready to handle all your needs. Unlike other companies where your claim could be assigned to a large department leaving it unhandled for some time, we try our best to clear our client’s claims within the shortest time possible.
This is perhaps a good reason to source your home warranty from Choice Home Warranty. Despite providing more coverage than small companies, we make our services personable better than large companies in the industry.
Why Choose Choice Home Warranty?
Like other home warranty companies, there are endless reasons why we could be the company you are looking for. First and foremost, we are among the top-rated home warranty company in Arizona. Besides, we not only fix the repairs in your home systems and appliances if they break down but also take out the stress that comes with dealing with such inconveniences to homeowners.
For Choice Home Warranty, our mission is to help homeowners get quick solutions to their home appliances and system problems. Our technicians are readily available to handle your problem as it arises. We also offer exceptional services at a modest fee, giving you a value for your money.
Apart from the mentioned features, it is of immense importance if you get to understand the various characteristics of a top home warranty company in Ohio. These are some of the features that homeowners need to consider when searching for a firm to contract for a home warranty.
What to Look For In a Top Home Warranty Company
Your home is perhaps the most valuable investment, protecting it makes a lot of sense. This is where you turn to home warranty companies for their services. Finding the right company goes beyond finding the two “Cs” – Coverage and Company, right.
Finding the right coverage provides an assurance that you have the exact protection you need. On the other hand, finding the right company ascertains that your needs get quickly addressed, and warranty claims are honored swiftly and appropriately.
Home Warranty Coverage
Perhaps the first task before researching for companies is understanding what home warranty is. Generally, this is a cover for repair and replacement of electrical and mechanical systems such as garage doors, air conditioners, and plumbing systems.
This warranty differs greatly from your well-known health insurance in that you cannot claim on anything that goes wrong. Rather, you claim on the warranty is limited to replacement or repair of the covered items only that wear or tear due to normal use.
Home warranties coverage is not meant to replace home insurance that covers disasters like flood, fire or robbery. However, they are a complementary package, which when combined with home insurance, protects you from unexpected expenses.
Home Warranty Company
As mentioned before, finding the right company is the receipt of a hastened and proper claim delivery. However, with the increasing number of home warranty companies, finding the right firm requires extra caution. Note that there is no simple answer nor a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to home warranty companies.
Like you can do with other investments, you should find the best that provide great services. That said, below are some of the questions and steps to finding the right home warranty service.
Do you need it?
Before buying anything, you need to decide whether you need it or not. However, this is pretty simple to decide with home service contracts. There are several questions you should ask yourself to determine this. First, is the home you intend to cover brand new?
Secondly, are you looking to cover all the appliances? If your answer is no, then you don’t need a cover. If the answer is yes, your next question should be whether the items to be covered are out of manufacturers’ warranty or any other service contract.
If the items are still under retailer’s warranty, you probably do not need another cover. You should wait until the appliances are no longer covered before looking for a company for a contract. Similarly, if your appliances and systems are old, having a home warranty is prudent.
How much coverage do you need?
This is the important step. You should identify your livable square footage and the value of items you want to cover before stepping out to shop for a home warranty company. Knowing this ahead will help you in getting the most appropriate price and coverage quote from the company.
Avoid going with a generic price or cover quote as it may later affect your compensation claims. Similarly, avoid buying everything entirely online but consider speaking to the company’s representative to ascertain that the contract you are purchasing is what you need.
Does the company cover your area?
Where you reside plays a big role in this step. You could be living in a populated area or a scarcely populated region. Note that the presence of service technicians is directly proportional to the population. This also affects how the company will cover your home.
It pays to identify if the company covers your area or not before examining its coverage and price quotes. Otherwise, you will waste time with distant companies that will make it difficult to consult. Besides, their intervention to your claim may take quite some time. Perhaps the best way to do this is through a simple Google search.
What is the state of your appliances and systems?
Defining the state of your property is extremely important before getting to a contract with a company. Note that no company provides cover for items that were already broken before the inception of the contract.
Similarly, most companies have exclusions and limits to their home warranty contracts. This applies if the appliances and systems covered are not well maintained. This is why some companies require that you submit periodic maintenance reports or some sort of proof that the item in your claim wasn’t poorly maintained or improperly repaired.
Read reviews and contracts carefully
Besides understanding the exclusions and fine prints as mentioned above, it is of immense importance that you check the company’s reviews. Desist from buying a home warranty from a company without reading various reputable customer reviews probably from the company’s website.
When checking through this, there are several things you should be cautious. A good example is that some websites rank companies based on the amount paid by the companies to the website for high ranks. Search for trustable and reputable websites.
Besides, check the individual company websites for various reviews and references made by their previous clients. Similarly, search from various sites, compare and contrast what each website has.
What does the home warranty cover?
Armed with the list of probable companies to get a contract from, you should then consider what the individual companies cover vis-à-vis your needs. This will be quite easier bearing in mind that you had already identified what you need to be covered in the second step above.
Just to mention, some of the items that shouldn’t miss from your list include:
- Appliances that are well maintained but are nearing the end of their lifespan
- Those that are expensive to repair or replace such as HVAC systems
- Items necessary for comfortable home living
Note that the specific coverage for each company may vary from one company to another. However, the majority of home warranty companies cover all major components in your house such as plumbing systems, heating and cooling systems, electrical and water heater appliances.
Depending on the company chosen, you will likely find an a la carte of menu with additional coverage options. Nonetheless, you should remember that such warranties cover only the mechanical components and not the structural parts of your home. Structural and foundation coverage is basically provided by home insurance.
With the list of what you want to be covered for repair or replacement at hand, sift through the various home warranty contracts. Read through the contracts and note the items covered.
Inquire further on the status of the coverage for instance, what types of plumbing system problems are covered? Also, does the coverage apply only within your home perimeter?
What are the limits and exclusions of the cover?
To begin, limits describe the set monetary amounts that the home warranty company will not pay more than for the repair or replacement of the system or appliance. On the other hand, exclusions are identified specific parts/items or situations that the home warranty will not cover.
During the claim process, all warranty companies exclude exclusions and limitations mentioned in the contract. Some companies have set limits for specific items within your home while others have a set limit for all repairs and replacements.
With limitations, the company pays the maximum amount of their limit, and the homeowner pays for all replacements and repairs exceeding the amount. Knowing the company’s exclusions and monetary limitations will help you in determining which company would be the best for your situation.
What is the price of the home warranty?
Most home warranties are contracts that run for one year. Therefore, premiums paid are often paid for the whole year. That said, there are two main prices associated with the pricing of a home warranty. The first being a yearly premium, which ascertains cover for the entire period of the contract.
The second aspect is the service call fee. Service fees are less than hundred dollars fee paid to service providers sent by the home warranty company to perform diagnosis of your failed item or appliance.
You should ask the home warranty company for these items to determine which can be your best fit among the various companies. Note that low yearly premiums means less coverage, low monetary limits and higher service call fees. Always be keen and pay attention to detail.
Who are the company’s contractors?
After you have placed your claim, the company sends their contracted service providers or contractors to work on your claim. However, not all companies go for the best service providers, perhaps in a bid to save on cost.
Therefore, when looking at the different companies, ensure that you ask for the qualifications of their contractors. Only accept the services of professionals who are licensed and bonded to work within your state.
Final Thoughts
By taking the right home warranty, you can be sure that all your home’s important systems and appliances are covered. The company provides unlimited assistance during both repairs and replacements.
As you shop for the top home warranty company, ensure that what you settle for save you as the homeowner some cost. This will demystify the thought that saving some money on your own for such anticipated repairs and replacements can be a cheaper alternative.
Deciding on the best may not be easy, but our guide above can provide some vital leads.
