Imagine this: It’s been exactly one month since you and your family closed on your new, perfect, everything-you’ve-ever-wanted home. To celebrate, you wake up early to make your famous breakfast pancakes for the family in your beautiful, recently updated kitchen. Grabbing plates from the cabinet, you step into something unexpected…water. Surely, it’s just some spill over from the dishes, or maybe you weren’t as stealthy with the measuring cup as you thought. But on further inspection, you realize most of your new, perfect, everything-you’ve-ever-wanted kitchen is covered in a layer of water. It’s coming from your dishwasher, and continuing to spill across the floor rapidly.
But how can this happen? You JUST purchased this house one month ago. Now you have a huge mess, and a costly repair that you did not plan for. Your famous pancake breakfast has been put on an indefinite hold.
Buying and living in your new home, especially the first 3 months, should be a positive experience. It’s so new to you that the thought of having to make costly repairs so soon didn’t even cross your mind. But it happens, and it happens more than you would think.
In fact, American Home Shield® (a home warranty partner of Harry Norman, REALTORS®) finds that nearly 27% of home warranty users make a claim within the first 60 days of purchasing their new home. That’s 1 in 4 policy holders. For this reason, Harry Norman real estate agents consult buyers on the benefits of having a home warranty to ease any stress and financial inconvenience of unexpected uh-ohs. And the types of claims may surprise you too.
Here are the top 3 types of claims made within the first 60 days of owning a home, and what American Home Shield can help you cover:
APPLIANCES (28% of all claims in 2020)
Includes refrigerators, ranges/cooktops, ovens, dishwashers, built-in microwaves, free-standing ice makers, and built-in food centers.
PLUMBING (28% of all claims in 2020)
Covers interior plumbing line leaks and breaks, plumbing stoppages, toilets, faucets, plumbing fixtures and valves, whirlpool tub motor components, and water heaters.
HVAC (25% of all claims in 2020)
For air conditioning, heating, and duct work.
Between appliances, plumbing, and HVAC, that is 81% of all claims made in 2020. For your peace of mind and security, it’s always good to consider if a home warranty plan is right for you. Speak with your REALTOR® today about adding an American Home Shield® Home Warranty to your existing or future home.
