A home warranty contract is becoming a regular part of homeownership – it simply provides financial protection against unexpected repair/replacement expenses when your home systems breakdown. A home warranty helps homeowners avoid the attendant stress of finding, hiring, and managing repair technicians and contractors. A home warranty also serves a tool for leverage in the real estate market – older properties with a warranty tend to sell faster than those without warranty protection.
However, for business owners, it might be hard to determine if you really need a home warranty plan for your business. It is even harder for self-employed people who manage home-based businesses to decide on the kind of warranty they need.
Here’s why your home-based business needs a home warranty
If you have leased your business premises, store, warehouse, or general property for a considerable time, you should definitely consider a warranty protection for commercial real estate. In fact, home a home warranty protection is a no-brainer if you (not the property owner) are responsible for repairs to the property for the term of your lease. A home warranty will protect you from increasing your business expenses by covering the cost of inevitable repairs.
For people who work from home, your home is an essential part of your business success – your home is more than a roof over your head because it essentially serves as your office and business address. A sudden breakdown in your home systems and appliances can disrupt the flow of your business activities; thereby, translating into lost time and revenue. For instance, people who run online businesses can’t afford commonplace electrical issues – they won’t be able to connect their computers, printers, and routers to the mains.
Many business owners find it somewhat hard to choose a home warranty provider and their inability to choose a warranty provider excludes them from the peace of mind and protection that a home warranty delivers. To begin with, the actions of some unscrupulous elements in the home warranty industry has given the industry a bad name. The proliferation of negative reviews makes it somewhat difficult to trust companies offering home warranty services.
Secondly, the terms and service contracts of some home warranty companies are somewhat ambiguous. For instance, home warranty plans basically cover home systems, but you’ll need an extended warranty to cover specific home appliances such as air conditioners.
Below are some practical insights that can help you chose the right home warranty company.
Start by thinking about your warranty needs
The first step towards choosing a home warranty company is taking the time to think about the kind of warranty that you need on your property. Warranties that cover home systems are usually differentiated from warranties that cover household appliances – a different kind of warranty can cover both home systems and appliances. The kind of warranty you need then influences your decision in finding a provider with expertise and experience with the coverage that you need.
Don’t overlook the importance of 24-hour customer service
You never can tell when your home systems or appliances will malfunction or breakdown. When such mishaps occur, it might be inconvenient, stressful, or dangerous to wait until the next business day before you have someone come over to fix them for you. You can know the quality of service that a home warranty company offers by reading reviews to get first-hand information on their customers service and professionalism.
Buying a home warranty from a company that offers 24-hour customer service makes it easier to get prompt attention when something goes wrong. A 24-hour customer service also makes it easy to report in good time when a technician didn’t do a satisfactory job so that a quick service report can be filed.
Free online quotes and upfront fees eliminates guesswork
You will be required to pay a service contract fee for your home warranty service and you’ll also be required to pay a deductible every time you make a claim. Home warranty companies that provide free online quotes will make it easier and faster for you know if you’ll be getting value for money without unnecessarily wasting your time with the back and forth of application process. Knowing how much money you’ll be required to pay in deductibles also eliminates the guesswork to help you determine if you really need a warranty protection on simple home repairs that you can fix with a trip to the nearest Home Depot.
