Today I’m joined by Maryann Azambuja of Choice Home Warranty to answer some common questions about home warranties.
What is the difference between a home warranty and home insurance?
According to Maryann, homeowners insurance covers consequential structural damage that’s caused by weather, theft, fire, acts of God, etc.—all things a home warranty doesn’t cover. A home warranty covers the systems and appliances that fail due to age and normal wear and tear, like the HVAC unit or water heater. It’s not a matter of if something will fail, but when. It’s all going to break down at some point in time, so a home warranty is a great tool that helps homeowners protect their budget when the worst happens.
What does the typical claims process look like?
When a Choice Home Warranty policy holder has an issue—let’s say their dishwasher breaks—they’ll call the company or visit their website, place a claim, and let them know their dishwasher is broken. Choice Home Warranty will then dispatch the work order to the appliance contractors in their network. Whoever’s available or can service the work order the quickest will accept the order, and within four to six hours, the homeowner will receive an email with the contractor’s information and scheduled appointment date and time.
In these cases, it’s important to contact the home warranty company first so they can send out their contractor to diagnose the issue and make the repair. Once the contractor goes out, the homeowner pays a low $65 service call fee. This fee is to pay the contractor for going to the home, diagnosing the problem, and reporting to the warranty company what needs to be done. From there, the warranty company approves the necessary repair. If the item can’t be repaired, they’ll sometimes approve a replacement.
I’ve been in plenty of situations where Maryann has been able to help me, so I appreciate the work Choice Home Warranty does. Many of my homeowner clients have benefited from having a home warranty as well.
A home warranty covers the systems and appliances that fail due to age and normal wear and tear.
What is one of the craziest claims you’ve ever had?
For Maryann, anytime she thinks she’s heard and seen everything, something even crazier happens. Here in east Tennessee, rodents and pests can show up as unwanted visitors in homes from time to time. She’s had people call her about squirrels invading their attic and raccoons getting stuck in their chimney.
Any damage caused by these rodents isn’t covered by a home warranty, so unfortunately, it’s something you have to deal with on your own. You might be surprised to know that a squirrel infestation in your attic is an expensive thing to remedy. I’ve had squirrels in my attic, so I know for sure that it’s a common occurrence.
If you have more home warranty questions, give Maryann a call at (865) 248-9921 or send her an email at maryann@chwpro.com. If you have any other real estate questions, feel free to call, text, or email me. I’m here to help.
