A Home Warranty When Buying a House – Including Older Homes

Maintaining Your Older Home with an HWA Home Warranty

Older homes contain a lot of charm and tasteful accoutrements, and those who appreciate things like elegant front porches, architecture from previous periods, or hardwood floors can live a lovely life in one of these classics. 

Surely, living in an older home is rewarding, but some realities come with it that may not exist to the same degree with a home that was just built. Systems may be outdated; appliances may no longer run efficiently, and other problems can arise. That’s why looking into the cost of a home warranty when buying a house – especially an older one – may be a good idea. Doing so may help you avoid a lot of different and unexpected expenses and stressful situations.

Can You Purchase a Home Warranty at Any Time?

If you’re wondering whether or not you can even purchase a home warranty for an older home, the answer is that you most certainly can when you work with Home Warranty of America. Take a look at a few of the reasons that doing so could help you when you need it most at some point: 

• No Appliance Age Limit: When you sign up for a Premier or Premier Plus plan, HWA doesn't require an inspection* of the appliances or systems before coverage kicks in and there's no age limit on them. As long as these items are working and functional at the time of purchase, the warranty will cover many kinds of breakdowns. However, HWA may request a copy of your inspection report for items in a recently-purchased home.
• Help is a Call or Click Away: Calling for help is easy. Without a home warranty, there's an extra hassle that comes with finding an available service technician that you can trust. With HWA, all you have to do is make a single phone call (or file your claim online by logging into your account) and we'll dispatch a vetted, experienced service technician to come to your house for a small trade call fee.
• Replacements Are Covered: Your HWA home warranty helps you get things back to normal. For many appliances and systems, if the problem can't be repaired, your home warranty plan covers a replacement. If the part needed to fix that aging washing machine is no longer available, a new machine will be brought to your house and installed for you.

Home Warranties on Older Homes – Some Things to Keep in Mind

People who add a home warranty when buying a house — especially if it's an older structure — breathe a sigh of relief knowing that breakdowns will be covered for that first 13 months. However, there are some details to keep in mind. Take a look at the language contained in your structural home warranty, and look in particular for the following: 

1. Out-of-Pocket Costs: No one likes being hit with unexpected costs. Review your contract's section about trade call fees and deductibles, so you can budget for these expenses.
2. Coverage: If your property is truly old and hasn't been updated in decades, keep in mind that certain systems may not be eligible for home warranty coverage, such as heat delivery systems that use asbestos, registers or grills. Take time to learn about what kind of systems your home has and how they work, so you're well-prepared if something goes wrong.
3. Cap Limits: Some areas of coverage have limits on how much will be paid over the course of your contract.

Moving and settling into a new home is a busy time for everyone. The last thing anyone needs is to suddenly have to deal with system breakdowns or broken appliances, particularly in older homes where repairs may be complicated. If adding a home warranty when buying a house has always been something important to you, then you should definitely think about doing so if you’re interested in an older home.

Home Warranty of America offers the protection you need at times when you need it most. Our Home Warranty reviews can show you exactly how we’ve helped homeowners just like you. We’re happy to talk with you about the specifics of coverage and any other details that you’d like to know before you take the next step. Just call us at 888-492-7359 or contact us online at any time.

*Inspection not required for Premier or Premier Plus plans.