Owning your home can be a good investment and is cheaper than paying rent. If you add in the TotalProtect Home Warranty, life can be a breeze. However, there are occasions when homeownership is a headache. Let me give you a scenario to explain what I mean. You just bought your dream home a few months back. It has an open floor plan and the bedrooms are the right size. The house also features a wrap-around porch in the front and a kitchen that looks like it came out of a magazine.
While the kitchen design is impressive, the appliances are a little older. You come home from work to the smell of spoiled food and brown colored water on the floor. You investigate a little to find that the refrigerator has stopped working. You then call a repair company to come out. They come out only to tell you the compressor is out, and it is cheaper to replace the refrigerator.
Now you need to buy a new refrigerator. Not only is it expensive, but you have no idea of how to choose an energy-efficient refrigerator. You do a little research and learn that the energy stars are rated from one to five. A one-star rating means that nothing has been done to the refrigerator to improve energy efficiency. A two-star score indicates that it has the lowest energy performance. So the five-star rating is the best energy performance and the preferred refrigerator to purchase. Here are some other things to consider when buying a new fridge.
- Buy the right size. The most energy-efficient models are usually 16-20 cubic feet.
- Consider a model with the freezer on the top. Top-freezer units with the energy star rating use less energy than a 60-watt light bulb.
- Recycle your old refrigerator. Some retailers will give you a rebate on your new fridge for the old one.
You are equipped with the knowledge you need and a credit card. Now you go and buy a new refrigerator. You have it delivered. Life is great again on the home front.
But, it is not all over yetโฆ
A month or two goes by and the temperatures are rising. It is getting pretty warm outside, so you flip on the air conditioner. You can hear the fan blowing but the air coming out is warm and not cold. You are a little concerned because replacing the air conditioner could be very expensive. So you call the repair company. After three days, they finally come out to check the unit.
Your worst fear becomes a reality and you need a new cooling unit. So you know you need to choose a unit that has a good energy star rating so that it is energy efficient. This is a more significant purchase, so here are some additional factors to consider.
- Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) with a minimum rating of 15.
- The unit should have a variable speed handler to help with efficiency.
- Thermal expansion valve to maintain efficiency even if the Freon charge is low.
- Sensible heat ratio of 7 or higher
You talk with a few different companies and price out units. You sign on the dotted line and have it installed. Your beautiful home is now pleasantly cool inside. Everything is good, except for the extra payments from all of the repairs. You made wise choices and purchased energy-efficient units to save money on the monthly electrical bill. You realize now that you should have bought a home warranty. It would have saved you a lot of hassle and expense.
So, what is a home warranty?
A home warranty pays for the mechanical and often structural breakdowns in the home. The home warranty would come in handy if something were to break in your home, like an appliance, air conditioner, washer, dryer, dishwasher, heating unit, or other mechanical problems. You call the company, they send someone out, and most times all you pay is a small deductible. However, this is not the same as home insurance. Home insurance is for damage to your home from fire, wind, or storm. It protects you and the bank from losing the value of your investment. Home warranties help pay for unexpected out of pocket expenses from home maintenance issues.
This scenario demonstrates the fact that purchasing a new home is a significant investment. It is essential to have a thorough inspection of the house both structurally and mechanically. You should take special note of the efficiency and the age of the mechanical units of the home. Then either protect yourself with a home warranty or have enough money in your budget to replace the units with more energy-efficient models as needed. Now you are ready to make an educated choice to buy a dream home.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
