Your home is your safe place. It’s where you are building your life with your people, and, therefore, it’s essential to maintain it. However, when you consider the never-ending tasks that come with owning a home, it can seem exhausting. There is quite a bit to do, and often those tasks require at least a bit of expertise and experience to ensure they are done properly. If you’re considering your options in caring for your home, you’re probably looking at a home management company like PreFix compared to a home warranty. While you may be thinking about purchasing a home warranty, a tool that may seem to offer some help in minimizing the costs associated with repairs, you have to ask yourself, “Is this the right decision? Are there other options?” PreFix is one such option. But how does Pre-Fix compare to a home warranty?
A Home Manager Compared to a Home Warranty
A good place to start is understanding what a home warranty is. A home warranty is typically a service agreement that covers the repair or replacement of some types of home systems and appliances. It’s possible to purchase a home warranty from numerous organizations, often those that specialize in providing these warranties.
Home warranties are not a type of home insurance. They also do not guarantee repairs. It’s important to read all terms and conditions associated with the home warranty before deciding whether or not you should purchase it. Limits and exclusions significantly reduce the overall benefit of some home warranties.
In general, home warranties have limited coverage. This may include things like the following:
- Appliances such as air conditioners, dishwashers, garbage disposals, refrigerators, ovens, ranges, and garbage disposals.
- Some types of repairs for electrical systems, plumbing, heating, ductwork, water heaters, and similar systems, but not all.
- Only repairs rather than replacement of broken appliances or systems.
A home warranty may be helpful. It may help you to manage some of the tasks required to maintain your home. However, most home warranties come with several limitations and rules. Some also include exclusions. A few common points to keep in mind when considering a home warranty include factors such as:
- Home warranties may exclude specific types of appliances or major systems. Read the fine print to know what’s not included.
- You may have to make additional payments for larger, more expensive repairs.
- Most home warranties do not cover structural defects, septic tanks, or well pumps.
- They may not cover big repairs to roofs, chimneys, or structural defects to the home.
- They may require you to take numerous other steps before a repair can be completed.
- They may not cover things like natural disasters, normal wear, and tear problems, or failure to perform required maintenance.
The exclusions can be frustrating if you do not know about them in advance. The burden of reading the contract and learning these terms in advance falls on the homeowner’s shoulders. In many ways, a home warranty only takes on some of the burdens of home maintenance. It’s not the full-coverage, never-have-to-worry-about-it investment that you may need and want.
For many people, the goal is to find a way to alleviate most of the repairs and maintenance that is required to completely maintain your home. A home warranty doesn’t get you to that point, though. That’s why it is important to consider your options.
Related: How to Extend the Lives of Your Appliances
Home Repair and Maintenance Services in a Membership May Be Better
Consider a PreFix home manager compared to a home warranty. For many people, it’s critical to invest in a service that can do more for you than what a typical home warranty can do.
Home maintenance and home repair are two of the largest investments you’ll make in your home on a routine basis. With a membership service, you may be able to do so affordably yet in a thorough way, not missing any steps in caring for your home and maintaining its value.
One of the reasons for this is the relationship that develops when you choose PreFix. When you use PreFix, you are provided with a dedicated home manager who gets to know your home and its quirks. The home manager learns about your appliances, your home’s preventative maintenance needs, and your specific requests. This leads to the effective development of a plan for your home’s upkeep over time.
The same cannot be said for a home warranty. If you have a warranty, you don’t know who will come out to service your home’s appliances. In fact, often those who do come out are motivated to do the least amount of work possible to get the problem “fixed” to some degree, with the focus on keeping costs as low as they can for their organization. They don’t get to know your home and, in most cases, you don’t get to know much about their history and experience either.
Simply put, a home warranty is more like a basic service contract that ultimately may not meet your needs. And that typically means more money out of your pocket in the long run.
What Does a Home Maintenance Membership Do for You?
Consider what a PreFix home manager can offer to you specifically compared to a home warranty. Consider what home maintenance tasks typically need to be completed on a routine basis. Then, think about all of the repairs you’ve handled in the last year. Not all of those are likely covered by the home warranty. Yet, in most cases, a home maintenance subscription service does cover it.
For example, a home maintenance subscription may help cover things like:
- Flushing your water heater to keep it operating at its best.
- Cleaning the AC condenser coils for your cooling system before the start of the summer months, could help lower your energy bills.
- Tackling that leaking faucet or that sewer line that is moving too slowly.
- Helping with replacing the filters on your HVAC system, which may prolong its life, giving you more time to keep replacement money in your pocket.
- Completing your to-do list of tasks such as fixing the trim work in your home or getting that loose door handle replaced quickly.
- Helping you to update your thermostat to ensure it is operating at the best efficiency possible, even if that means replacing it with a smart home system.
- Inspecting the drains in your home on an annual basis to make sure they are flowing properly.
- Making sure there’s no toilet backup that could lead to costly and messy leaks for you to deal with.
These are just a few of the ways a PreFix home manager can help you. In fact, PreFix home managers, themselves, fix and handle about 80% of all home maintenance tasks for you.
And if the home manager does not have the skills or the experience to do the work, they turn to pre-vetted contractors that are skilled in the specific issue at hand. There’s no mark-up to you if they need to use a different provider to solve the problem.
Related: Smart Home Technology: Pros and Cons
Is It Less Expensive to Use a PreFix Membership Service or a Home Warranty?
For many people, it’s important to consider a PreFix home manager compared to a traditional home warranty when it comes to costs. Typically, home warranty programs cost more in membership fees. They also charge a service fee every time you call on them. That all adds up quickly, and those are costs to account for even before any repairs are completed and paid for.
Another consideration is that work completed under a home warranty may not meet your expectations of quality in terms of long-term repairs. A home warranty repair may use lower quality parts and product brands to lower costs. Problems may arise if those parts do not last as long, resulting in you having to foot the bill for additional repairs later on as well.
In comparison to this, a PreFix home maintenance membership offers a different approach. With the right membership service, you get the same experienced professional that comes to your home on time, every time. They stick to the schedule that’s set up in advance to handle the preventative maintenance tasks your home needs.
Most home warranty companies do not do this at all. They are only there if there is a problem and not necessarily to help minimize the development of that problem.
Home managers also provide you with on-demand support for basic repair services. When you need help with an appliance or plumbing problem, the same person comes to your home to handle the concern. They get to know your home on an ongoing basis.
In addition, they use high quality parts because there’s no benefit to them in having to re-address that problem later. With PreFix, there is no mark up on parts and low labor fees, resulting in money savings in the long term for more service and better overall access to the care your home needs.
You’ll also get to pick the brands you trust with a Prefix home maintenance membership. That means repairs are done properly, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and they are done no matter which brand of appliance or system you have.
What’s Best in Your Situation?
It’s important to make decisions based on what your specific needs are, so take the time to look at a PreFix home manager compared to a home warranty to see what’s best in your situation. Here are a few points to weigh as you consider your options:
- Do you want a solution that will take care of everything your home needs, and, if they cannot perform a specific repair, they do the work of supplying professionals that can? Or, do you just want coverage for specific components of your home that worry you?
- Do you want to choose your own brands of appliances and major systems, or are you okay with the recommendations and requirements set by home warranty providers?
- Would you prefer to work with a home maintenance team to plan ahead for potential long term upgrades and repairs, or do you already have a plan for this, since most home warranties don’t cover it?
- Do you plan to do the home’s preventative maintenance tasks yourself, or do you want to allow a professional to be assigned to your home and come as you schedule, on a routine basis?
- Are you okay with not knowing the contractor that the home warranty company sends to your home for a given repair, or do you want a dedicated home manager who you can get to know and trust?
Keep in mind that you should choose a fully licensed and insured professional, regardless of the path you take. Be sure the home warranty company, should you go that route, is also vetting the people coming to your home.
If you choose a PreFix membership service, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll get a fully licensed, insured, and vetted professional to manage your home maintenance.
The more you know about the company, the actual services you’ll receive, any exclusions, and the cost, the better the decision you can make for yourself and your home. It’s worth investing in a better service when it comes to your largest investment.
How to Take Advantage of a Home Maintenance Membership Service
When it comes to PreFix compared to a home warranty, PreFix is hands down the better investment. You know what’s important to your home — routine maintenance that’s affordable and high quality, and access to reliable, trustworthy professionals when repairs are needed.
When you work with the team at PreFix, you’re working with an organization that’s dedicated to meeting your needs with professionalism. Our team of home managers is made up of experienced pros. You can rest easy knowing your home is in the hands of a dedicated home manager ready to help you.
Are you ready to find the best solution for maintaining your home and ensuring it remains in good condition? Turn to PreFix to learn how we can help you. Contact us today to learn more.