Tag: Arizona Home Warranty

Unexpected home repairs can cause serious headaches. It’s hard enough to find vendors you can trust when you’ve got time to research them, and it only gets worse when you are facing an urgent repair issue and a full plate of other responsibilities.

But Platinum Concierge can help.  If you’ve ever filed a claim with Platinum Home Warranty, you know what a relief it is to hand the problem over to professionals so you can get back to your life.

What is Platinum Concierge?
When repairs aren’t covered by a policy claim, Platinum Concierge works on your behalf to arrange for your home repairs, providing the same satisfaction of our home warranty customer service and support.

How does Concierge work?
Working with Platinum Concierge is easy.

1. Tell us what you need. A flat, $50 concierge fee* is collected upfront at the time of the initial service request, where we work with you to determine the extent of your service needs. 
2. We make it happen. Platinum Concierge takes the reins to assign and coordinate with the best local vendors to prioritize your repair for high-quality, worry-free service. 

Do I need to have a Platinum Home Warranty to use Concierge?
No! Whether your Arizona home warranty policy has lapsed, you never had one, or you’re looking to use Concierge as a gift for someone who is overwhelmed by home repair needs, we can help.

Need help with a repair?  All it takes is a quick phone call to our friendly, Arizona-local support team to start your service request.

Call today! 602-733-5000

 

*Concierge Fee does not credit toward any payment owed to the vendor. Vendor payment for services coordinated through Platinum Concierge but not covered by a Platinum Home Warranty is handled directly between the customer and the vendor.

 

 

 

When you have a child, nothing is more important than their safety.  Any parent has probably read about childproofing or their pediatrician has advised them about childproofing.  Most people know to plus the outlet covers and lock the cabinets that contain anything dangerous to children like chemicals, cleaning products, silverware or other things.  But, one thing many people do not give as much consideration to is how to childproof their appliances.  You may think, “they are a baby (or toddler, or child)…they are not really capable of opening the refrigerator, or getting into the washing machine.”  But, what if they do, and injure themselves?  When it comes to childproofing, better safe than sorry should always be the approach.  Read more about how to properly childproof your appliances below. Refrigerator:  Depending on the configuration of your refrigerator, you can secure your refrigerator doors with latches.  If it is a side-by-side refrigerator, install latches (you will need two) on the doors that are out of reach of the children.  If it is a traditional refrigerator with one door and a freezer on top, secure a latch for the freezer and one for the door separately.  If you have a refrigerator that has side-by-side doors on top and a refrigerator drawer on the bottom, you will need three separate latches to properly secure your refrigerator.  If you store medication in your refrigerator, keep it on the top shelf so that it is out of reach of children in case they do manage to get into the refrigerator. Oven:  If knobs are on the front of your oven, and children can reach them, you should install knob covers or locks to prevent little hands from reaching up and turning burners on the stove on.  When cooking, use back burners whenever possible to prevent children from reaching up and trying to touch the top of the stove, resulting in accidental burning.  If you are using the front burners, turn the handles of your pots and pans away from the edge and towards the wall so that children cannot reach up and pull a hot pan down on themselves. Dishwasher:  Dishwashers have two things you do not want your children to get into: chemicals and sharp objects.  Install a dishwasher lock to keep curious little hands out.  Also, keep silverware pointed down so that sharp edges are not sticking straight up.  Lastly, start your dishwasher as soon as you put dishwasher detergent in to prevent your children from getting into it and accidentally ingesting it. Washer and Dryer:  Many modern washers and dryers contain “childproof” settings that can be enabled to prevent children from opening the machine during a wash and dry cycle.  It will also prevent them from making any changes during cycles because they try to press the brightly colored buttons on the front.  You can also install an exterior safety lock on the machine that will be one additional preventive measure against children getting in.]]>

Home warranties have many benefits for homeowners that protect their homes and offer peace of mind.  When it comes to buying and selling homes,  both buyers and sellers can benefit from having a home warranty.  One might think that, when selling a home, a home warranty would only benefit the buyer who will take over the home but, in fact, it benefits everyone.

The first and most important benefit for sellers is that it offers a competitive edge in the housing market.  When you go to sell your home, you want to sell it quickly and for top dollar.  With a home warranty, buyers will be that much more attracted to your home because they will feel safe and covered should something go wrong and they will also know that you have taken good care of your home.  If they are considering a similar home in the neighborhood, having a home warranty may give your home the competitive edge it needs to be out the other home.  Additionally, having a home warranty may help lessen the amount of negotiations with the buyer after an inspection because they will feel covered should something go wrong.  Another benefit for sellers is that the home will be covered and protected should something go wrong or break while the home is listed or in escrow.

The seller is certainly not the only one who benefits from a home warranty, the buyer benefits immensely from purchasing a home with a home warranty.  First, purchasing a home is very expensive and you will be spending money on not just the home but on moving expenses and decor. If you purchase a home that has a home warranty, you will not need to worry that a huge repair will pop up, costing you money you may not have readily available.  A home warranty protects home buyers from additional costs for surprise repairs.  Additionally, buyers will have peace of mind that their new home is covered should something break down.

When you move into a new home there is a lot to learn about the new home and having peace of mind that your home is protected is priceless.  An existing home warranty will also make home ownership easier.  When things break down, it can be very frustrating to try to find a reliable and knowledgeable handyman or repairman that can do the job. When you purchase a home with a home warranty, you simply need to call the home warranty company and let them handle it from there.  They will send a trustworthy and experienced handyman to handle your job and will handle all of the legwork.  A home warranty is simply a good choice for both home sellers and home buyers.

You are sure to get homeowners insurance to protect yourself in the event of a major problem, but homeowners insurance does not necessarily cover all of the things you may think it does. What about the gaps in homeowners insurance? If you have just put a lot of money into building a home, the last thing you want is to have something break and have a major out of pocket expense. Many people purchase a home warranty when they buy an existing home, but what about a new build? Is it worth it? And, what is really covered with a home warranty?

Realtor.com discusses why everyone should have a home warranty, “A home warranty is a service contract that covers repairs and the replacement of appliances and other systems in your home. A home warranty differs from a general homeowner’s insurance policy in that it covers repairs and replacement of failed appliances or systems. Homeowner’s insurance covers your home and its contents from hazards such as loss, theft, and destruction.

Home warranty plans can differ quite significantly, but most cover things such as major appliances, heating and cooling systems, and plumbing and electrical systems. The more you are prepared to pay for a plan, the more likely it is that additional items are covered.” Depending on who built your home and your contract, some things may be covered, but some things may not be like your refrigerator. And you may think, “But, my refrigerator is brand new, it should be fine.” While this may be true, sometimes, things happen and appliances or other things break.

MSN Real Estate points out why a home warranty is a good idea, even for new construction or new appliances, “Knowing the average life span of an appliance can help determine if buying a home warranty is a good deal. Even with new appliances or home systems, the original equipment manufacturer warranties can be less than a year. Today’s appliances and systems have a lot of technology packed into them, meaning a lot more things can break.” A home warranty will provide peace of mind that your newly built home will be protected in the event of any problem. And with that stress gone, you can focus on what is most important, enjoying your brand new home!

With the winter snows finally melting away and the temperature steadily rising, it may be time to start on all kinds of new projects and maintenance on your home. Certain parts of your home need seasonal maintenance, and now that winter is over, it’s time to get started on it. If you own a pool, you now might want to think about getting it ready for the summer. Pools can take quite a bit of maintenance; so getting a jump on taking care of it now should allow you to enjoy it all summer long. If you haven’t done so, you might even want to consider getting your pool covered with a home warranty. Here are some common maintenance items you may face with your pool and the advantages to having your pool covered under your home warranty. If your pool has been covered all winter long, it’s now time to peel that cover back. Not all homeowners drain their pool in the winter, but if you decided to drain it, you will still need to turn everything on and make sure it’s running okay. When you turn your pool on to test it out, you are making sure that is runs quiet and that there are no leaks. You’ll want to check around the actual pump for leaks. Getting to cracks and leaks early can save you a lot of time and money. It’s much easier to take care of leaks when they are still small, so inspect your pool very carefully. Another thing that you will want to do is test the total dissolved solids level (TDS) of your pool water. This is testing for things like calcium to make sure that the level is not too high; as such mineral buildup can interfere with your pool working properly. The risk of such buildup is higher in areas that have hard water. If your TDS level is too high, you may need to drain your pool and fill it with fresh water. As stated above, you don’t necessarily have to drain your pool every year. At the same time, you will want to drain it every three years or so, and don’t wait longer than five years between pool drainings. It is advisable to hire a professional to drain your pool for you. While it is drained, the professional may be able to clean your pool for you as well. This will help you to keep on top of hard-water stains in and around your pool. You should also monitor your pool’s chlorine levels to make sure that it stays at an acceptable level, and shock it if necessary to help prevent bacteria and algae growth. A huge part of getting your pool ready for the summer is to inspect all of its equipment, safety features, and wiring. You’ll want to make sure the diving board is in good working order and that any railings are firm in place. Make sure any slides or ladders are also secure and all light bulbs are working. You may be able to get help from an electrician if you are concerned about your pool’s wiring. Getting your pool ready for summer can be a lot of work, so getting it covered under your home warranty is a great idea. There are a lot of things that can quickly go wrong with a pool from year to year, and if it’s not covered under a warranty you are often left footing the bill. Even insurance might require you to meet a deductible before helping you out with needed repairs or replacement. Home warranty coverage could help you with the costs of certain maintenance, repairs, or equipment replacement. If you are purchasing a home with a pool, consider putting the pool under your home warranty. If you run into any issues, you will really be glad you did.]]>

A home warranty is like a garage that covers your entire house and keeps it safe from bad financial weather. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a home, selling a home or if you currently own a home, there are several special benefits for each category when it comes to having a home warranty.

Benefits for Sellers

Your home will be much more desirable to potential buyers if they see that the home is covered by a home warranty plan. You’ll be able to sale your home that much faster if you get a warranty before putting your home on the market. A second benefit for sellers is that they can avoid extensive delays in closing if they get a warranty for their home, minimizing the odds of an equipment or system failure slowing down the closing process. A third benefit for home sellers for getting a warranty for their home is that they’ll save money if the home repair or problem is caused by a workmanship issue that needs to be fixed more than one time. In some cases, your repairs are covered for 180 days.

Benefits for Buyers

One of the immediate benefits of a home warranty if you plan on buying a home is that you’ll save money and you won’t have to make major changes to your budget to save up enough money for expensive home repairs and appliance replacement. With a home warranty, all you’ll have to pay for is the trade service call. Another benefit is the comprehensive coverage, meaning that your warranty covers appliances as well as systems and that there aren’t any square footage restrictions. A third benefit is that you’ll have a technician that has been pre-screened to take care of your repairs and replacements rather than a technician who may or may not know what they are doing and may or may not have the proper training to adequately handle your particular repair.

Benefits for Current Homeowners

With a home warranty, placing a claim is easy, free and can be done online as well. Something else to think about is that with a home warranty you can call for as many system and appliance repairs as you need without worrying about going over a limit. A third benefit for current homeowners who have a home warranty is that they can save a lot of money on popular appliances if they ever decide to remodel their home or upgrade their appliances. If you don’t already have a home warranty, look into getting one whether you’re buying, selling or currently own a home. Your nerves and your bank account will thank you for it.

Home warranty coverage has never been mandatory. This differs from many other types of insurances. In stark contrast is automobile insurance, which is enforced with a fine in most states. Other optional insurances include life insurance, health insurance (for now), and house payment insurance. Whether a family takes advantage of these insurances depends on their current financial circumstances, their sense of responsibility, and their ability to produce a long-range financial plan. On the other hand, home warranty coverage, although optional, tends to be considered essential to many who contract it.

When a responsible person owns a home, they are concerned about two things: utility and aesthetics. In other words, they want things to work and they want the house to look good. The problem is that when there is a problem with a home or one of the major appliances fails, it is often an expensive repair prospect. For a family that is living on a month-to-month budget, this can mean that the appliance is not going to be fixed for at least a month. If the appliance in question is the air conditioner, and it breaks during the summer, the problems with waiting a month are obvious. Besides the discomfort, the family members may become terminally irritable, and health could be affected. Similar scenarios can be constructed for failures involving the water heater, the house heating system, or the washer / dryer system. This is the first bastion provided by the home warranty coverage, that repairs for key appliances are done within a few hours or days. When critical appliances like the water heater cause a flood that cannot wait for a lengthy repair, home warranty coverage can include emergency service, which can bring a qualified repairperson to your premises almost immediately at any time of the day or weekend.

The second thing that concerns a homeowner is the look of his home. It concerns the neighbors as well. Due to financial circumstances, a family may justify putting off repairs that affect the look of the home, but neighbors may not be so understanding. A home in disrepair lowers the values of the homes in the entire neighborhood. If your neighbor is trying to sell his home, it can cost him actual money. It also attacks the sophistication of the neighborhood, the elements that build a healthy pride in the inhabitants. Of course, not everyone cares what the neighbors think. More fools, they. However, they hurt themselves as well when the state of their home begins to destroy their own pride and self-esteem. Letting your apartment or rented home go to pot a little is one thing, but not taking care of your own property can really be damaging to the psyche.

Of course, you cannot buy what you cannot pay for, but this is when home warranty coverage can be so important. Although a family may struggle to keep up with the costs of home repair, especially when they all come at once, the cost of an annual home warranty is only in the range of several hundred dollars. If a family can budget this amount, then they can take care of problems concerning both how the house looks and how the house works. They can keep their beautiful home looking good and they can make sure that their life goes smoothly and efficiently with the benefit of working appliances.

A home warranty in Arizona is not exactly a warranty but a home service contract. It is meant to cover major home repairs and appliance repairs, in order to lower the risk to the homeowners. For an annual fee, the risk management company or home builder who offers the home warranty covers the cost of the repairs. Generally, there is a low deductible for each repair and the associated service call. The deductible is often close to the average cost a service company would charge to drive out to the premises. One of the best benefits of the coverage is that repairs for normal wear and tear are included. To those unfamiliar with service warranties, such as those offered with automobiles, this is a tremendous boon. It prevents surprises that the insured often gets when the provider decides to classify a failure as normal wear and tear and deny coverage. These sorts of issues are hard to resolve and often cause a lot of frustration to the insured. Standard home warranty contracts do not suffer this drawback.

Even though companies that offer a home warranty in Arizona are governed by strict requirements at both the federal and state level, coverage varies widely from company to company. A little bit of research is a good idea before committing to a contract. On the other hand, the home warranty is often exercised more often than the insurance policy for a car. A car policy holder may go many years before having an incident that would call for the insurance company to jump in. At that point, the policy owner finds out whether his or her insurance provider is a good company or not. If it turns out that the company is not on the level, then it is frustrating to have been making payments for years and not being truly covered in the way that the policy owner thought.

A home warranty in Arizona is exercised roughly once a year on the average. The policy owner generally gets to prove the efficacy of his policy at least once during each term. This gives the opportunity to make sure the home warranty is good. It also gives the warranty provider an extra incentive to keep your business.

Many types of insurance policies involve a lot of premiums without a lot of payoff. A home warranty in Arizona is not this way. Over a period of 5 to 10 years, a homeowner can track the premiums against the payouts and find a definite and immediate benefit. Often, the payouts will be almost as much as the total of the premiums. This proves an effective policy.

If a homeowner has done the analysis for a home warranty in Arizona, he may come to the conclusion that he could have accomplished the same thing by putting aside the home warranty payment into a savings account and handle the problems themselves. However, the reality is that most homeowners do not do that. In addition, that strategy would not cover the situation when a lot of problems hit all at once and the savings account is not big enough to handle the expenses. This is the essence of risk management, that the surprises of failed appliances that do not come along at convenient times are handled by a company that is willing to take that risk. The peace of mind that comes with the reduced risk is well worth the expense of a home warranty.

Many risk management companies say that a home warranty in Glendale provides peace of mind.  It does not take a long time for a homeowner to find out that they are right.  A normal household has roughly a dozen appliances.  Most of these are essential to comfortable daily living.  They include the heating and cooling system, the water heater, the garage door opener, the washer and dryer, and the oven.  These all have two things in common.  First, if any one of them goes out it could lead to a serious crimp in your lifestyle to say the least.  You could end up frying or freezing in your home, unable to clean your clothes, or unable to get your car out of the garage past the broken garage door opener.  The second thing they all have in common is they tend to have expensive repairs, usually in the hundreds of dollars.

Some feel that they do not need a home warranty in Glendale if they just set aside a special savings fund for home repairs.  The question is how much to put into the fund.  Do you put in an average?  If you open the fund with a year’s worth of estimated expenses and keeping the fund up to date, then you have a good chance of being all right.  However, if your circumstances do not follow the average and you suddenly have several things go out at once (as Murphy always guarantees that it does), then you may be in a pickle.  You may find yourself having to take some money from unwanted parts of your budget, or even making do without the air conditioner or garage door opener for a while.  And honestly, how many people are able to maintain the discipline needed to maintain a repair fund, especially during this down economy?

This is exactly what the home warranty in Glendale is designed for.  The policy comes into effect as soon as you make the first payment.  This could be an entire year’s worth of policy charges, or several payments over the first few months.  In either case, a house worth hundreds of thousands of dollars can get a home warranty in Glendale for hundreds of dollars.  This is not far off from the average costs of keeping a home and its major appliances repaired and working.  This is where the home warranty truly benefits the homeowner.  No matter how much your appliances break down, you can be covered.  This gives you a bit of immunity against Murphy’s most vexing attacks.

The overall idea is that maintaining a home is a game of risks.  Most homes can be maintained in good working order and good appearance with a reasonable savings account.  However, the chances that several expenses can come at once are the risk of the game.  Particularly when money is tight, some families rely on prayer that something does not fall apart and break the bank.  This situation causes a constant anxiety that can reduce health, interfere with sleep, and interfere with the quality of life.  A home warranty in Glendale provides quite a bit when taken from the perspective of the opportunity to reduce risk, and in turn, anxiety.  For this reason, many homeowners find that peace of mind is a terrific boon at only several hundred dollars per year.

Whether you are living in a home or have a vacation home that you live in for a portion of the year, there is basic plumbing maintenance that needs to happen. It is very important that when the temperatures start to turn cold, you prepare your plumbing for the change. During the winter, extreme temperatures can lead to problems for many homeowners. It is a good idea to have a home warranty to protect you and your home should a problem arise. A good home warranty will be available around the clock for you and can help you get your repairs done quickly and easily. It will give you the peace of mind that you are covered in case of an emergency. By winterizing your plumbing you can protect your home and hopefully avoid such an emergency altogether. The last thing you want on a cold winter night is to discover that a pipe has burst because you did not properly winterize your plumbing. There are some simple steps you can take to winterize your plumbing and spend time enjoying the holidays with your family rather than dealing with untimely and costly plumbing problems. First, you will want to begin with a simple visual inspection of your plumbing, particularly your external plumbing. If you see any cracked or missing caulk around the external plumbing, you will want to fill and fix any holes as this is an easy way for the cold air to get into the pipes. Additionally, for external pipes, you will want to make sure the pipes are wrapped or insulated in some way. You can get foam to wrap around the pipes, there is also insulating tape available and in a pinch you can always wrap your pipes with insulating towels or rags. You should also disconnect your hose during the winter months. Any water in a garden hose can easily freeze and cause major problems in your pipes. On the inside of your home, you should keep temperatures relatively warm. The internal warmth of your home will help regulate the temperature of your plumbing. If the weather drops very low, for example, below 30 degrees or more, you may want to go around your home and run all the faucets and flush the toilets to keep water moving and help prevent freezing. Lastly, you may consider winterizing your water heater by insulating it. While your water heater will more than likely not be at risk of bursting, it will help your water run more efficiently and help you save money on your energy bills. Depending on your location and how cold it gets, you may need to do all or only some of these things. The important thing is to routinely inspect your plumbing and be aware of what is going on in your home. If you have made the wise decision to invest in a home warranty you also have the added peace of mind that, should a problem arise, you will have someone on your side in an emergency. By properly winterizing your plumbing you will more than likely prevent any major problems and save yourself time and money.]]>