You’ve got a home now, and it’s a big investment. So of course you are protecting your investment with home insurance. But is your home totally protected? Maybe not. You might consider adding a home warranty. Think of a home warranty as a partner to home insurance. Home insurance protects you against damage to your property and your home’s structure, in a case like fire or theft. But what about when your air conditioner stops working in the middle of July? Or when your dishwasher floods the kitchen? That’s where a home warranty can come in handy.

Home warranties are a type of service contract that offers access and preferred pricing to many different types of approved service companies, for a monthly or yearly fee. On top of the yearly warranty contract fee, you’ll pay a fixed price for any service call — whether its your water heater or your electricity. These service fee, and coverage limits on specific systems and appliances will vary depending on which warranty company you choose.

Many times, when you purchase an older home, the seller buys a home warranty for you for the first year. New homeowners, who don’t know how to fix things, can find this a very helpful plan to have. Home warranties are not mandatory to have, but homeowners can find some peace of mind with a home warranty if their home has older HVAC, plumbing and appliances.