Your inspector was probably right about the condition of the house. Around every 15 years in the life of a home the roof shingles, heating system, air conditioning system and water heater will need to be replaced. This is normal for systems in your house. What some people do is take out a home warranty to cover the replacement cost just in case something wears out within the first year of ownership. This is understandable since most of us scratch together every penny we can to come up with a down payment and to cover the moving expenses. If something does wear out during the first year such as a roof, a $4,000.00 expense could put a heavy burden on the old budget.

What some people do not understand is warranties are mainly for repairs and do not normally cover replacement cost. Some of the more popular warranties that Realtors are using will not cover the cost of replacing roof shingles. It only covers the cost of repairing a leak. The same could be true about heating and air conditioning systems.

If you want replacement costs covered in your warranty, expect to pay more for the warranty. Also, read the fine print to be sure the particular system you want covered is spelled out in the contract. Some contracts have a “pre-existing condition” clause which means if the item was damaged or worn-out before the home was purchased, that item will not be covered.

The bottom line is “know what you are buying”. Make sure you understand the conditions of the warranty and everything is spelled out in plain English. If it isn’t, have the company address the issue on a cover letter so you will have something in writing. It is always a good idea to contact the Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta at 770-488-4910 or http://www.bbbonline.org/.