You just closed on your new home and are still getting settled when you jump in the shower and there is no hot water or the garage door screeches to a halt when it is halfway open. Whatever the problem is, you likely weren’t counting on it before you even make your first mortgage payment. While it is incredibly frustrating when something goes wrong in your home when you just bought your house you may feel completely overwhelmed by what to do. The key is getting things fixed quickly without spending too much money so where should you start?
The first question to ask yourself is, did you purchase a home warrant and if so is whatever is broken a covered item under your home warranty plan. If you have a home warranty, your first call should be to the warranty company to report the issue. Think of this similar to an insurance policy for home repairs. Once you call your home warranty company, they will start working on the problem. Remember that not all items are covered under a home warranty, and ever for the ones that are, you will likely have to pay a service fee after which the balance of the repair will be covered. The warranty company will then take care of finding an experienced professional to come to your home and complete the repair.
If you decided not to purchase a home warranty when you bought your home or the item that is broken isn’t a covered item, what should you do now? It is always an option to make repairs yourself, but many issues may be out of your comfort zone. If you are new to the area or this is the first home you have owned you may not know who to call. There are lots of ways to find qualified contractors to complete repairs for you. One great resource is me. After many years in the real estate business, I have built a substantial list of professionals that I can recommend to you. Another option is to ask friends, family, and coworkers for recommendations of their favorite professionals. Many people also choose to subscribe to a service like Angie’s List that you can use to find local contractors and read reviews both good and bad from other homeowners who have used them.
If at all possible, go ahead and deal with the issue as soon as you can. Some problems quickly escalate into large-scale issues and can require more involved (and expensive) repairs when they so don’t wait to make repairs any longer than you have to. Whatever you decide is the right approach for you to take, try to remain calm and not get overstressed as you work through your first big hurdle in your new home.
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