When we bought our house, we knew two major problems had to be addressed immediately:
- The first-floor furnace was ancient and so poorly maintained we weren’t sure it would run.
- The 32-year-old roof was at the end of its life — there was a hole and it was leaking into the attic every time it rained.
Thankfully, both issues were disclosed before closing, so we negotiated several thousand dollars back to help cover the cost of repairs. A new roof and a reliable furnace aren’t cheap, so that credit at closing felt essential. Once we moved forward with the purchase it became a race to get both fixed as soon as possible. While we were on a book tour we juggled phone calls with roofers and HVAC technicians, and by a lucky break we managed to have the furnace serviced and a new 50-year dimensional shingle roof installed within a few weeks of taking ownership.
Removing the old roof revealed extensive rot in places — in some sections the shingles and the plywood decking beneath had to be removed and fully replaced. It looked worse before it looked better, as demolition tends to do, but the transformation was dramatic. Our dog Clara didn’t seem to mind the 2-foot-high piles of old roofing debris scattered around the yard; she kept her calm and watched the progress.
The roofer we chose had worked on our first house, so we already trusted them. We still obtained three estimates to make sure we were getting a fair price, but their bid was the most competitive and they were a familiar, trusted team. For the new roof we selected 50-year dimensional shingles with a slate-like appearance that suited the scale of our colonial-style home. The heavier, square-ish tiles gave us the look we wanted, especially on the lower roof above the garage and on a small awning at the back of the house. The result is a beefier, more traditional aesthetic that complements the brick facade.
Although the new roof felt like a long-term solution — and was particularly reassuring after we verified there was no widespread mold or structural damage from the leak — the furnace continued to cause problems. It turned out the original furnace was 32 years old and, astonishingly, had never been properly cleaned or maintained. From the technicians’ perspective, the unit was practically falling apart, and replacement parts were increasingly difficult to source.
After multiple service calls and a worrying smell of gas in the garage, our home warranty provider stepped in with an unexpected and welcome solution: a brand-new Goodman furnace, including installation and some new ductwork, covered by the one-year home warranty we had purchased at closing. We had paid roughly $500 for that one-year plan as a precaution, and seeing a $5,000 furnace arrive with installation included made that fee feel like the best investment we’d made during the purchase. The new unit came with its own manufacturer warranty, so it provided both immediate safety and long-term peace of mind.
Taking care of these two major systems right away was a relief. One was covered by the home warranty, and the other was funded in part by the credit we negotiated at closing — both outcomes freed us to focus on other projects without the constant worry of a leaking roof or a failing heater. That said, managing repairs for a second house while still overseeing our previous home proved to be a real lesson in logistics: we had to rely on family and service providers to meet us at the house at times when we were traveling.
Once the roof and furnace were handled, we were finally able to switch our attention fully to settling in and tackling the remaining renovations. The experience taught us a couple of practical takeaways: consider a home warranty at closing for short-term coverage and peace of mind, and do a neighborhood survey when choosing materials and styles so your house blends well with the local aesthetic. Did you ever do a neighborhood crawl to decide on roof style, or receive help from a home warranty in your first year of ownership? Our experience shows that both strategies can pay off, depending on your region and the provider.
Update: It’s been interesting to read other homeowners’ experiences. Some people find home warranties invaluable and renew them annually, while others report frustration. Results seem to vary by region, the warranty company, and individual circumstances.