If you've ever purchased a resale home, you may have experienced sketchy DIY renovations from a previous owner. Sometimes those DIY projects create dire situations, such as compromised structural integrity, funky wiring, or improper installation of any number of things. These problems occur when homeowners fail to hire the proper professionals. As a result, the work completed is not warrantable and becomes entirely your responsibility. Buying a brand new home comes with some great perks, one of those being that your home is protected by warranty.
In order for a home to be built within the province of Alberta, it is mandatory for the homebuilder to provide warranty coverage. This ensures your custom builder provides you with a superior quality home without any surprises. There are several home warranty programs available. At Augusta Fine Homes, for example, we use the comprehensive, established warranty program offered by Alberta New Home Warranty (ANHWP).
What Will My Warranty Program Cover?
The industry standard warranty coverage on any new home is the 1-2-5-10 Coverage. Augusta Fine Homes goes beyond this standard and offers 1-2-7-10 coverage. What does this mean?
1 Year Labour & Materials
For the first year of your home’s brand new life, you will receive coverage for defects in materials and faulty labour. Although we hire only the best professional trades to construct your home, sometimes incidents occur in which parts of your home need adjustments or repairs after you’ve moved in. This is completely normal and these items will be covered under the 1-year labour and materials portion of the program.
2 Year Distribution Systems
Just like your lungs and heart, a home has systems that keep it “alive”. Your plumbing, heating, and electrical systems all need to be in seamless working order to ensure your home functions as it should. For two years after your possession date, you will receive complete coverage for these systems.
5 Year Building Envelope (we offer this for 7 years)
5 Year Building Envelope (we offer this for 7 years)Your building envelope is the shell of your home. This includes your walls, windows, and roof. The envelope protects you from the elements, provides you with proper air exchange and ventilation, and maintains energy efficiency within your home via proper window installations. For seven years from your possession date, we offer you coverage to ensure the very shelter in which you live operates properly.
Seven years is a long time, and with Alberta's harsh weather, a lot can happen to a home. By offering an additional two years, we give more time to discover potential failures that may not be as obvious in the shorter time frame, such as slow roof or window leaks. In these instances, you may not discover the problem until water wicks through drywall or your ceiling, and the additional two years ensures you'll be covered.
10 Year Structural Integrity
The foundation and frame of your home are what keeps it from dangerously falling over or sinking into the ground. The materials used in the construction of your foundation and frame are important to your home’s structural integrity. If the concrete mix was done incorrectly or not protected when poured in extreme temperatures, your foundation may crack. If the framing was completed incorrectly or with compromised materials, this can also affect the integrity of your structure.
Keep in mind, your home must pass numerous rigorous inspections prior to your possession so the likelihood of an issue is extremely rare. However, in the case of an unexpected problem, your home is covered for structural issues for a full ten years post possession date.
Worry Free Coverage
While there are limits to the monetary coverage this program offers, the amount is quite substantial. This program, without difficulty, will cover many issues under the 1-2-5-10 milestones.
How Augusta Fine Homes Does More
While we offer our homeowners this full coverage protection package on their home, this is certainly not the only way we protect you and your home. If there are any issues we can take care of without needing to go through the Alberta New Home Warranty process, we are there to resolve them.
If there are any products or materials that were installed incorrectly, we accept the responsibility right away and correct the problem. We believe in providing you a quality home you're proud to own, including every small detail. We encourage our homeowners to stay in touch with us and contact us first if there are any difficulties that arise. By allowing us the opportunity to rectify a problem, we may be able to complete it faster and in a way you expect.
If you’d like to learn more about the comprehensive Alberta New Home Warranty Program, feel free to watch this video or visit the mandatory warranty section of the ANHWP website.
