There's a pretty endless number of things that can go wrong in a home.Whether it's an air conditioning failure in the middle of summer, burst water pipes in mid-winter, or your cooker failing on the very day you're entertaining, life has a way of throwing up nasty surprises all the time.

And while there's little you can usually do about the timing of these problems, it's good to know that there is, at least, a great way of controlling the repair costs with a home warranty.

A home warranty is essentially an insurance policy that covers you against failure of home systems and appliances.Pay an annual or monthly fee and you can then sit back in the comfort that anything that goes wrong will be covered, within the scope of the policy. There is often a low cost call out fee to be paid in each instance, but beyond that you will no longer be living in fear of a big repair bill suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

The extent of coverage offered varies between different products and there are often extended options to, for example, cover underground pipes on your land.

Above all, whatever home warranty you choose means that you will have far more predictable future living costs. In some situations an item may be deemed beyond repair and you will actually end up with a new one. A failed water tank, for example, can cost many hundreds of dollars to replace, even before you've considered installation charges.

If you ask many people who've had a home warranty for years, they will tell you that the premiums paid over the years actually pay for themselves the first time a major problem occurs. They will also speak of the peace of mind such a policy offers and how home budgeting is so much more manageable.Some policies even offer inexpensive deals to get annual checks done on, for example, heating and air conditioning. This makes sense from both the home warranty company and home owner's perspective, in terms of risk reduction.

It has also become more common to offer a home warranty when a home is sold. This gives the buyer the assurance of controlled costs and coverage against any unidentified issues. It's also a great marketing tool.

If you don't currently have a home warranty, we hope that the above comments are food for thought. If you contact us at The Hyland Group at 928-445-2100, we can provide you with details of home warranty companies we are familiar with.