Should I offer a home warranty when selling my home?

Taking your third question first, because it is the one nobody answered and it is the one that determines whether this is worth doing: yes, there are real limitations, and they are the reason these products have a mixed reputation. Four you should understand before you offer one. Pre-existing conditions are typically excluded. If the water heater is already failing when the policy starts, that is usually not covered. This is the single most common reason claims get denied. Improper maintenance or improper installation is typically excluded. If the HVAC was never serviced, or a prior owner installed something incorrectly, a denial on those grounds is common. There are caps. Per item and often in aggregate. A covered failure does not necessarily mean a fully paid replacement, and on an expensive system the cap can leave a meaningful gap. There is a service fee per claim, paid by the homeowner every time a technician comes out, and the provider generally picks the contractor. Your buyer will not be able to call their own plumber and get reimbursed. Read the actual contract, not the brochure. The exclusions list is where the product is defined. Now, should you offer one. The honest case for it is modest but real. It is a low-cost way to reduce buyer anxiety about older systems, and it can help a nervous first-time buyer feel covered for the first year. Many providers will also cover you during the listing period, sometimes with nothing due upfront and payment at closing, which means it costs you nothing unless the house sells. The honest case against it is that experienced buyers and their agents largely discount it, because they know the exclusions. It rarely moves price and it almost never wins you an offer on its own. So the practical answer: it is a reasonable, inexpensive sweetener, particularly if your systems are older, and it is a useful thing to have in your back pocket during negotiation rather than something to lead with. Offering to add a warranty is a cheap concession that sometimes closes a small gap at the end of a deal without touching price. Two cautions that matter more than the warranty itself. A warranty does not substitute for a home inspection, and no buyer should treat it that way. And critically, offering a warranty does not relieve you of your disclosure obligations. If you know a system is failing, disclose it. A warranty is not a way to hand a known problem to the buyer quietly. Undisclosed defects are how sellers end up in disputes after closing, and a warranty will not protect you there. One more thought on where a comparable amount of money goes further. If a system is genuinely at end of life, a buyer will read a warranty as an attempt to paper over it. Servicing the HVAC and having the receipt, or replacing a water heater that is clearly done, generally does more for buyer confidence than a policy with a list of exclusions. Ask your agent what buyers in your market actually respond to. In some areas warranties are near-standard and their absence is noticed. In others nobody mentions them. That local read is worth more than any general answer, mine included. I am a real estate professional, not an insurance agent, and these products are regulated differently from state to state, so read your specific contract. My name is Zoltan Peresztegi and I work in Los Angeles, the South Bay and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, so I am not your Kansas agent. If you want an introduction to a strong listing agent in the Overland Park area who can tell you whether warranties move the needle locally, message me and I will make one. Zoltan

Noah, this is a personal decision, but it can't hurt. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Real Estate Operations in ALL 50 States

Offering a home warranty (typically $500–$700) is a high-ROI move in 2026, especially if your appliances or HVAC are older. It provides Seller Coverage while listed—protecting you if the AC dies during a showing—and gives buyers "budget peace of mind" for their first year. It often prevents small inspection findings from turning into large cash credit demands.

Without a doubt the seller should provide a home warranty. It provides comfort to the buyer that if something breaks it will be fixed for the cost of a copay. If the buyer moves in and something breaks right away and they do not have a home warranty they will come after you saying you did not disclose something that you knew about. Have peace of mind and throw in the home warranty.

It is not necessary to offer a home warranty when selling your home, but it is often beneficial for buyers. Home warranties provide coverage for repair costs for major home systems and appliances. Offering a home warranty can make your home more attractive to prospective buyers, as it can lower their perceived risk in purchasing the property. Additionally, a home warranty can help reduce the amount of negotiations required during the home selling process. Ultimately, the decision of whether to offer a home warranty or not is up to the individual seller.