When a Malaysian buy a car, chances are very highly that the person purchased a motor vehicle assist plan such as AAM in case of breakdown in the middle of nowhere.

However, when we buy a house, do we ever bother to purchase a home warranty plan? The answer is more likely NO. Why? Because we are MacGyver. We know how to do a break-fix. If our home pipe burst, we would rush to the nearest hardware store, purchase a new pipe and install it ourselves. If our light bulb is blown, we run to the nearest Giant hypermarket to buy a new bulb and replace it ourselves. When our gas cooker stops burning, we also know how to fix it. If our roof leaks, we rush again to the nearest hardware store to buy a sealant to seal the leaking roof.

If we are no MacGyver, don’t worry. We call the nearest and normally the cheapest handyman. Malaysian home postboxes are ever filled with handyman’s calling card so we need not worry about who to call. Every two to five days, you’ll see repairman ads in your mailbox.

Why did we do this? Because we want to save money. Fix what we can fix on our own. If we cannot fix, we call the cheapest handyman to solve the problem for us. But this is a short term fix. Have we ever thought of a long-term coverage plan? What would happen to our home in 15 to 20 years time? Entire wiring system needs an overhaul. The air-conditioner system requires servicing. The roof structure demands inspection. These are long term maintenance plan that would require the qualified professional service such as American Home Shield. Can we find one in Malaysia?