Imagine you buy and move into a brand new house. The location is great. The neighborhood is pleasant, and the view outside your window every morning is delightful. Everything seems to be in perfect working order — until you step into your second-floor bathroom for the first time, and nothing works. All the other bathrooms are fine, but this one doesn’t seem to have water coming through the bath, shower, or faucets.

If you don’t have a home warranty plan, you’ll have to locate and call a plumber to fix the problem. If the problem turns out to be minor, you’re probably on the hook for a couple hundred dollars. If it ends up being major — for example, repairs require breaking into the bathroom floor to replace a broken pipe or fixture — you could be looking at a bill for several thousand, at least if you don’t have the right home warranty coverage.