Maine has its own character and uniqueness, but was once, part of Massachusetts until 1820 when it became our 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise. Today, the while the state is the largest of the New England states and a strong presence in the northeast, Maine is the least densely populated state in New England. There are only 43.1 people, on average, per square mile living in Maine. Choice Home Warranty is pleased to serve Maine homeowners by providing comprehensive, dependable home warranty protection.
Now, Maine’s northern boundary is with the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, which lie to the north and west, and north and east, respectively. New Hampshire, the only state bordering Maine, lies to its southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the south and southeast of Maine. This placement creates differing climatic and weather zones that can put your home’s systems and appliances at risk. But with Choice Home Warranty’s licensed technicians on the job, you have peace of mind, knowing that malfunctions and even normal wear and tear can be protected against.
Maine has a rich history. Agamenticus, Maine was the very first city to be chartered in the United States, in 1641. It was later the first city to be incorporated as Georgeana. Today, we know it as York, Maine.
Maine is both harsh and welcoming today. About 90 percent of the state is covered by forests, more than any other state. It consists of 3 basic regions:
- The Coastal Lowlands, which extend about 10 to 40 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Eastern New England Uplands, which extend another 20 to 50 miles and contain the Aroostook Plateau. This is where the best, most fertile farmland lies. Also, the Longfellow Mountains, a range of the Appalachian Mountains, cut through the middle of the Uplands.
- The White Mountains, which extend into Maine from New Hampshire, cover northwestern Maine from around 5 miles wide in the north to about 30 miles wide to the south. This is where you will find Mt. Katahdin, as well as another 9 mountains exceeding 4,000 feet, with 97 more mountains exceeding 3,000 feet above sea level.
Interestingly, Maine is the least densely populated of any state east of the Mississippi River, with a population of approximately 1.34 million. Of its total population, 60 percent live in more rural areas, while 40 percent live in the Greater Portland metropolitan area. Nearly 75 percent of Maine’s residents live in 20 percent of its area, in the southwest, known as the “Maine Corridor.”
As you have undoubtedly surmised, Portland is the largest city in Maine, with 67,067 residents. It lies on the southeastern coast. Lewiston is next, with 36,102 people. The capital of Augusta is 9th in size with only 18,534 residents. Maine has 488 incorporated municipalities made up of cities, towns and plantations, although only 23 of these are cities.
Maine has a humid continental climate, which means that it has long cold winters, and moderate summers. The temperature and weather conditions are generally milder along the coast. As you go further inland, it varies significantly through its three climactic zones, coastal, southern interior and northern interior.
The average July temperature in Maine is around 78 degrees, while the average low is in the low teens. The highest temperature of 105°F was recorded at North Bridgton in 1911, and the lowest was -48°F at Van Buren in 1925. Maine has a rather high level of humidity, with the relative humidity at its lowest in March at 52.3 percent, and at its highest in August at 69.3 percent. Temperature fluctuations like these require a functioning air conditioning and heating system in your home, with Choice Home Warranty to guarantee their reliability.
Thankfully, it is rare for Maine to experience ice storms, tornadoes or hurricanes. The most common natural hazard in Maine, according to NOAA data, is thunderstorms and lightning, which occur every 9.5 days from March to October. The second most common natural hazard is winter storms and extreme cold which occurs once every 13.8 days during October through March. January is the month when the most snow falls, about 20 inches on average. Occasionally, a nor’easter will drop 10 or more inches of snow in just one day!
Is there anyone who has never heard of Maine Lobster? This prized Maine export accounts for about 90 percent of the nation’s supply of lobsters each year. There are more than 40 million pounds of these delicious creatures caught off the Maine coast every year. This state also produces more flat tins of sardines than anyone else in the world, over 75 million each year. But Maine isn’t all about seafood. It also produces about 99 percent of the country’s blueberries.
You may have heard Maine called the Pine Tree state; but, it is also referred to as the Vacation state, and with good reason. With its beautiful Atlantic seacoast, over 2,500 lakes, 5,000 streams, and over 30 state parks, not to mention mountain resorts, Maine is a great vacation destination.
Protect Your Maine Home and Appliances
The median age of homes in Maine is 35 to 39 years. While this is squarely in line with the national median of 37 years, it is still not difficult to see where a home of this age would need to have its systems and appliances repaired or replaced, perhaps even more than once in all that time. This is especially true when you consider that the average useful life of a most household appliances is 9 to 15 years. In Maine, where heavy rains, high humidity, extreme cold and thunderstorms and lightening can all be a hazard, doesn’t it make sense to want to protect your Maine home and appliances?
Keeping your home’s systems and appliances in good working order is critical in Maine. You want to know that you can count on them when the temperature is 11°F and there’s snow on the ground, or when it’s 78°F with 69 percent humidity driving up the heat index. With a Maine home warranty from Choice Home Warranty, you can keep your systems and appliances going by requesting service as soon as you notice a problem. That way, you can avoid a total breakdown at the worst possible time.
Approximately 72 percent of Maine’s residents own their homes. The median value of these homes is currently $222,000. This is a 6.1 percent increase from July of 2017; and, home values are expected to increase another 10.7 percent through August of 2019. A home warranty can protect your Maine home and its systems and appliances should the unexpected problem or breakdown occur.
Do you have your Maine home up for sale? Did you know that a Maine home warranty company will cover your home’s systems and appliances while it is on the market? Having a home warranty while you are selling your home can give you much needed peace of mind during this stressful time. It would certainly be good to know that should a system or appliance break down, you wouldn’t be stuck with a huge bill for a repair or replacement while you work to sell your home. And, since 80 percent of homebuyers prefer homes that already have home warranty protection, you could be increasing your home’s marketability as well.
Are you just moving to Maine, or looking to buy a home here? A home warranty on the home you intend to purchase can protect you should an unexpected breakdown occur within your new home’s systems or appliances after you take possession. This could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars at a time when you have already made a huge commitment. Wouldn’t you rather buy a house with a Maine home warranty already in place?
As of 2017, Maine generated about 75 percent of its electricity from renewable sources: about 30 percent from hydroelectric dams; about 26 percent from biomass generators, primarily using waste wood products; and about 20 percent from wind turbines. Because of the winds off the Atlantic coast and from the crests of the Appalachians, Maine leads New England in wind generation. But only about 1 in 20 households use electricity as their main source for home heating.
The most used source for home heating in Maine is fuel oil, with nearly two thirds of all households using it. This heavy reliance on fuel oil makes Maine vulnerable to short supplies and rising prices in the winter. But, prices for wood and wood pellets become more competitive when this happens. About 1 in 8 homes rely on wood for home heating. Only around 1 in 15 homes relies on natural gas as their primary source for home heating.
No matter how you heat your home, you wouldn’t want to wake up to a cold house during a frigid Maine winter. The Basic Plan from Choice Home Warranty covers your heating system and ductwork, so you are protected. Just make a service call at the first sign of trouble to keep this critical system up and running all season. The Basic Plan also covers your electrical and plumbing systems.
Regardless of how you power your home’s water heater, replacing one could cost you upwards of $1000 or more. The Basic Plan will also cover your water heater for needed repairs, or even a total replacement. No need to worry about cold showers, winter or not.
Although summers are relatively mild, they are humid, and you probably wouldn’t want your air conditioner going on the fritz in August. Upgrade to a Total Plan and your air conditioner will also be covered. Best of all, with the Total Plan, you get all the benefits and protections of the Basic Plan as well.
Why is a Home Warranty Necessary in Maine?
Maine sees plenty of rain, snow, and low temperatures in the teens, not to mention high humidity in the spring and summer. Add thunderstorms, and these conditions can really wreak havoc on your home’s systems and appliances. A Maine home warranty can help protect you when your covered items break down, even if it’s due to normal wear and tear.
It rains quite a bit in Maine, about 46 inches on average each year. While this may be good for the crops, it can be problematic for your home. There are also frequent thunderstorms in Maine from March to October. Choice Home Warranty offers limited roof leak protection as an add-on to your Maine home warranty plan. And, for the roughly 60 percent of you living in more rural areas, add-on protection for well pumps, sump pumps, and septic systems, as well as septic tank pumping is also available.
But you like to cook, especially bake. What if your oven starts acting up? Not to worry, the Basic Plan covers your oven, range, cooktop, built-in microwave, dishwasher and disposal. Upgrade to a Total Plan and your refrigerator is also covered. Remember, the Total Plan includes all the protections of the Basic Plan as well.
Now, as much we dread doing laundry, Having properly working appliances makes it much easier. And, going without clean, fresh smelling clothes comes in handy. The Total Plan from Choice Home Warranty covers both, washer and dryer, so you can rest easy knowing that a simple service call will have help on the way if anything does go wrong.
Living in one of the 465 towns and plantations in Maine or in any of the unincorporated areas of this state, you may have invested in a second refrigerator or stand-alone freezer, so you could stock up on the things you need most. These valuable appliances can also be added on to your plan with Choice Home Warranty. Then, if you encounter any problems with them, just call and you can get any needed repairs, or even a total replacement.
What Does a Maine Warranty Cover?
| Covered Items* | Total Plan | Basic Plan |
| Air Conditioning System |  |
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| Heating System | |
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| Electrical System | |
|
| Plumbing System | |
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| Plumbing Stoppage | |
|
| Water Heater | |
|
| Whirlpool Bathtub | |
|
| Refrigerator | |
|
| Oven / Range / Stove | |
|
| Cooktop | |
|
| Dishwasher | |
|
| Built-In Microwave | |
|
| Garbage Disposal | |
|
| Clothes Washer | |
|
| Clothes Dryer | |
|
| Ductwork | |
|
| Garage Door Opener | |
|
| Ceiling and Exhaust Fans | |
|
Optional Coverage
| Pool / Spa | Well Pump | Sump Pump |
| Central Vacuum | Limited Roof Leak | Septic System |
| Second Refrigerator | Stand Alone Freezer | Septic Tank Pumping |
How does a Maine Home Warranty Work?
This is the easy part. Just give customer service a call as soon as you’ve noticed a problem with one of your covered systems or appliances; and, they will get you to a service contractor who can perform the necessary repairs. All service providers are highly rated, fully insured, licensed and vetted before being sent to your home. This will ensure your highest satisfaction with your service experience.
On the first visit, you will be expected to pay a small service fee. After that, all work on your covered item will be taken care of by your Maine home warranty plan. You don’t need to worry about losing your hard-earned savings or your emergency fund because of a single repair or replacement. All you need do is maintain a modest repair fund to cover service fees.
If your service technician finds that your covered item cannot be repaired, it will be replaced under your plan. This is very valuable in Maine where home systems and appliances are reaching or exceeding the end of their useful lives.
Choice Home Warranty has two plans to choose from, plus many add-on protections, to allow you to tailor a plan to fit your needs and your lifestyle. Do you have a pool or spa? Just add it on. If you are looking for comprehensive home warranty protection in Maine, Choice Home Warranty is an excellent option.
