Paying full price for anything when there are other options seems crazy! This includes clothes, meals out, anything you can buy you can usually find for a discount somewhere or a coupon for money off. This holds true for buying appliances for your home as well, especially when there so many second hand appliance stores! Paying full price for the latest and greatest washer and dryer seems crazy when at the end of the day you really just need the appliance to clean and dry your clothes.
Second Hand Appliances
When looking at purchasing a new washer and dryer consider checking out the FaceBook Market Place. This is where people who live your area are trying to sell their unwanted goods including cheap second hand appliances. With a quick search you can find gently used appliances online good for your needs, without having to pay for retail prices. The Market Place had varying sets of used appliances for sale, some old and some new. The newer set was still available for $900! A similar set sold at Lowes would be $1200 excluding taxes.
When buying on any second hand site from non-vendors you should always ask and inspect the items before buying. Be sure to read the description and make sure they are not disclosing that something doesn’t work right on the item or appliance. The majority of people will disclose if there is an issue because they do not want to be branded as a bad vendor for future sale purchases, much like buying from a reputable retailer, just from a second hand home appliances online store.
Manufacturers Warranty and Repairs
While purchasing a second hand home appliance or scratch and dent type appliance may mean you do not have a manufacturers warranty, most items being sold as is do not mean they are not quality products. There are good used appliances. Having bought scratch and dent and second hand items, only being burned one time seems like a pretty good track record. The purchase was made early in 2000 and I just didn’t read the item description as well as I should have. The item was marked debunked, but I clearly missed that it would be best used as ‘parts’. The responsibility of the buyer to read the description falls on the buyer, and not the individual who sells used appliances.
Some quick stats on appliances that require the most repairs in less than 5 years are: Dishwashers, Front Loading Washing Machines, Refrigerators with Ice Makers, and Side by Side Refrigerators with Ice Makers. Topping the charts over one third of side by side refrigerators that have ice makers require repair within the first five years of ownership. On the lower end of the spectrum dishwashers only required repair within the first five years of ownership twenty percent of the time.
With ownership of any appliance it is bound to need some upkeep or repairs during its life cycle. Expecting appliances to never break down or require maintenance is kind of absurd. So while these appliances may experience the occasional repair, their constant use should be assessed while determining whether or not they are ‘worth’ the buy.
Refrigerators with Ice Makers – Is It Worth It?
Side by side refrigerators with ice makers are at the top of the repair chart, however does that have to do with their design? Or the fact that they have an icemaker? Either way consider not getting a side by side and skipping the ice maker, and you can expect to have a lower likelihood of repairs. Do you need an icemaker? Can’t you just make ice with trays? Any appliance that has added bells and whistles, like an icemaker or water dispenser in the door, have more parts and accessories that may malfunction. If you get a run of the mill refrigerator without an icemaker you will decrease the possibility of needing to repair or maintain the fridge.
Why looking for used appliances?
If someone is having their kitchen remodeled and getting matching brand new appliances, they are going to try and sell their existing used appliances. This is a great opportunity for someone who needs to buy used appliance and wants to save some money. When buying second hand home appliances, always ask why the person is selling it. If they bought something new why are they replacing it? You want to ask these questions rather than assuming that they are not selling you a used appliance that will fall apart on you.
Do your homework before making any second hand purchase, especially second hand electrical appliances, just like you would a brand new purchase. Buying second hand appliances in a local store or online, can save you lots of money and definitely worth it. Just be ware you could have to repair a scratch and dent or second hand appliance, but you could have to do the same with an appliance you buy brand new, so go ahead and save the money and purchase used appliances!