You may be in the market for new appliances. But experts said if they’re in good working order, why spend the money?
They said you should try to repair them first.
“The reason is … most appliances, if it’s a small problem, can be fixed for less than $200,” said Kevin Brasler, executive editor of Consumers’ Checkbook.
He added that repairing an appliance could save you money in the long run.
“Usually, most homeowners — we’re happy with what we have. It works well for us. We’re happy with the features.” Brasler said. “And most importantly, if the unit’s been reliable already for five to eight years or more, there’s no reason to think that it won’t continue to work reliably for many more years to come.”
Brasler added that new appliances come with a hefty price tag.
“I mean, new refrigerators often cost more than $2,000,” he said.
But what if you discover those appliances are beyond repair?
“My refrigerator needs a new compressor, or my washing machine needs a new transmission,” Brasler said. “Well, then that’s a good time to go ahead and replace it.”
He said if your appliance is already 7 years old, it’s likely to last longer than 10 years.
Why get a replacement?
Brasler said many owners replace old appliances with new units because they want different features, a new color or another size, don’t want to move it to a new house, or want to get rid of the machine for reasons unrelated to durability.
“Some might even be jettisoned because owners misuse published life spans to prematurely condemn their appliances to the junk heap. If you are happy with your dryer, and there are no signs of rust or other visible flaws, these factors are irrelevant,” Brasler said.
He said because one part of your appliance breaks doesn’t necessarily mean others will do as well, adding that “things break, even on new appliances.” A model with no visible damage other than the issue you are fixing might last for a lot years without other problems and if and when the next problem comes, it may require a reasonably-priced repair.
“Many major appliances, including relatively inexpensive models — which may cost less because they have few extra (and failure-prone) controls — keep drying, washing, or chilling for years,” according to Brasler.
However, there are reasons to replace broken appliances.
People could like the features of new appliances such as “a washer or dishwasher that operates more quietly, a fancy range with induction heat, or a refrigerator with more storage capacity,” Brasler said.
He said that governments and utility companies are offering incentives to embolden consumers to replace old energy-hogging or polluting appliances with new more eco-friendly models. The federal government, according to Consumers’ Checkbook, “is offering generous rebates to incentivize replacing gas stoves with electric models.”
“If your washer, dryer, dishwasher, or stove is working fine, but you want to replace it purely for energy-usage concerns, it makes some sense to do some math first. Some new appliances (especially dryers) aren’t that much more energy efficient than those made a decade ago,” Brasler said.
The decision to repair or replace your appliances is more complex than people think.
If you haven’t done it, this is a good time to transition from summer to your fall and winter wardrobe.
How about saving a little closet space while you’re at it
Experts said there are some good options to help you do it.
“A lot of different stores, online, and local brick and mortar stores sell closet systems you can use to keep things tidy and, most importantly, to save a lot of space, especially if you have a small closet,” Brasler said.
He said you can also customize your closets.
“Those are available from places like California Closets or Closet Stretchers, and The Container Store has some options also,” Brasler said.
Of course, he said, another option is to do it yourself — you should make sure to get the proper measurements, or call in a handyman.
The cost for most closet organizers ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars and, Brasler said, ranges from seller to seller.
“For a custom system made of wood or MDF, you can pay thousands of dollars. For the wire systems — available at a lot of big box retailers including Target, Walmart, Ikea — you can pay a few hundred dollars,” Brasler said.
Whichever system you choose, find out about warranties. Many closet installation companies offer lifetime warranties on their products and work; warranties for DIY options cover only the products and range from very limited (covering loss or breakage in shipping or delivery) to lifetime.
For custom work, arrange to pay as little as possible upfront so that you can withhold payment until all work is performed to your satisfaction.
And remember to pay by credit card: If something goes wrong (lousy install, a delivery with missing pieces) you can dispute the charges and at least get your money back.
