To Keep or Not to Keep: Kitchen Appliances
I just listed a beautiful home today and the seller is only allowing the gas stove and the built-in dishwasher to stay. I can’t fault him at all because those are the appliances I left with the last home I sold. But it begs the question of whether it helps to sell a home when you allow the kitchen appliances to remain or not.
My unofficial survey of one (me) says, “Maybe.”
It really depends on the price of the home - whether it falls into the affordable home category or a home for the more upwardly mobile. I’ve found that it’s a huge boost for first-time buyers, especially when the washer and dryer also remain. More important, though, is the refrigerator.
For other buyers who have more disposable income, however, chances are they’ll replace the appliances anyway. They may have a favorite brand or want all appliances to be stainless rather than mostly stainless and one black. I sold a home this summer where the buyer didn’t even like the color of the hardwood floors so planned to pull them ALL up and put in his favorite kind. It rather boggled my mind - probably because I’d want to invest that money into a college savings account for my children rather than arbitrarily replacing a floor that’s already perfectly good. But people with disposable incomes do these things.
If you’re not planning to move anytime soon and your appliances go kaput, the question becomes whether your replace it or fix it. My big TV upstairs - the one my husband and I always watch - has developed annoying thin white lines that wave through the screen. The husband called an appliance repairman who after looking at it explained that many times manufacturers design their goods to fail after so many years to ensure they’ll be replaced (and their businesses will continue to thrive). It’s not a pleasant thought, but it *does* make sense.
CNN Money provides a good article about how to make the decision on whether to replace your appliances or fix them. If you choose to fix the wayward equipment,
Always demand a fixed price for any repair so you don’t get stuck spending more than the old equipment warrants. If you think you can tackle the problem yourself, check out RepairClinic.com, where you can get free DIY instructions and even order parts.
Good advice.
