Buying Kitchen Appliances the Smart Way

So when buying high ticket price items such as kitchen appliances it’s wise to do your homework upfront, both in establishing a budget for the appliances and for determining what kitchen appliances are reliable and meet your budget. If you don’t do your upfront homework don’t be surprised if you feel like you’ve wasted your money down the road on over-rated and over-priced kitchen appliances.

As is the case when buying any material for a home remodeling project or room addition, it is important to do your research on kitchen appliances prior to buying them. Make sure to read consumer reports and reviews on any of the kitchen appliances you are considering buying. See how the particular kitchen appliance holds up against the competition, and the various test and real-world situations that your appliance will most likely experience in your home. Also, make sure the particular kitchen appliance model has been around for at least a couple of years to get a sense on how well the product is holding up in the field.

Also study the energy consumption of the kitchen appliances you are considering to purchase. Any quality kitchen appliance worth its weight will have an Energy Star rating indicating how well it compares to its competition in regards to power consumption. Look for appliances that have the highest Energy Star ratings to ensure low home energy costs. Your kitchen appliances get used a lot, thus the high Energy Star ratings will translate into major energy savings over the months and years ahead while operating the appliances in your home.

Prior to visiting the kitchen appliance store, always make sure to accurately and precisely measure the spaces for your kitchen appliances. Even 1/8th of an inch off could be a problem when the appliance shows up on the job sight. So make sure to make several width, depth, and height measurements for each area where you plan to buy and install a kitchen appliance. Always use the smallest measurement when ordering an appliance. For example, if you measure 3 width measurements for your kitchen stove, use the narrowest width when selecting and buying your new kitchen stove.

Then their messaging decidedly changes to topics of warnings, risk, and ultimately fear, as they convince you to buy the extended warranty. I always feel compelled to ask them do they really believe in this product and manufacturer based upon all of their reasoning on why I should buy the extended coverage. That usually shuts them up.

Also ask about delivery costs. Don’t be surprised if you’re required to pay a “nominal” delivery fee for shipping the products to your home. If you get lucky you may be able to negotiate the deliver fee to zero, if you ask.

With these simple tips buying kitchen appliances should be much easier and lower risk. In addition, you should end up saving money in the long run on both energy costs and maintenance costs.