It can be proud moment when you buy your own home for the first time and move in. If yours is a new home, chances are that it will be handed over to you completely bare. All you will see are empty spaces where the refrigerator, dishwasher and washing machine are to go. Equipping your new home with these basic appliances should be one of your top priorities as you go about making your home ready to live in.
Not every home is sold bare of appliances. When you buy a previously owned home, you usually find at least a range and a refrigerator in place. In many states, home sellers are required to offer these appliances. Every appliance has an optimal lifespan, though – refrigerators and dishwashers last around 10 years, for instance. If the appliances that you’ve been left by the previous owner appear to be more than 5 or 6 years old, they are unlikely to be energy efficient.
If the previous homeowner has installed new appliances prior to selling, you should take a good look at them. Sometimes, sellers try to deck out their house with cheap new appliances, simply to make a better impression. If this is the case in the home you’ve bought, it can be a good idea to sell those appliances off and buy quality ones.
Which appliances should get priority?
If you head to an appliance store with no real plan in mind, you can make the mistake of blowing your money on inessential machines first – expensive bread makers, coffee machines and blenders, for instance. You won’t be left with enough for the major appliances then. It’s important to not buy any of these inessential appliances until you’ve bought at least three of the most important major ones.
Choosing the washing machine
You should seriously think about whether you want a top loader or a front loader. Not only do top loaders cost just half as much as front loaders, they are easier to operate, too – you don’t need to bend to use one, the way you do on a front loader.
At the appliance store, you’re bound to hear about how efficient with water and energy front loaders are when compared to similarly priced top loaders. Front loaders are more energy efficient because they don’t need to fill the drum up with water and heat it all, the way top loaders do. While choosing a front loader for its efficiency is a good idea, you also need to think about maintenance and repair costs.
Top loaders are simpler machines. They don’t need high quality rubber seals to keep water from leaking, the way front loaders do. With front loaders, over the years, you could find that you end up spending a lot on the rubber seal and other spare parts. If you do decide in favor of a front loader, you can do a little research on the Internet about how much it costs to buy spare parts for different washers. Whirlpool washer parts are usually among the cheapest in most states.
Whatever appliance you decide on in the end, make sure that you get a model that has an additional rinse cycle and a very efficient spin cycle. An additional rinse cycle helps make your clothes completely soap-free. An efficient spin cycle gets as much water out of your clothes as possible so that they won’t need to spend much time in the dryer.
The refrigerator
Different refrigerator designs serve different needs. If you usually have a lot of frozen foods to put in your freezer, a side-by-side model can be a good idea. The spacious freezer compartments on these models, though, come at the expense of refrigerator space. Side-by-side models tend to be somewhat pricier than regular refrigerators, too.
If you have trouble bending, you should get a model that has the refrigerator on top and the freezer at the bottom. For most everyday refrigerator access, this kind of design ensures minimal bending.
Whatever basic design you buy, make sure that it’s the right size for your family. Typically, you need 20 u. ft. for a family of four. Shelves that move up and down with a hand cranked lever or a motor are a winning idea, too. You can quickly create space for different needs this way.
The dishwasher
You need to put as much of your money into buying a quality dishwasher as you can. An efficient dishwasher can save you a great deal of power. A high-quality model can also ensure the cleanest dishes possible.
When you look around for the best feature set, make sure that you choose a model that has a forced air mode. You’ll find it hard to get dry dishes without this feature.