We were so super lucky on the timing of our home purchase, because it happened at the tail end of my parents’ Colorado ski trip. Because they drove out here, it also meant they were a little flexible as far as when they were going to drive back home. They got to be our first guests at Casa Betz and were able to help us with so many little projects around the house. It was thinking about that, that made me realize I should try and get all the appliances we need while they’re still in town, in case we need some help installing them.
Requirements for our fridge:
- Stainless steel
- No outside water dispenser
- Freezer on the bottom
- Counter depth
- Bonus for interior ice maker
Requirements for washer dryer:
- Side by side units
- Front loaders
- No pedestals
- Preferably white
- Sensory feedback
Another requirement was that I didn’t want to pay for anything new. So, I was on the hunt for a deal! Specifically, the fridge had to be, what I thought was, weird dimensions. The way that our kitchen is a galley meant that we needed a counter depth fridge, but there was also a cabinet at the top of the space that was restricting the size. Granted, I could remove the cabinet, but I feel pretty strongly about not getting a fridge that’s bigger than the amount of food we need to avoid things getting lost in the abyss and ultimately wasted.
I searched Craigslist for a little while before learning about Sears Outlet. There were a few in the area, and the website allowed you to search their inventory by size! So, I discovered that there was a fridge that I liked, and that fit our dimensions at the location in Denver. Off I went! Only to find out it was incorrectly inventoried and was actually much farther south. I spoke with someone on the phone to make sure it was actually there, but he did warn me about a dent. Like I said, I wasn’t looking for new, and I was shopping at an outlet, so a dent was expected.
Once I got to the next store, I was shown the fridge. There was a more perfect version by another manufacturer, but that meant the price was higher as well. I asked the sales person for a discount because of the dent. Why not, right? She reminded me that I was at a discount store where everything was probably dented, this one was just more visual because it was on the front. I recanted that her coworker on the phone warned me about the dent a half hour ago, which suggested to me that it was a worse dent than usual, to which she conceded and took 15% off the price. Never hurts to ask! The total came to $700 which included delivery in a couple days.
Next up was finding a washer and dryer. I had seen one online that I was interested in from a small resale storefront that, now, happened to be on my way home. Matt and I had stopped in a Home Depot to check out their showroom and liked a few options. I popped in to the resale store to check out one of the ones we had seen at Home Depot, and it was just what I was looking for! They were offering $700 for the set, I offered $600 and they took it. Delivery and installation included. All of a sudden I went from having some missing appliances to a full house!
All in all, not too bad. And by just asking, I saved a couple hundred dollars! Maybe you can too ?
I did panic slightly after purchasing the washer and dryer because I had no idea if they would fit through the garage door. Luckily, I was smart enough to measure the width of them after I purchased them, but before I left the store. So, I measured the door frame and they were going to fit! Love, Shauna