Appliances are expensive, sometimes even if you want the most basic models. If you want the best deals and prices on appliances, you’ll need to put in some extra work and research.
And if you’re in the market for new appliances, then you know this is one of the bigger purchases you can make for your home. And if you’ve done any preliminary research, you know just how much you can end up spending if you’re not careful.
Fortunately, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can follow to get a great deal on new appliances, and we’re here to help.
We’ve compiled the top ways to get the best deals and prices on appliances so you don’t waste too much of your time. Take a look at the ways you can stick to your budget when buying a new appliance.
Deals Are Great But Set a Budget Beforehand
If you’re serious about getting a good deal, you’ll need to get serious about setting the right budget and sticking to it! In many purchase decisions, it’s important to consider what features you want and need first.
Related: Get great smelling wax for your home with our best wax melts.
You would then determine what your budget is. When you’re looking at getting the best deal, the opposite is true.
So first set your budget, then determine which features are absolute needs for that price point and which you can bear to lose to stick to your budget.
Having a set budget helps you in a variety of ways. You can filter online searches by price and tell salespeople what your price is to avoid the fluffy sales tactics they employ when you go into a store.
Scratch and Dent Sections: Huge Savings with Tiny Defects
Most major furniture and appliance stores have a scratch and dent section where they sell steeply discounted products that have been damaged in some way, shape or form. While that may seem intimidating at first, it’s actually one of the best places to get the best deal on appliances.
Most people think that scratch and dent sections only offer horribly damaged goods, but that simply isn’t true. If you’ve never looked through a scratch and dent section at your local furniture store, check it out next time you’re in. You’ll likely notice that most products are perfectly fine.
This can only be good for you. Appliances with dings and dents often carry deep discounts because most people only consider appliances in pristine condition. If you’re lucky, you can even find products that are damaged in a way that won’t be visible once installed in your home.
Don’t discount the scratch and dent section! They often offer the best savings out of anything else in this list.
Sales and Price Matching: More Research, More Savings
When’s the last time you heard about an appliance sale on your local radio or television stations?
Probably yesterday, right? There’s hardly a time in the year when stores aren’t discounting their appliances.
Retailers use seasonal sales like these just to get you into the store, where they can sell you more stuff. Studies have shown that most of these sales remain the same throughout the year.
Fortunately, there’s still some value to these sales, especially when you combine them with price matching options.
If you do your research, you can usually find a retailer that’s willing to price match both online and in-store pricing from other appliance sellers. With a little more digging, you can find stellar price matches that maximize your savings.
The most important part of shopping sales is to not hold out on buying an appliance until the next sale.
Buy a new appliance when you need one and shop the sales that are running at that time. If you hold off until you’re desperate, you’ll find you’re more willing to wiggle your budget around to fit your desperation.
Liquidation Centers: Not the Latest, but the Greatest Price
The purpose of liquidation centers is to sell the most product they can as fast as possible. In order to sell products as fast as they can, they will discount them to prices cheaper than you can get from wholesale retailers.
You might be asking, what’s the catch?
Liquidation centers often purchase factory defects or other unwanted merchandise directly from the manufacturers. This means you’re purchasing with a higher level of risk. When shopping liquidation sales, don’t be afraid to ask questions, but don’t expect to get many answers.
Be sure to take your smartphone with you so you can do your research on the fly and find out as much as you can about the models you’re considering.
You may also want to consider purchasing an extended warranty with liquidation purchases. If you decide to purchase a warranty, make sure to read the fine print!
You want your warranty to cover things like repairs so you don’t end up paying more than you have to.
Wholesale Retailers: Cheaper than Most
Wholesale retailers often provide lower prices on big-ticket items like appliances. You can typically find even greater discounts on their websites.
The only downside to purchasing from a wholesale retailer is that you typically need a membership to shop there.
If you don’t shop there regularly, this can only serve to increase the money you spend on your new appliances, unless you shop on one of the rare “no membership needed” days.
Wholesale retailers include stores like:
- Costco
- SAM’s Club
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
The best deals often come when these stores offer instant rebates in their mailer coupons. If you’re a member, make sure you’re receiving the monthly coupon books to keep an eye on these short-lived deals.
If you find a deal, don’t hesitate to act fast. These deals usually only last as long as there’s stock, and you don’t want to miss out on the instant savings.
Floor Models: Hidden Savings
Similarly to scratch and dent sections, many furniture and appliance stores will offer to sell you their floor models when next year’s products have been released.
Salespeople will often offer more discounts for floor models since they need to make room for the new appliances coming in. If you time it right, you can usually take advantage of these sales and snatch up the like-new floor models.
If you decide to purchase a floor model, make sure you inspect it for any damage. Small dings can often mean huge discounts for you when you bring them up with the salesperson.
Don’t be afraid to haggle a little to get the purchase in your price range.
Just remember that floor models are usually sold as-is and cannot be returned for a full refund.
There’s always some level of risk that comes with purchasing a display unit, but many times the savings are worth the risk.
Appliance Retailers: Which Are the Best?
Appliance retailers aren’t usually the cheapest places, especially when it comes to appliances, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good deal during special sales or liquidation sales. But what are the best appliance retailers?
There are tons of options to choose from, but choosing a reliable retailer can save you a l0t of money and headache in the long run. Some of the major appliance retailers to consider include:
- Abt (Online)
- Home Depot (In-Store & Online)
- Lowe’s (In-Store & Online)
- Walmart (In-Store & Online)
- Amazon (Online)
Craigslist: As a Last Resort
Sometimes, buying new just isn’t an option. While we always recommend purchasing brand-new appliances, we also understand that this isn’t always possible for everyone.
In cases like these, you might need to turn to online classified sections like Craigslist. This should be a last resort.
Buying gently used appliances carries the highest risk out of any of the options on our list for getting the best deals and prices on appliances. You never know what you’re going to get, and you can’t return the appliances if you’re not happy with them.
When buying from Craigslist or another online classifieds website like Facebook Marketplace, the best advice we can give you is to use your best common sense and judgment.
Look for appliances that come from clean and non-smoking homes, as they are the most likely to work the best.
Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions! Sellers expect this, and you won’t be out of place if you want to know more about the appliances you want to purchase.
Be sure to go see the best appliance brands in person before purchasing them. Since they are likely in the seller’s home, you can even see if they work properly before purchasing.
The other nice thing about buying from a private seller is the increased ability to haggle and get an even better deal. Research similar models online to see how others are setting their prices. This can give you some bargaining position, and you might just walk away with a killer deal.
