Buying New or Second Hand Appliances

For a variety of reasons many homeowners looking for low priced appliances look to the second hand market rather than searching for deals on new appliances.  In most cases they are looking for additional appliance capacity.

If you frequently entertain large numbers of sports fans you may want to add a second refrigerator in the basement or out in the garage to store an ample supply of cold beverages.  Some homeowners like to have a "summer kitchen" in their basements complete with range top stove and refrigerator to avoid cooking in the living portion of the home during periods of extreme heat.

While one can almost always get a lower price with used or second hand appliances, it is debatable whether they provide longer-term value.  Today's appliances are much more energy efficient than their older cousins, many of which are still in service with a reasonably long operating live ahead of them.

As an example, if you have a friend or relative who is ready to sell you the refrigerator they're replacing in their newly renovated kitchen, you need to find out the operating efficiency of the unit in order to make a better buying decision.  For older models it is possible to use the Internet to search for their monthly operating cost.  If the refrigerator you're looking at costs significantly more to operate than a new model, you might actually end up paying more over time than if you had searched for a discounted new model.

There are many ways to get great prices on new appliances, if you have the time and patience to search and wait for the best deal.  Manufacturers make frequent changes to the features of their offerings resulting in older models being discontinued to make way for newer, better products.  Major home centers and appliance outlets offer these discontinued models at significant clearance discounts.

Another way to save big dollars on new appliances is to look for bruised and lightly damaged merchandise.  New appliances are often damaged during the delivery and installation process.  In almost all cases the damage is slight - often nothing more than a few minor scratches or a dent.  Since no homeowner would pay full price for even a tiny scratch in their purchase, these appliances are returned.  From an operating point of view, they are brand new appliances.  Many major appliance retailers have warehouses where they sell such bruised merchandise at fantastic bargains.

If you elect to search the second hand appliance market there are Internet web sites that serve as marketplaces where people can list merchandise of all sorts for sale.  It should go without saying that you should "try before you buy" when it comes to used appliances.  What should you look for?  Check to see that whatever features the appliance has, like water dispenser or icemaker, are working properly and that all the shelves are present.  For most major appliance manufacturers you might be able to use the serial number on the unit to determine its age.  Listen for odd noises in the motor and make sure you listen to the compressor through at least one on/off cycle.  A simple way to do this is to run the unit for a few minutes and then unplug it; wait a few minutes and then plug it back in.