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My husband and I will probably list our home next year. At that point, it will be a ten year old house and our appliances will be ten years old and past warranty. The kitchen appliances are black and are in overall good condition aesthetically. The washer and dryer are your standard white variety, not particularly pretty (they were purchased as a wedding present in 2004).
All of the appliances are in good working order (per inspection) and can live on past ten years. So my question is do I *need* to replace the appliances? We're already spending a good amount of money on paint, cleaning, repairs, etc. and new appliances will be a burden. Also, it would be kind of pointless to spend money for a new washer and dryer that we will barely use. Our realtor has counseled us against spending any more money on the house upgrades at this point.
Existing appliances will be given a good cleaning and have a like new appearance, fwiw.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The realtor should know what sells a house. Kitchens and baths are normally a big part of that, but if they work fine and you are not willing to buy all new matching stainless steel for the kitchen, better to wait and let the new owners deal with it. You may get an offer that reflects replacement cost. If your home is otherwise updated, functional and in a good location, you may not need the kitchen to be 100% to sell it. If there are any other "weaknesses" the new appliance could bring in more offers. Here people demand stainless appliances and granite counter tops, they all seem to watch HGTV.
Washer and dryer are less important and often not even included in the sale.
If you are sure you've hired the right realtor, listen to her. The answer to this question is, I think, very dependent on your market. On this forum, we really can't judge that accurately.
I do think that the washer and dryer should be left as is. As someone else said, they are not usually included in the sale, but are often requested by the buyer as part of the sale. Let 'em have them. Not worth moving them, if you can avoid it.
Unless broken or just looking worn out bad I wouldn't replace them. Most appliance panels can be purchased relatively cheap. Like stove top or burners and grille.
I see you're here in the Austin market. Washers, Dryers, and Fridges are considered personal property here (and throughout Texas). They are not part of the sale unless you negotiate them into the sale. Because of that, who cares how old those appliances are. You said your other appliances are black. Black still sells just fine in this market. It's the older white appliances that people cringe at. The newer "ice white" appliances look nice, but the older white ones show their age.
What is your price point in comparison to them market? If you are on the higher side, I might consider it. But otherwise, nope. Good condition working appliances are fine. If someone doesn't like black, that's on them. The appliances in the place I just sold were 3-4 years old when I moved in. They didn't leave the fridge so I had to buy that anyway and decided to replace the range and microwave with stainless since I wanted a stainless fridge. But I never once thought my sellers should have done that, it was totally my decision to replace functional and not terribly old appliances just because I liked something better.
re: washer and dryer. My realtor said it was about 50/50 on whether those conveyed. I originally excluded them in my listing but it became a negotiating point - my buyer kept them, I got a little bit more money and I'll buy new for my new home.
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