Where to look for appliances? (Sacramento, Roseville: sales, coupon, insurance)

[jgooner22]

I recently bought a house and will be buying all appliances before moving in. This is our first home, so don't really have much experience on the prices, quality, things to look for etc when buying appliances. Any advice you guys can give about where we should look? Thanks!

[ryuns]

I'd snag a Consumer Reports Buying Guide and check out appliance reviews. That's a good start. They're usually available at public libraries.

We bought most of our appliances from Sears. The prices were good--it was a sale weekend, Labor Day, I think--and Kenmore's generally got good reviews. We have stainless steel. It looks pretty slick but it costs more and it a pain to clean (meaning, we rarely clean it!). That was pretty much the only option since the house came with a range and dishwasher, but if I were doing it from scratch, black would have been a lot easier.

Also, it probably makes economic sense to buy water and energy efficient models and get rebates. We got $150 back for our washing machine.
For anything that uses electricity:
https://www.smud.org/en/residential/...nces/index.htm
Anything that uses natural gas:
Rebate Applications
Washing machine and toilet:
Rebates - City of Sacramento

[2sleepy]

We got a great price on a washer and dryer from Fry's but when they came to install it they didn't have the right fitting for the dryer and didn't know how/where to get one. We ended up installing the dryer ourselves and getting a refund from Fry's for the installation.

Also, try Lowe's, Home Depot and Best Buy, if you put in a change of address you should have gotten a 10% off coupon for Lowe's, and for Best Buy. We shopped all over but couldn't come close to matching the sale price at Fry's. Sears @ Arden was horrible, no one came to help us for about 20 minutes and when they did the sales person looked like we had just woken her up from a nap and their prices (at least when we were there were just not competitive).

[ryuns]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

We got a great price on a washer and dryer from Fry's but when they came to install it they didn't have the right fitting for the dryer and didn't know how/where to get one. We ended up installing the dryer ourselves and getting a refund from Fry's for the installation.

Also, try Lowe's, Home Depot and Best Buy, if you put in a change of address you should have gotten a 10% off coupon for Lowe's, and for Best Buy. We shopped all over but couldn't come close to matching the sale price at Fry's. Sears @ Arden was horrible, no one came to help us for about 20 minutes and when they did the sales person looked like we had just woken her up from a nap and their prices (at least when we were there were just not competitive).

This didn't really match our experience at Sears, but come to think of it, it's probably not the best candidate for the OP anyway. Sears just laid off a ton of staff, and I wouldn't expect morale to be particularly high, and I wouldn't be too confident in warranty, replacements, etc. Plus, I believe the OP landed in Natomas, which has Home Depot, Best Buy, and isn't too far from Fry's.

[caligirlz]

I agree with checking consumer reports, but be sure the check the forum area where real people give feedback on the units that CR recommends. It is a wealth of info

If you want to the best appliances, like a washer & dryer, I highly recommend Speed Queen, American made. Speed Queen has front & top loaders. I have the old fashioned top loader with an agitator. I love that thing. The controls are simple and non-electronic. I've had the combo for about 3 years now, and LOVE, LOVE them. Speed Queen's website lists the local dealers. Speed Queen - Laundromat Equipment - Home Laundry

I went down to Elk Gove to Valley Oak Appliance, 916-686-4690. They have an awesome service department, that I've used extensively for my refrigerator (icemaker) which I also bought there. CR notes the #1 problem with refrigerators are the icemaker. Thankfully, I've finally figured out how to maintain it, and so less problems.

I personally would avoid the big box stores. If you want cheap, go there. But if you want quality and service, go to the local dealer. There is another appliance store in Roseville that I would recommend. Pacific Sales. Kitchen Appliances - Pacific Sales
The do a higher volume than Valley Oak, and they frequently have sales. I checked them out when I was had to get new toilets and was considering a Toto. They have a fantastic showroom & helpful sales people too.

[xenxes]

SEARS OUTLET, bar none. Look for floor models, some will have minor dings or scratches but practically new marked down at 50%+. You can also put in an offer and a store manager might take it, but typically another $50 off. Even with shipping from across country it tends to beat Lowes prices, and you can do it all online.

http://www.searsoutlet.com/d/store.jsp

Don't forget to sign up for Shop Your Way membership, you get free points randomly. Last month I had a random $100 worth of points sitting in my account (they expire), grabbed a second hedge trimmer I didn't need.

Of course if Lowes has a sale it might make sense on some new in box items, add the 10% mover coupon (get from USPS office). Yes and don't forget SMUD rebates. I wouldn't even consider Home Depot, much less Best Buy. Fry's or Newegg might have a decent deal on something once in a blue moon.

Appliance insurance is stupid imo, fault rate today is so negligible with any big manufacturer. And if does break and is unfixable after the manufacturer warranty lapses, just buy a new one. Appliances are also much cheaper today, especially if you look for deals.

Also, despite the white polished appliances making a come back, I'd still go with timeless stainless steel. And once you pick a brand for kitchen appliances I'd stick with it across the board, cause the SS patterns seem to differ, i.e. if you get a LG dishwasher, grab a LG fridge & oven too, you will notice the pattern / shade difference if they're in close proximity to each other.

Lastly, I'd avoid Miele and Bosch, unless you want to show off, the marginal performance, style, or whatever just is not worth it for something I consider disposable and upgrade-able in 5-10 years.

[shelato]

My sister in law paid somewhere around $700 for Miele vacuum cleaner which I got to try out. In general, I thought it was terribly overpriced, but nothing to write home about in terms of performance. My own preference to go with cheaper appliances and skip the service contracts, if something breaks just get a new one. Fry can be very cheap on appliances but sometimes some of their lost leaders on the ads are factory refurnished units so you have to watch the fine print for that.

[tehg]

I have bought an entire house worth of appliances since 2012. While some stores will give you a discount on a suite, its not something I would recommend, since one brand is rarely highly rated for all types of appliances (ex: when I bought, Consumer Reports rated Bosch dishwashers the highest but GE was the highest for slide in electric stoves.)

Dryer: Kenmore from Sears Outlet
Fridge: Whirlpool from Sears Outlet

Washer: GE top loader from Home Depot
(The sears outlet didn't have a washer I wanted.)

Because of an appliance sale + the 10% mover coupon:
Dishwasher: Whirlpool from Lowes (I was going to buy a Bosch but the racks weren't wide enough for my dinnerware)
Stove: GE from Lowes

For Kenmore, you should do some research as to the maker of the product as Kenmore brands appliances made by other manufacturers. (ex: my mother's kenmore dishwasher is clearly made by Whirlpool--it not only has the exact same buttons, but the font on the buttons is the same. Her Kenmore fridge made by LG and has the same icemaker problems as the rest of the LG french door fridges.)

[jgooner22]

Thanks much for all the info! Lots of research to be done. From a service and maintence point of view, I am leaning towards to a local store. I'll go to a couple of those this week and see how it goes.

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by shelato

My sister in law paid somewhere around $700 for Miele vacuum cleaner which I got to try out.

I have a Miele cannister vacuum cleaner also. I bought it for 40% off at one of Meissner Sewing's floor model sales. I like it, a lot.

Again, check out the reader forum section of CR. You may need to get an online subscription but it is totally worth it. The readers refute many of the CR recommendations with personal experience. I have not regretted a single purchase I have made based on reader reviews.

Oh, and as mentioned stainless steel is very popular due to HGTV, but I personally don't like it. I bought white appliances. You might want to consider the newer & classier color (IMO), white or black ice. http://www.whirlpool.com/kitchen-col...10215/1020360/ When I get ready for kitchen upgrades, that would be my first choice.