When Is the Best Time to Repair or Buy Appliances

Buying a new home appliance can be an exciting experience. With so many choices of modern, energy-efficient refrigerators, cookers, washing machines, tumble dryers, and dishwashers, however, it can certainly feel overwhelming. Prices will range anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. This all depends on a dizzying array of features, brand name, quality of manufacture, and of course, discounts or deals where available.

The reality is, it doesn’t always make sense to buy appliances new, in fact, there are various circumstances where you’ll get the best value by calling a trusted repair specialist.

Why Consider Repairing Instead of Buying New?

Repairing older appliances can be far more cost-effective than buying new since most appliance repairs involve replacing a single faulty or worn-out component. If the cost of repairs exceeds the cost of buying anew, however, then it’s probably time to start looking at new models that are more energy-efficient.

Another reason to hold off on purchasing is to reduce the environmental waste associated with dropping off large and bulky white goods at the local tip. Landfills are unfortunately full of otherwise perfectly good home appliances that were thrown away at the first sign of malfunction.

How Long do Appliances Tend to Last?

Below are some approximate numbers for the lifespan of most common household appliances:

Dishwashers: 9 years
Microwave ovens: 9 years
Dryers: 13 years
Refrigerators: 13 years
Washing machines: 14 years
Gas cookers: 15 years

Naturally, these numbers vary widely based on a number of factors, including: build quality, frequency of maintenance, and how often it’s used.

Customer Behaviour

Most people tend to purchase new equipment somewhere after the halfway point in the above appliances’ lifespans. Although it can be argued that this is wasteful behaviour, there are a number of sensible reasons why people are hasty to throw away their old appliances for newer models.

Firstly, new models continuously come out from popular brands with many attractive marketing and advertising campaigns that trigger the impulse to buy. Sleek, new white good sales is a big deal in Australia, amounting to annual revenues in excess of $2 billion.

It isn’t just clever marketing that’s driving sales, however. Savvy customers are keen to take advantage of the typically more energy-efficient models that can result in greater long-term savings. Furthermore, many newer appliances have quality of life improvements such as self-cleaning ovens, digital displays, and even smart refrigerators capable of reminding you when’s the best time to eat your vegetables!

When to Buy New Appliances

We believe that the best time to buy a new appliance is when your old appliance reaches the end of its lifespan. Not only for environmental reasons, but also because the cost and convenience of having your current appliance repaired and working again just like new is a great benefit for you.

Buying new appliances can be time-consuming since you’ll have to shop around, place your order, then wait until delivery arrives. You’ll also have to install the appliance, which may be challenging and laborious. We recommend therefore that you purchase new appliances when it’s no longer feasible to keep your old ones in good working order.

When the time comes to purchase new appliances, keep an eye on discounts and savings at the end of the year. Retailers and wholesalers looking to clear out last year’s models often offer steep savings to those willing to wait until November, December, or January.

Also look for discounts online before visiting a brick and mortar shop. While it’s more difficult to price bargain online than it is in person, shopping online can give you an idea of what to expect so that you’re more well-informed if you do decide to visit a brick and mortar shop.

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