Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
I bought another house with a MIL apartment a bit ago and it needs a washer/dryer in the main unit (that I will be living in, though I will eventually rent the house out). This is a high end home in a 500-700K neighborhood, and it has granite counter tops and stainless appliances.
I was thinking of getting those nicer appliances since it goes with the existing higher end appliances (largely for when I rent the place out, since it is a higher end rental, I personally am fine with the mid grade ones to save a buck), though they cost about $1,500 total vs. $1,000 out the door with all the items needed for setup of the mid grade ones. Is it best to spend the extra money on the higher end appliances since the rest of the house already has them and it would be odd as a rental with a mixed bag of appliances?
Hey Jack. I had this issue when my washer died on me unexpectedly about a year ago. I was trying to go budget, but I saw that washers and dryers (front load washers specifically) are super finnicky and can have lots of defects that manifest over time. I ultimately ended up going with the Maytag Maxima series and I'm extremely satisfied.
They're $700 each, but their product is one of very few with little to no reliability complaints and almost universally positive reviews. That is going to be huge for you if they're in a rental property. Also, they were the only manufacturer I saw that offers a 10 year warranty on both the motor and the basket for their washers. Others only warranty the motor... probably because the problems are most often with the basket. Finally, not that it's a huge deal for you because its not yours, they perform very well. Oh and its 100% made in the U.S., which you've gotta appreciate.
IMO, the extra 400 for you will not only be appropriate for the type of tenant you wish to attract in that neighborhood, but will probably spare you some headache down the road on repairs because of their excellent reliability and warranty.