Major appliances usually carry some of the largest footprints in your home, and in turn they often come with some of the largest price tags as well.  Granted, they are expected to (and usually do) last for years, they are nevertheless semi-capital expenditures for your family’s budget. So, getting the initial purchase right can go a long way toward stretching your finite resources. We have spent time investigating this, and have come to some interesting conclusions, all in the effort to help you make as knowledgeable of a decision as possible, and have narrowed down the 5 best places to buy appliances.

How Long Do Appliances Usually Last?

According to InterNACHI (International Association of Home Inspectors) the average life expectancy of certain major appliances is displayed below:

While this list is the average life expectancies based on regular use, weather conditions, and recommended maintenance, it does give a decent indicaton of about how long you can expect your shiny new appliance to last you. It is also not brand specific, and doesn’t include abuse by children (both the young and adult varieties!). And if you are interested, there are allot of other home-related life expectancies listed on the InterNACHI website. One very important point here is that the useful life of these appliances often represents a significant chunk of life. Some kids will grow to near maturity during the lifetime of one range or refrigerator. So it’s interesting to note that fortunately, spending on appliances is not a very frequent expense for a homeowner.

A discussion about individual brands would likely become quite anecdotal and is not really the scope of this article. However, we do have some strong opinions about the advantages of purchasing appliances at particular vendors. There are criteria that we think should rate highly when choosing your place of purchase (price, selection, delivery and haul-away fees etc.), and those that rank the highest make up our list of the 5 best places to buy appliances (in no particular order).

1) Best Buy

From a strictly price standpoint, Best Buy is a solid choice. They sometimes have deep discounts on various appliances, and they have a price match guarantee that pretty much ensures that you will not overpay for what you choose, as long as you do your price research on what the competitors are offering. You also get a 15 day satisfaction guarantee and an impressive array of brands to choose from. Be aware though, they do charge for hauling away your old appliances (as do most others) and delivery is free only when the price tag rises above $399. Another thing to be careful of is that Best Buy offers content on their site that does not originate from Best Buy itself, and unless you read carefully before you click you may find yourself at a different website entirely. This is usually towards the bottom of the page, however, so it’s not a major problem.

One thing we noticed is that Best Buy may offer better online decision information, as they usually include more images of products and also user images in the product listing. According to a Consumer Reports survey, you have about a 69% chance of haggling a better deal, so don’t forget to try. Best Buy offers the usual device protection and installations services, but we have to admit that Geek Squad always has a nice ring to it.

Best Buy Summary:

What We Like:

  • Awesome Array of Choices
  • Price Match Guarantee
  • High Haggling Success Rate
  • Superior Delivery Speed
  • Superior Presentation of Products

What We Don’t Like:

  • Tricky Third-Party Offerings
  • Charge for Installation/Haul Away
  • Costly Delivery for Rural Areas

2) Home Depot

According to a TWICE.com retailer report, Home Depot was the #2 seller of appliances in the US in 2019, while Best Buy was #3. This is not surprising, as the Home Depot has a very broad selection of appliances with frequent sales and well thought out product pages that have little (if any) third party clutter. They undercut Best Buy by 3 dollars, offering free delivery for amounts of $396 or more (hey, that’s what stretching money is all about). They also offer a price match guarantee, so as long as you already know the price climate for the item you are looking for you will never overpay. Their listings make it easy to find any rebates for your area, so don’t forget to check that before you buy.

Alas, there are some caveats to consider when shopping at the Home Depot. Their delivery network is often contracted out, and this is a reported source of frustration from some customers. The delivery times are not quite as spiffy as Best Buy either, and while they do have a generous amount of items on display, store pickup is not frequently available. You can also expect to pay $40 for them to haul your old appliance away, while Best Buy charges only $29.99. Your haggle success rate will drop a little from Best Buy to 61%, but that’s not too shabby. Read more about haggling from #5 on this list. Nevertheless, with the sheer number of appliances that Home Depot sells it is a testament to the fact that you can expect the price to be right and the transaction to be successful.

Home Depot Summary:

What We Like:

  • Large Selection of Brands and Models
  • Price Match Guarantee
  • High Haggling Success Rate
  • Little to No Third-Party Clutter

What We Don’t Like:

  • Delivery can be Chaotic
  • Low In-Store Inventory for Pickup
  • Higher Charge for Haul Away

3) Lowes

Lowes took the top spot and was the #1 seller of appliances in the US in 2019. Lowes stores tend to be a bit bigger than those of Home Depot, and this may be part of the reason why Lowes is superior when it comes to in-store inventory. Just browsing for appliances on their website shows a vast quantity of items available for immediate store pickup. Of course, this won’t benefit those who rely on delivery, but Lowes has free delivery for appliances over $400. Realistically, most major appliances will meet the threshold no matter where you choose.

Lowes does offer a price match guarantee (although this may be subject to brand exclusion) and has some of the best sales we have seen, including savings that stack when you buy multiple appliances. Lowes delivery times are on par with Best Buy, and they share the $40 haul away fee with Home Depot. Haggling at Lowes is successful 64% of the time, slightly better than Home Depot but not as fruitful as Best Buy. In essence, where Lowes stands out among the rest is a large in-store inventory and this either allows for quick store pickup or quicker delivery. Just make sure that you get the price match you are looking for before purchase.

Lowes Summary:

What We Like:

  • Large In-Store Inventory
  • Quick Delivery and Store Pickup
  • High Haggling Success Rate

What We Don’t Like:

  • Iffy Price Matching
  • Typical Haul Away Fees

4) Costco

If you are willing to pony up for the membership fee, Costco can be a great place to purchase appliances. Getting the best price from Costco is easy, but there are a few things to consider. To start with, they will not always have the lowest price you can find, but this doesn’t represent the total price. Costco might deliver your new appliance and haul away your old one for free, bringing the out the door price under their competitors. Also, keep an eye out for promotions. Sometimes items are deep discounted, and combine this with the other perks and you just may get a great deal. Keep in mind that most items are only available online, and although some items are very quick to ship, some take considerably longer. Don’t expect Costco to price match, as it is their policy not to do so.

There are some items that even non-members can purchase, but that comes at the cost of an extra fee, and you are better off paying for the membership. Then there is the unfortunate fact that the selection is not comparable to the others on this list, but that might affect some people more than others. If you are set on a particular model, you might not find it at Costco. But if you are flexible, you will probably find exactly what you need, even if it isn’t the perfect color.

Costco Summary:

What We Like:

  • Possible to Find the Lowest Price
  • Free Delivery and Haul Away
  • Frequent Promotions

What We Don’t Like

  • Membership Fees
  • Most Items Online Only
  • Selection is More Limited
  • No Price Matching

5) Amazon

Amazon is almost always the first place that we recommend shopping in order to find the cheapest price, or at least an idea of what a good deal should be. The situation is a little different when it comes to appliances. It’s a little complicated, so let’s take it step by step. If the appliance that you want is listed on Amazon (or if you find one featured there already that you are happy with) there is a good chance that you will get a better price than you will find anywhere else, including all of the other places on this list. If you are looking for a specific model, you might be able to search for and find it, but the price might not be attractive unless it is a featured listing.

Now, if you are in luck and your choice is available, there are a few caveats. First of all, don’t expect it to be shipped lightning fast, and it is probably coming from a third-party vendor selling it on Amazon. This is not necessarily a problem; it just requires a bit of attention and research to avoid regretful choices. The shipping will probably be free, but returns are problematic and do not expect a haul away to be offered. The bottom line here is that you can get the best deal at Amazon for appliances, but you might have to compromise a little. Do your research first, and it may be a great option. Amazon’s strength comes from smaller appliances such as mini-fridges and microwaves, of which you will get lost in the available selections.

Amazon Summary:

What We Like:

  • Best Price on Limited Items
  • Huge Selection of Small Appliances

What We Don’t Like:

  • Long Delivery Times
  • Mostly Third-Party Vendors
  • Limited Delivery Services
  • Limited Selection of Large Appliances

And those are our picks for the top 5 places to stretch your money when it comes time to purchase major appliances. There are certainly other choices out there, and we do recommend checking out your local regional offerings. However, we think that we covered the best of the major retailers and prepared you to make a thrifty choice for your household. Thankfully, you don’t have to purchase major appliances that often, but when you do it is our job to make sure that you get the best bang for your appliance buck!

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