Offer on House - Appliances!

[starry_solo]

So, OP, what ended up happening? Did you get the house?

 

[jgates]

Not reading through all of these, but appliances built that long ago are probably better than anything you can buy now. We have had our fridge & our stove (LP gas) since 1984 & both are still going well. We have had the freezer since 1993, as well as the washer & dryer.

What is really funny is that we bought a USED w/d in '84 when we built the house for $100 from a local appliance place. When we remodeled we sold it for $100. I KNOW they were still 100% working at least last year. The guy we sold them to was so happy with the deal he got.

We have had one minor repair to the dryer (a belt or something) that was minimal cost.

I would take the appliances in the house & just bank a small amount aside each month for replacement, but don't replace until you have to.

 

[herdtoDisney]

I agree that older appliances were better built-but the difference in energy and water effeciency for newer ones is astounding! Over the last few years, because of moves, I have all new appliances-before that I had decades-old ones.

My new freezer saves at least $15 per month over the old one. My HE frontloader washer and new dishwasher save so much in water-my water bill in my home is nearly the same as it was years ago when we lived in a much smaller home and had smaller/less kids (same city so same water rates). I'm convinced the savings came from those, since we of course do more laundry and the kids take more showers now.

I have really been happily shocked with the efficiency of my new appilances. I'm usually one to keep stuff and buy used, but with these, I'm glad I bought new-just for the energy and water savings.

 

[dawnball]

OMG. Who in the world said they couldn't afford new appliances? People on this board read a lot into posts just to make their own holier-than-thou responses.

If you think people don't read a lot into offers to buy their house - you're fooling yourself. How you present yourself as a seller can be important, and you never know when it will be.

You know i saw an interesting article just today in the wall street journal. The gist of it was that it isn't really a buyers market. It's an investors market. That being said just offer a lower amount for the house with no further explanation needed.

Since I just sold my house in a week (with multiple potential buyers), I agree. It may be a a buyer's market in some locations, but not everywhere. There are good deals for investors, but that's because investors come with no drama. And a lower offer that is otherwise good is much easier for a seller to agree to than a higher offer with more conditions.

And this is why you should go ahead and negotiate for the appliances to be replaced with what you want.

You can have the amount added into your mortgage assuming your appraisal can accept it and move in worry free. I would go slightly higher than Rusty - dishwashers can be $500, refrigerators range according to size, but nice stoves are now more expensive than $600 - the choices at Lowes and HD and Sears have gone up considerably more than some other appliances.

As a seller, if I had two offers (and I'm just going to make up numbers here), one for $102,500 where I was expected to buy and install $2,500 of appliances before closing, and one for $98,000, that took the house as-is; I'd take the lower offer. If I had two offers, one for $102,500 with a $2500 allowance for the buyer to buy new appliances, and one for $98,000 with no contingencies, I'd take the lower offer.

For the former, putting in $2500 of appliances and then having the sale fall through means you will never recoup the cost of those appliances. For the latter, I particularly don't want the risk of what might be tacked onto the offer after the inspection report comes in. "Oh, if they want $2500 in new appliances, are they going to want a new hot water heater, too? What about a new furnace? A new a/c unit?" All of that stuff is probably original, and the kitchen appliances are cheap compared to what that list could become.

Reasonable or not, regardless of the actual state of your finances - paying for appliances over more than their lifespan (rolling them into a 30 year mortgage, when you think that 17 year-old, functional appliances are too old) implies a buyer who can barely make ends meet. And that's a buyer who is at higher risk for their mortgage falling through and being unable to get a new one. They're also at higher risk for adding on other demands as they realize just how expensive moving into a new house really is.

That's not to say you can't be successful asking for new appliances, or an appliance allowance, or an allowance for new window coverings, or a request that the house be painted in lime-green mickey heads. If you don't want the house unless it comes with new appliances already installed - then make the offer that way. If a lower price is just as good for you, then the fewer conditions you can put on the sale, the more likely it is to go smoothly.

 

[tlbwriter]

its down between a new house and this house. this house is 17 years old but it has a great layout. i'm afraid that the appliances have not been changed since the house was built!

I'd pick the house with the great layout over the house with new appliances. Appliances can be changed pretty easily. Layout cannot.

 

[scrapquitler]

Not reading through all of these, but appliances built that long ago are probably better than anything you can buy now. We have had our fridge & our stove (LP gas) since 1984 & both are still going well. We have had the freezer since 1993, as well as the washer & dryer.

What is really funny is that we bought a USED w/d in '84 when we built the house for $100 from a local appliance place. When we remodeled we sold it for $100. I KNOW they were still 100% working at least last year. The guy we sold them to was so happy with the deal he got.

We have had one minor repair to the dryer (a belt or something) that was minimal cost.

I would take the appliances in the house & just bank a small amount aside each month for replacement, but don't replace until you have to.

+1

When we bought our house in 1998, we were strapped for cash. The seller was moving into a brand new condo, with all appliances included. She offered to sell us her washer and dryer for $350. She told us that one of them was 7 years old, the other 10 years old (I don't remember which was which). DH and I knew we needed a washer and dryer, but we couldn't afford a new set. So we paid the $350. At the time, we felt like she was taking advantage of us, that the price was too high, and maybe it was. We decided that we would not feel ripped off if we got a year out of them before we needed to replace them.

Fast forward to today, 2011. The washer and dryer are still going strong. The washer leaks a little bit every now and then, but other than that, neither one of them has ever given us any problem. I'm starting to wish that they would die already so I can get a nice top loader :rolleyes Right now, that $350 doesn't seem like the rip off it did in 1998!