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spdrun.
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March 28, 2014 at 11:57 AM #21029March 28, 2014 at 1:00 PM #772305
ocrenter
Participantflu, glad you had an awesome experience.
we had an equally awesome experience with them recently as well.
we went to Sears Outlet over at Linda Vista based on seeing an open box 42″ built in Kitchenaid for $5400 (retail at $9000) online. Turns out they did not have it. But the salesperson took down my number and promised to keep an eye out for the next open box item.
She called me within a week and said they just got another open box item in. We were able to purchase it and had it delivered over the weekend.
We have been looking at used built in 42″ frig all over craigslist and ebay, and the prices are all around $5000ish. So to get a brand new open box item for $5400 is just absolutely crazy.
(we contacted Fleet Installation System for delivery and install, their price was about $250 cheaper).
March 28, 2014 at 3:36 PM #772310treehugger
ParticipantSears is the Honda/Toyota of the appliance world….
Last time we redid our kitchen I went to Pac Sales and the salesman actually told me that Kitchen Aid was “the mercedes of appliances”. Like that was a selling feature, maybe for some, but not for me. I said well I drive a Honda, so I guess I should go to Sears…..got a double wall oven with convection at one of their “annual sales” plus friends and family discounts…I was very happy with the price and although I really don’t cook, they look pretty!
March 30, 2014 at 1:37 PM #772319FlyerInHi
GuestSears outlet is fine if you buy open box or display items.
But if you order brand new and you know what you want, Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, etc… just pass the order to the manufacturer who ship direct to you (usually using the same contract delivery company). So it comes down to the pricing currently in effect.
(BTW, for warranty service, all the manufacturers seem to use the few same contract repair companies)
For rental properties, I would wait until Thanksgiving Black Friday, every year, and order upgraded stainless appliances for cheap. There’s a replacement cycle on appliances and it’s a good way to “delight” your tenants. It’s a good way to show your tenants that you care. I subscribe to the Costco motto of “delighting your customers.”
Appliances are more expensive when you have to replace immediately. But if you wait to Thanksgiving you could get a promo dishwasher that would normally cost $1000 for $400. Small price to pay to surprise your tenants and make them happy. Plus you avoid costly service calls that are inevitable when the appliances get old.
Super high end appliances are a different story.
March 30, 2014 at 3:52 PM #772320
CoronitaParticipant[quote=FlyerInHi]Sears outlet is fine if you buy open box or display items.
But if you order brand new and you know what you want, Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, etc… just pass the order to the manufacturer who ship direct to you (usually using the same contract delivery company). So it comes down to the pricing currently in effect.
(BTW, for warranty service, all the manufacturers seem to use the few same contract repair companies)
For rental properties, I would wait until Thanksgiving Black Friday, every year, and order upgraded stainless appliances for cheap. There’s a replacement cycle on appliances and it’s a good way to “delight” your tenants. It’s a good way to show your tenants that you care. I subscribe to the Costco motto of “delighting your customers.”
Appliances are more expensive when you have to replace immediately. But if you wait to Thanksgiving you could get a promo dishwasher that would normally cost $1000 for $400. Small price to pay to surprise your tenants and make them happy. Plus you avoid costly service calls that are inevitable when the appliances get old.
Super high end appliances are a different story.[/quote]
For rental property. If it ain’t broke, why fix it.
March 31, 2014 at 12:07 AM #772323CA renter
Participant[quote=flu]
For rental property. If it ain’t broke, why fix it.[/quote]
Because happy tenants who feel like they are getting a good deal on a nice place to live will be more likely to stay as long-term tenants, and this will keep your costs down over the long run. Also, they will tend to care more for the house if you care for it. It’s well known that if tenants feel as though their LL is a slumlord, they will be much more likely to abuse the place, in addition to engaging in other undesirable behaviors like not paying rent, stiffing you for the deposit as they use it for “last month’s rent,” etc.
What goes around, comes around.
March 31, 2014 at 6:15 AM #772324CoronitaParticipant[quote=CA renter][quote=flu]
For rental property. If it ain’t broke, why fix it.[/quote]
Because happy tenants who feel like they are getting a good deal on a nice place to live will be more likely to stay as long-term tenants, and this will keep your costs down over the long run. Also, they will tend to care more for the house if you care for it. It’s well known that if tenants feel as though their LL is a slumlord, they will be much more likely to abuse the place, in addition to engaging in other undesirable behaviors like not paying rent, stiffing you for the deposit as they use it for “last month’s rent,” etc.
What goes around, comes around.[/quote]
CAR you’re just losing it these days…Lol….
I have yet to meet a single tenant that even gives a rats ass whether they get a stainless steel appliance versus something that is plain white and functioning… (Granted broken appliances is a completely different thing)
Are you even serious on this one?
Get off your “moral” high horse will you? The stench is sickening sometimes…
And provided it’s clean, it’s safe, and it’s functional.. If someone doesn’t like it, they can always find other places to live that’s a better value for there money…
I’d be happy to put in new appliances for my tenant in the Bay Area, if they don’t mind me jacking up their rent from current below market prices of $3000/month… to current market price of $3300/month, which is what current market price is….
I’m sure however, my tenant would rather keep the extra $300/month in their wallet versus getting new appliances just because they “look nicer” for things that they don’t even own and that isn’t even theirs.
…And if they really had heartburn on it , they can always ask… Funny how over the past 3 years, they never have asked…I guess they’d rather keep more money in their own pockets, rather than pay for things that belong to me… Imagine that!
March 31, 2014 at 8:30 AM #772325NotCranky
ParticipantI am just glad they don’t cost much to run. We have two stand up freezer fridge combos and a a 5′ chest freezer running and it doesn’t cost much at all compared to the convenience. I took out half the shelves from one of the fridges and we can put stuff in very large pots in there. WIth a big family that cooks a lot this is really cool.
The Bosch dishwasher from the outlet store has just been amazing.
The other appliance I am really impressed with is the grill outside. It’s a genesis not really all that expensive, about $600 4 or 5 years ago. We lost the cover from it to critters chewing on it and never replaced it, so it sits in the weather year round. It still works and looks like it is almost new . We use it a lot too.
My tenant has the cheapest fridge and stove I could get and he apparently loves living there. He brings us fruits and cakes and chocolate from Trader Joes almost every week. Pays on time, every time.
March 31, 2014 at 11:05 AM #772326Guest[quote=flu] For rental property. If it ain’t broke, why fix it.[/quote]
The way I see it is that a service call is $200 (or more if parts are expensive), not including the aggravation having to deal with it at the most inconvenient time.
A basic white appliance is $400-$500.
But during Black Friday you can get upgraded appliances for the price of a basic machines. Last thanksgiving, I bought a stainless dishwasher for $400 and a pair front load washer/dryer for $1000 (the price of basic top loads during the rest of the year).
My tenants were happy to get new appliances and they think I’m a nice guy. I charge a little more than market anyway, so it’s not a big deal.
I think rentals that looks good attracts better tenants. I laid hardwood and tile myself rather than go with carpet and vinyl. I’ve even replaced cabinets myself then hired a contractor to do the granite top. Once you learn, it’s actually easy, and it’s healthy to do some manual labor.
For a rental, a 7 year replacement period is decent.
March 31, 2014 at 2:02 PM #772329an
ParticipantI actually agree with both flu and brian. Preemptive replacement of big appliance might actually save you money, if you can have a good deal on back friday. Obviously, you don’t go willy nilly and just replace appliance every few years. But if you start getting complaints about issues or if an appliance is well past its prime, you might want to replace it before having to deal w/ a service call. I actually went with stainless steel when I replaced my tenant’s fridge. She was very happy about it. The reason I went w/ stainless is because it’s only a couple hundred dollar more. If I decide to sell the house, it might help me sell faster at top dollar, all the while, being able to deduct the cost of the SS appliance as well.
March 31, 2014 at 4:50 PM #772341CoronitaParticipantActually for a SFH, I’m not even sure if a fridge/washer/dryer is necessary in some submarkets…
For many comparable SFH in the Bay Area, it’s BYOA.. Bring your own appliances..The only thing that comes with some of the the house is a dishwasher,range, oven…Seems to be more of the norm up there….
March 31, 2014 at 4:55 PM #772342scaredyclassic
ParticipantWe had to bring a fridge to the houses we rented in Temecula and murrieta.
I bought a cheap fridge from best buy. Small and white.
My wife hates it. I love it. It works nicely.
Looks old school. Gets crowded sometimes.March 31, 2014 at 5:30 PM #772344Participant[quote=flu]Actually for a SFH, I’m not even sure if a fridge/washer/dryer is necessary in some submarkets…
For many comparable SFH in the Bay Area, it’s BYOA.. Bring your own appliances..The only thing that comes with some of the the house is a dishwasher,range, oven…Seems to be more of the norm up there….[/quote]You are correct, fridge is not mandatory. I was referring to appliance in general. If you can get a SS appliance on black friday cheaper than your basic white/black appliance normally and you have a feeling the appliance is reaching its end of life, it might not be a bad idea to preemptively replace the appliance. It might help you fetch top dollar for rent too (assuming you’re getting a new tenants). I would raise a long term tenant’s rent just because I put in SS appliance. It’s really a case by case basis. Depending on your tenant pool, your long term holding desirability, etc.
March 31, 2014 at 7:18 PM #772347Participant[quote=flu][quote=CA renter][quote=flu]
For rental property. If it ain’t broke, why fix it.[/quote]
Because happy tenants who feel like they are getting a good deal on a nice place to live will be more likely to stay as long-term tenants, and this will keep your costs down over the long run. Also, they will tend to care more for the house if you care for it. It’s well known that if tenants feel as though their LL is a slumlord, they will be much more likely to abuse the place, in addition to engaging in other undesirable behaviors like not paying rent, stiffing you for the deposit as they use it for “last month’s rent,” etc.
What goes around, comes around.[/quote]
CAR you’re just losing it these days…Lol….
I have yet to meet a single tenant that even gives a rats ass whether they get a stainless steel appliance versus something that is plain white and functioning… (Granted broken appliances is a completely different thing)
Are you even serious on this one?
Get off your “moral” high horse will you? The stench is sickening sometimes…
And provided it’s clean, it’s safe, and it’s functional.. If someone doesn’t like it, they can always find other places to live that’s a better value for there money…
I’d be happy to put in new appliances for my tenant in the Bay Area, if they don’t mind me jacking up their rent from current below market prices of $3000/month… to current market price of $3300/month, which is what current market price is….
I’m sure however, my tenant would rather keep the extra $300/month in their wallet versus getting new appliances just because they “look nicer” for things that they don’t even own and that isn’t even theirs.
…And if they really had heartburn on it , they can always ask… Funny how over the past 3 years, they never have asked…I guess they’d rather keep more money in their own pockets, rather than pay for things that belong to me… Imagine that![/quote]
My family owned multiple rentals for many decades, and I was responsible for managing some of them. My mom was also a RE broker, so I’ve seen a lot of things over the years. There is no question that tenants will be more likely to abuse a home if they feel that their LLs don’t give a rat’s ass about them or their rental. No “morality” about it.
I’ve seen you mention things like taking out ceiling fans and stuff because you don’t want to deal with the possible maintenance (very little to maintain where ceiling fans are concerned, BTW). You care more about your bottom line vs the basic comfort of your tenants. I can assure you this will not bode well for you over the years.
The most successful landlords are those who give good value for the money and who have a respectful, considerate relationship with their tenants.
Edited to add: I do NOT think that LLs need to provide the latest and greatest in every rental (depends on the particular market for the rental). It is important, IMHO, to give the tenants a nice, clean, well-maintained place to live. That means that appliances and other items should be replaced as soon as they start giving too much trouble. I’ve seen LLs who will essentially tape things together just to keep them in a functional state. This will make the tenants feel like doing the bare minimum (or worse) in return.
And there are a lot of tenants out there who do care about whether or not the appliances are SS or basic white. Though I think it’s silly, some of them are every bit as concerned about appearances and “upgrades” as many buyers are.
April 1, 2014 at 11:15 AM #772377GuestIt’s not silly to care about looks over function. Apple proved that.
I betcha people who say that a plain white fridge is fine would not drive a car with a dent.
I think is kind cheesy to have ugly appliances like a mismatched pair washer dryer. And I don’t want to be such a landlord and $500 expense doesn’t bother me.
In super strong markets like the Bay Area or NYC, you can rent out anything in the right location.
San Diego is pretty strong. But as a small landlord, for example in Mira Mesa, you’re competing against the brand new “luxury apartment homes” complexes. If your place looks good you can charge a little more.
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