By working with a lot of property managers and apartment owners, Metropolitan Appliance has been able to glean a lot of good, and a lot of bad, from their and our collective apartment grade appliance experiences.
For the family that has a rental or two, or the family who wants to build an ADU (accessory dwelling unit),we used to call them “mother-in-law” suites back in the day, here’s a guide to outfit your unit(s) with good quality, long-lasting, basic appliances:
New vs. Used
My comment to clients considering new vs. used is: “How many times to do you want to buy them?” Usually, used appliances have an unkown history: you don’t know by whom and for how long they were used. You don’t know how they were treated and maintained, or if they were maintained at all. There is no “ApplianceFax” (take off on Car-Fax…you can have the rights to that name and I don’t even want anything in return!). Repairs can work, but again, it really comes down to how many times you want to purchase these appliances. Replacement parts can be expensive and difficult to find, they might not be the right part in the end. The first sign of needing service could just be the first domino to fall, followed by other failing parts. Your time is worth PLENTY!
New appliances look better, they perform better, they last longer and they have warranties to cover you for both parts AND the labor to put the parts in. Extended warranties can be purchased to give you that extra peace of mind, and they enhance the experience of whomever is moving into your space, yes, even if it’s your mother-in-law. Doesn’t she deserve something nice from you…you good for nothing, lazy, half-hearted sack of Bull Durham… Sorry, just having a flashback.
Size and Quality
That being said, there’s no need to go hog-wild and buy appliances that are better than what you have yourself. If your space is constrained, there are excellent and reasonably priced compact appliances available: from 18” and 24” wide refrigerators, 20” to 24″ gas or electric ranges, 20” and larger vent hoods (PLEASE don’t forsake ventilation. Read more about that here on our
This Sucks: Choosing the Right Kitchen Ventilation for You blog entry), 18” or even countertop dishwashers, and plenty of other creative options to make a compact space livable and comfortable. We have a great display in the store showing some fantastic options, and of course, great sales associates to help you navigate the entire journey.
If you have what is considered a “normal” amount of space available, sticking to these standard appliance sizes will give you more budget-conscious options to choose from:
These sizes tend to be a bit more reasonably priced than their more compact counterparts. Again, no need to break the bank here. Full kitchen appliance packages can run as little as $1500.
Laundry
Washers and dryers are available in several different configurations: either side-by-side, stacked, or even as an all-in-one washer/dryer combo. What you choose in this area is largely going to be dependent on how much space you have. If you have a laundry closet, a stackable washer and dryer set or laundry center will be a much better use of space if not the only option depending on the size of the closet. If you have a larger closest space, or a traditional laundry room, a side-by-side laundry set is what you will need. There is increasing interest in the all-in-one washer/dryer combo. These are compact enough to fit into many small spaces, like under your kitchen counter.
Options
You can get creative with your options too! You can consider cooktops vs. ranges depending on how much cooking you want to be able to handle in your space. A cooktop will simply be built into your counter-top and take up much less space than a range. You can pair this with a wall oven, or if you want to go smaller, you can go a microwave that is also a convection oven. There are all sorts of space and budget saving appliances that we can recommend to help you make best use of your space and budget.
I won’t say that we’ve seen it all, but collectively with over 150 years in the appliance business, it would be an Oh-My moment if you can bring us something that one of us has not had an experience with before, or don’t have a recommendation to help you out. Whether it’s a new space, an old space, a one-piece replacement, either for a rental or for your main space, bring your project to the pros at Metropolitan Appliance and we’ll continue to show you why we are”The Only Appliance Store You’ll Ever Need!”