Affordable Ways to Add Appliances to Your Vacation Home
Although many benefits come with vacation homes, there are also lots of additional costs that we don’t really think of when purchasing a second home. For example, we worry about appliances. After paying out for a vacation home, you don’t want to then break the bank for top-of-the-range appliances when you aren’t going to be there for most of the year. With this, here’s some advice for affordably adding appliances.
Go Online
First and foremost, this might sound like an obvious tip, but you’ll be surprised at how many people still look in physical stores for deals on white goods. You might find some savings, but they will rarely be as good as online promotions. Why? Because online stores don’t have the same overheads as physical stores. They don’t need to pay for staff, rent, bills, etc. These days, you’ll find online stores that deliver around the country for no fee too.
Get a Factory Second
As soon as an appliance gets a small dent, it can’t be sold to customers for full price. In fact, many stores reject products with cosmetic damage. You can often find products like commercial laundry equipment at a reduced price, and the commercial quality of the machines should last for years to come. So, rather than destroying them, manufacturers will often sell these factory seconds for a discounted price online. As long as you’re willing to live with a slight cosmetic fault, this tip will save you lots of money on such big purchases.
Choose Pre-Owned
As long as you filter the results and are cautious, there’s no reason why you can’t get an almost new appliance on auction websites. Whether you choose GraysOnline or eBay, you’ll be surprised by the quality of some of the products.
Upgrade at Home
If you need new appliances in your main home, why not upgrade here and take the older appliances to your vacation home? In the past, there have been stories of people buying new appliances for their second home only to then have problems with their appliances at their main home. If your appliances are getting older, upgrade early and you don’t risk having to buy two new appliances in the space of one year (or shorter!).
Buy an Ex-Rental
If you’ve seen the rental options, know that some older models were once rentals and no longer have a home. With a simple search online, you should find ex-rental appliances that are in good working condition and are available for a smaller fee compared to new models. If you’re willing to buy in bulk, the savings are even bigger.
Use Gift Cards and Coupons
We all have unused gift cards in a drawer somewhere, so why not dig yours out and use them for your vacation home appliances now? Even if they don’t cover the full cost, it will still allow you to make great savings. If you don’t yet have any gift cards, why not ask relatives and friends for them for a birthday or Christmas? At the same time, keep all coupons because they soon add up.
Take Advantage of Negotiable Stores
With stores welcoming new competition every single year, you might see them claiming to have the ‘best prices guaranteed’ or ‘prices that can’t be found anywhere else’. Sometimes, this is actually because of their negotiation policies rather than just blind claims. Essentially, you take a quote to the store from somewhere else and they will match it or promise to beat it. After comparing prices, you might just bag yourself a nice discount with this technique.
