Pricing and Costs of Home Appliances
Learn how to budget for the common home appliances your business needs
While even the largest of companies can benefit from offering home appliances in the break room or office space as a perk for employees or to lure customers in, the most frequent business buyers of these items are small- to mid-sized businesses. Because of the relatively small buying power that's available to them--and because they probably need only one or two appliances each--these business buyers most often find themselves shopping at retail prices instead of wholesale.You'll find home appliances for sale in local retail outlets, nationwide chains and online stores. While online stores may offer the best prices "out of the box," they're also likely to charge a lot for shipping large appliances, so tailor your shopping habits accordingly. Run through the following checklist before finalizing your company's household appliance budget:
1. Scout local home appliance stores for good deals on big-ticket items.
2. Consider online household appliance distributors as potential sources for saving on smaller items.
3. Budget for the impact of home appliances on your electrical bills.
Budget for big-ticket household appliances
If you're shopping for large household appliance purchases (both in terms of size and cost) you may find your best deals at brick and mortar stores instead of over the Internet, due to constantly rising shipping costs. Expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 for a household washer or dryer, with household dishwashers available for under $500, with a few fancier models edging toward $1,000.
Try: Shop online for laundry systems through big-box stores like Lowe's and Sears that often offer the lowest shipping prices on big, heavy appliances like washers, dryers and dishwashers. If you visit the stores in person, you may be able to negotiate free delivery as part of the deal, or manage to haul the units yourself to avoid shipping costs all together.
Compare prices on home kitchen appliances
Microwaves, toasters and toaster ovens are by far the most common household appliances you'll find in a business break room, and each is available in a variety of models for $100 or less. You may be surprised by the variety of smaller household appliances--like air purifiers, which cost approximately $100 to $600 per household unit, and clothes irons, which range from about $10 to $150--that come in handy around the office.
Try: Find refurbished kitchen appliances through the Kitchen Collection, or purchase a wider variety of new household appliances through GE Housewares.
Factor electricity into the pricing and costs of home appliances for your business
With the rising costs of energy, purchasing appliances that cost more initially but don't require as much energy to run may be more cost-effective than buying cheaper units that use more energy.
Try: The Computer Support Group offers an appliance cost calculator that lets you gauge the actual electrical cost of owning and operating appliances. The Energy Star website details what is necessary for a home appliance to qualify for the government energy saving program, and offers a list of qualified appliances by category. You can expect to save up to 50% on electrical costs, and over 50% of water usage, with an Energy Star qualified clothes washer; Energy Star certified room air cleaners are 35% more efficient than their fellows, saving up to 215 kilowatt hours per year.
- While refurbished large home appliances like washers and dryers are not typically available online or through major appliance companies, you may be able to find them through local appliance repair shops; the same applies for smaller appliances, though you might be able to find lower prices for refurbished units online. As a general rule you can expect to pay between one third to one half the cost of new when purchasing a refurbished appliance.
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