“Which washing machine do you recommend for me?” is one of the questions that our clients often ask us. We understand that it’s one of your concerns, which led us to come up with 5 points to consider when making an educated decision.

With the changes that have been happening for several years such as the decrease in the lifespan of appliances, quicker programmed obsolescence in the production of replacement parts (some companies stop producing replacement parts after 5 years while others go past 10 years) and multiple changing features, where to start?

Here is a list of 5 important points to keep in mind.

Decide on your budget before shopping

Going to see a retailer before doing your homework is the best way to be sold a product at an higher price than expected.

Watch out for “As long as”

Suppose that your stove has stopped working and that it will cost $400 to repair it. The logical conclusion is that it is better to make the repair except that, afterwards, there is the “as long as”! “As long as we’re here, we could also buy a new fridge… and if we do that, the dishwasher will no longer match, so as long as we’re making changes…” At the end, you have $2,000 in expenses. With a decision that seemed logical at first, you are condemning two other appliances that might have still had a few good years left.

Consult trustworthy publications

Protégez-vous and Consumer Reports: each year studies are done comparing different appliances and listing the best options. You don’t need to buy their top choice to make a good decision! Use their evaluation criteria to guide your decision making.

Take replacement parts into consideration

Ask how many years replacement parts will be available. Is it important to be able to repair it, which can sometimes cost less than replacing an appliance that could break after only a few years of use?

Make sure you have quick access to a repair service

Call the service center in charge of repairs under warranty of the brand that you are contemplating and ask them when a repairer will be able to come and repair your warm fridge. Did they tell you a week? Are you ready to wait that long knowing that food that goes unrefrigerated for 24 hours will very likely be inedible? Some businesses that have an internal repair service are often subject to changing amounts of clientele, which can cause delays.