Appliances and when to replace by an appliance store owner

[Nigel Guisinger]

I wanted to give out some advice on appliances as an investor (I have over 100 units) who also happens to own an appliance store with repair techs. Last year we did over 10,000 repairs.

I’ve seen a few posts taking about repair costs so I thought I’d give some advice. 

I will say that this is just general advice and each repair is specific to its own issues but I hope this helps.

Dishwasher- if the issue is a spray arm that is a simple part to replace. However if you have a pump or a water intake issue in most cases the repair will cost over 50% and some times as much as a new basic dishwasher. In most cases I recommend replacement. Total repair range $150-400

Range- I recommend coil top ranges over glass. The coils can easily be replaced by almost anyone. If the coil is good but still not getting hot check the block that the coil plugs into. This is a part that costs around $10. If there is more issues on the top side it’s the timer or the switch. In most cases that part is around $50-75. If it’s the inside most elements run in the $30-50 range.   Repair range $150-300

Over the range microwave- in most cases, the parts for repair exceed the value of the microwave. A base microwave is $259 or less.  The magnitron, the part that heats cost in many cases more than that  I don’t repair these in my personal units I simply swap if I get a call on them. RepIr range- don’t waste your money

Refrigerator-  there are many styles and many reasons that this may not work. In this I do suggest calling a tech because there are too many verifiables that effect the performance. I would suggest as a rule of thumb to repair only once on these and replace a second time with the exception of if the unit is freezing up. RepIr range on top mount apartment subtle ref $150-300

Now please remember that for most repair companies there is a diagnosis fee, parts and labor. Most diagnosis fees are $75-150 and many companies use a blue book for repair rate that runs anywhere between 75-300 for the labor. So a diagnosis plus part plus labor is the final charge. 

Lastly with regards to washers and dryers. Buy mechanical units if at all possible for your rentals. They have a longer life expectancy and they are easy to repair.  This will keep your costs lower over the life of the investment.

 I hope this helps and if you have any questions please reach out.