What To Consider When Repairing Appliances

There’s more to consider beyond personal preference regarding home appliances in a rental unit. Depending on the type of rental unit, you probably aren’t getting the top-of-the-line appliances, but you also don’t want them to be so low-quality that they would be undesirable for tenants. 

You may not want to replace the appliances as well. If they are still good quality or relatively new, you may want to fix them if they have any issues. Here is what to consider with repairing and/or replacing home appliances. 

The age

When it comes to replacing an old appliance with a new one, the rule of thumb is to replace it if it is more than halfway through the average lifecycle or if the cost to repair the appliance is more than half of the original price. The typical lifespan of an appliance can vary by brand, but here are the average lifespans of common appliances:

• Washer: 10 years
• Refrigerator: 13 years
• Range hood: 14 years
• Microwave: 9 years
• Gas range: 15 years
• Freezer: 11 years
• Exhaust fan: 10 years
• Electric range: 13 years
• Dryer: 13 years
• Disposal: 12 years
• Dishwasher: 9 years
• Compactor: 6 years

Efficiency 

New appliances don’t just have a lot of cool features and aesthetics. It’s not just that they can connect to Alexa and integrate with your smart home. The main feature is that they are usually more energy efficient than older models. This is more pronounced with older appliances. This may not be important for you as a landlord unless you cover the utilities, which is a great way to reduce costs. You may also want to advertise your property as eco-friendly and new appliances will help decrease the tenants' carbon footprint. 

Nothing wrong with a little style

There’s no rule that says rental units need to be drab or outdated. In fact, the more stylish and up-to-date a rental unit is, the higher the rent is likely to be. This doesn’t mean you need to go all out and get the most expensive name brands and every single appliance a rental could possibly want, but it does mean you should consider the quality of the appliance as well as how visually appealing it is with the rest of the home.