New House? The Importance of Immediate Appliance Inspections

You recently purchased your first home. Congratulations! You are now entering into the exciting and educational world of homeownership. Owning a home provides you with the ability to expand your knowledge about things you never imagined, including basic household repairs, DIY projects, and required household maintenance tasks. As you begin your household educational process, how can you initially decide which of the appliances that came with your house need to be repaired or replaced immediately? Well, it really depends on the specific appliance.

Dishwashing machine
Consider yourself fortunate if you purchased a home with a dishwasher already installed. Not all homes come with dishwashers, and many homeowners do not see them as a necessity. You may have not even chosen your offer price based on the existence of the dishwasher. However, if you do have access to a dishwasher, it is likely that you want to use it. Dishwasher repairs tend to be fairly simply. However, if you are unfamiliar with dishwashers, you may want to outsource the dishwasher repair.

Washer and dryer
Washers and dryers are other appliances that are not always expected in the home. Although they are generally necessary, some homeowners choose to take them with them during their move. Your washing machine and dryer were likely inspected during the home inspection, if there was one. However, you may notice small problems with them, like longer drying times or the dryer notification buzzer not working. If the previous owners left you with any manuals, you may be able to fix these problems. Sometimes, you can even find an additional copy of the manual on the internet. However, if the problem is with the heat source, you might need a professional dryer repair.

Oven and stove
The oven and stove usually come with the sale of the house. They are usually designed to match the rest of the kitchen overall look. Your oven was also probably inspected during the house inspection, but only for fire hazards. It is still best to have a routine inspection. The oven and stove are also two appliances that you will use frequently. The expected life of your stove will depend on whether it is electrical or gas sourced. Your gas range oven should last 15 years before you have to think about replacing it. Electrical stoves may last a little less than that. Oven repairs should be completed by a professional handyman.

Refrigerator
Your refrigerator is the appliance that you will likely use the most. Without a properly working refrigerator, you are unable to properly store your food items. Refrigerators are also often negotiated into the sale of a house, so you may have had to increase your price or specifically request it when purchasing your new house. A refrigerator repair may be trickier and require specialized knowledge. There are many different types of refrigerators also. Especially today, there are also often many added amenities that can break or cause problems.

Refrigerators also tend to be set up differently. They come in different sizes, usually to fit the dimensions of the kitchen. The freezer may be side by side, below the fridge, or completely separate. Unlike dishwasher repairs, they tend to be much more complicated. Approximately 28% of refrigerators with top or bottom freezers with icemakers break within three to four years. It can also be very expensive to fully replace a refrigerator, so outsourcing to a professional can save you money by having it repaired instead.

Many home purchases also come with appliances. Whether or not you negotiated these into your offer, or they were simply provided with the sale of the house, they are now yours to take care of and repair. Appliances, especially dishwasher repairs, often require regular inspections, maintenance, and repairs. If you avoid these needed up keeping tasks, your appliances will break down more often and need to be replaced much quicker. It can be helpful to have all of your appliances individually inspected when moving into a new house, so you know what to plan for as far as repairs.