Homeowner Items
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- Last Updated: Friday, 23 February 2024 21:10
- Published: Thursday, 08 September 2022 13:56
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Homeowner Items:
There are lot of items that you need to have once you buy a home in USA. I've put them in separate section here as it's not essential for people who aren't homeowners. Renters don't have to take care of things around the house. Landscaping or taking care of your yard is the foremost in this. I've a separate section for landscaping under "Housing". Others are buying Fans, lights, Appliances, Furniture, repairing broken things etc. Labor is very expensive in USA, so most of the time if you have to fix things yourself. It's not as hard as you think, in this age of youtube.
Appliances:
Most basic appliances needed in home are washer/dryer, refrigerator, microwave, oven, dishwasher, etc. Costco is a good place to buy appliances as they have sales on these once every few months. All their appliances include free shipping and free setup. Other good places to buy include home Depot and Lowes. They may charge extra for setup (depending on the promotion at that time).
EXTENDED WARRANTY: Buying those extended 4-5 year warranty is useless, as it's rare for new appliances to fail in first 4-5 years. However as of 2023, I've so many appliances fail in first 5 years, so I've changed my thinking. I believe you should buy the cheapest of the appliances, and then get a 5 yr extended warranty, which usually costs 20%-30% of the item price. Since these extended warranties are sold by Lowes/HomeDepot, I've found them very reliable. Most of the times they end up refunding you the appliance price instead of repairing it (especially if it's a cheap model). You can use that money to buy a new one and repeat the process (assuming these cheap ones always fail within 5 years). Another motivation for buying a cheap model with extended warranty is also that the chances of it going bad in 1st 5 years are higher. Since we can get these GC for HD/Lowes at 20% off (see GC section), you are effectively paying nothing for 5 yr protection when you buy everything with a GC, compared to buying it with a credit card (chase credit card provides 1 yr extended warranty, but only the same as manufacturer warranty). This extended warranty that you buy covers almost all malfunctions (even due to wear and tear). So, this warranty is lot more valuable than going with a warranty with credit card.
1. Washer/Dryer: Washer/Dryer are relatively cheap in USA and can be bought for around $1K for a pair. They run for 10 years or more, provided you had bought the basic models. Fancy models will not last as long as the basic models, since fancy models have more electronics that can break. I had bought a very basic Kenmore Washer/Dryer set for $500 total 10 years back in 2012. It still works to date. Washer started making sound due to springs of the tub getting loose after around 10 years. I was able to repair it myself, by buying those spring rods online for $50. Most of the homes have electric connection to Dryer, so you need to buy an electric dryer (NOT a gas dryer, those are usually in older homes). Gas was used in heating as heating is economical with gas compared to electricity. A good price for a pair of washer/dryer as of 2022 is $800+tax (with shipping and setup included in the price).
2. Refrigerator: There are many refrigerators on market now which have water dispensers, TV screens, bluetooth and what not. Again, go with a refrigerator that doesn't have any of these, as that will last longer and cost less. Also, refrigerators with waster dispensors have 2 problems: first, their filters are very expensive to buy (adding $100/year in filter replacement), and secondly, they take up valuable space of your freezer, which could have used to put more stuff inside your freezer. Not having water dispensor also allows you to place your refrigerator anywhere, without worrying about the water line. Other thing to consider when buying a refrigerator is the size. I go for big size refrigerator, since the price goes up only marginally for a bigger size. I bought a 33 cubic feet cpacity refrigerator from Lowes for around $1000 with no tax (during tax holiday during memorial day in Texas). A good price for a refrigerator as of 2022 is $1000+tax (with shipping and setup included in the price). There's usually no setup needed (unless you have water dispensor or ice maker).
3. Microwave: These are pretty cheap. The ones that are installed on walls (and come with the house) are expensive at around $400, but ones that are stand alone can be bought for $50.
4. Dishwasher: This is used for washing dishes and you can easily get one for $400 or so. They both charge you extra for installing it. It costs about $200-$300 for installing + $50 for haul way. Very easy to install
5. Vacuum Cleaner: Most of the Vacuum cleaners can be had for about $50. Robot Vacuum cleaners are the new rage. They do clean, but the battery will die in 2-3 years. You could get a good quality Robo Vacuum for < $80 on sale (as of 2023).
Fans (Portable and Ceiling):
Fans are cheap when you buy them after summer ends. They go on clearance for 75% off at Home stores (Lowes, Home Depot), Super stores (Walmart, target), and other grocery chains. Most important thing to note in a fan is wattage. IF wattage of fan is low, no matter what it says, it won't give out much air. Ceiling fans are usually 75W or more while portable fans are 25W and more.
Ceiling fans: They come in different size. $20-$40 on clearance is a good price for the fan 52 inch or more. Look for wattage of > 200W.
Table Fans: Most of the fans here give very little air. Tower fans are equally bad. Vornado branded fans are the only ones that gives out good air. Look for wattage of > 100W. All low rated fans have current < 1A, which pushes very little air around.
Home decor:
These includes all items for decorating your home on any occasion, as well as decor for holidays as Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc. Halloween is the one most popular with kids. Halloween costumes, inflatables, etc are very expensive. However, you can buy stuff for 75% off right on the day of Halloween or a day after that. Store it to use next year. Same applies for any decor you buy for other occasions. Best places to buy on clearance are walmart, local grocery stores, pharmacy stores as walgreens, home stores as Home depot and Lowes.
Furniture:
These includes all furniture. Some of the places to buy furniture with free shipping is wayfair, overstock, Kohls, Macys, JCPenney, Costco, Walmart and Home depot. They all have generous return policy where you don't pay anything for return shipping if you return the item within 30 days. If the item is very heavy and requires special delivery, some of these stores may charge you an "oversized delivery fee". I usually avoid buying from anywhere that charges you a shipping fee. Home Depot has been one of the best places to buy furniture during and after the pandemic as they had lots of furniture on 50%-75% off. Their furniture is usually very heavy and high quality.
Tools/Accessories:
These includes all tools/accessories etc that you use to work on repairs inside or outside your home. The best place to buy is Lowes, HomeDepot. If you live in an area where you have Harbor Frieght (HB) stores, then you are in luck. HB has similar items as Lowes/HomeDepot, but at a much lower price. They also give out free items almost every month. They are good quality items, though many comments still consider them trashy. Ace Hardware is another store where you may find some deals once or twice a year. You can find more about these stores in "stores" section.
Deals:
- 02/23/2024 => Free screwdriver, pickup tool, etc, no purchase needed: https://slickdeals.net/f/17311627-harbor-freight-free-no-purchase-required-w-coupon => Best free items is the screwdriver and the pickup and reach tool (both have very positive comments)
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08/03/2023: Free microfiber cloth, gloves, ties : https://slickdeals.net/f/16838297-harbor-freight-in-store-offer-microfiber-cloths-work-gloves-or-8-cable-ties-free-valid-thru-8-6-no-purchase-required
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02/24/2023: Free microfiber cloth: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/harbor-freight-free-led-flashlight/
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DEALS:
2023:
05/26/2023: ebay - Refurbished Eufy RoboVac G32 Pro for $60 (with 2 yr warranty)
This is the best price for this highly rated Robo Vacuum cleaner. It also comes with a 2 yr warranty provided by Allstate, so no worries about battery. I bought it for $100 at Walmart in Dec 2022, and it's running great so far. If you need one now or in future, get it now.
2022:
10/31/2022: Amazon - Halloween 5 feet inflatables for 75% off - few for around $10
Few links to amazon:
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BS99QL6 => $17
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BS2QCRX => $10
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0979VSKS3 => $13
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098SH6VS3 => $10
Very good price for inflatables for next year's halloween. You can always return it by January 31st, 2022 if you don't like it. Definitely open it, blow it and check it before you store it for next year.
10/25/2022: Amazon - Good sectional sofa for $350 - Grey weave color only
This won't last long, as it's hard to get this sized sofa for $400 or less. Reviews seem good, and it has 1 year warranty. It's Amazon brand, which is usually good quality. It's regular price is $800, so it's very good price. Buy 2 of these and put them side by side to make a big sectional sofa. My price was $355+tax, though price has been bouncing around.
10/07/2022: Whirlpool washer/dryer for $700 at Costco (after $300 GC):
Finally Washer/dryer set for $700 with 2 year warranty. Can't find anything cheaper. Last time, I bought a washer/dryer set for ~$500 was in 2012. This will expire fast.
09/22/2022: Multiple portable fans on sale at Target
Finally Multiple portable fans on sale at Target at more than 50% off. Don't expect much from these fans, as all table fans push out little air.
Honeywell Turbo Force 35W ($8.50) => https://slickdeals.net/f/16045540-honeywell-turboforce-table-air-circulator-fan-black-8-50-free-store-pickup?src=frontpage
Lasko Box Fan ($14) => https://slickdeals.net/f/16045786-lasko-box-fan-black-14-white-13-50-at-target-w-free-store-pickup
Many more on target.com for 50% off regular price => https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=fans&category=0%7CAll%7Cmatchallpartial%7Call+categories&tref=typeahead%7Cterm%7C4%7Cfans%7Cfans%7C%7C%7Cservice%7C10%7C%7C%7C&searchTermRaw=fan&facetedValue=5tdv0Zdq4mnZvmjfhZur73zZesf2xZa154r&moveTo=product-list-grid