Where Should You Buy Appliances? (2024)

The best retailers (local, regional, or national) will deliver your appliance to the room of your choice for free, install it for free (if it’s as simple as plugging in a power cord and connecting some hoses) or usually for under $100 (if it’s a little more complicated), haul the old machine away for free, and work with the manufacturer on your behalf if you need to make a warranty claim—and maybe even perform the service themselves.

The cost of the appliance probably won’t differ much between retailers, because most sellers these days price-match their competitors. Most retailers carry most appliance brands, but there are a few exceptions, so if you are looking for something specific you might have to choose your retailer based on that.

We found that free delivery for major appliances is pretty standard. Most stores will bring them inside and put them where you want them. But some stores offer only front-door or curbside delivery for free, and others charge for delivery no matter what. Another thing to keep in mind when choosing between a local retailer and a national chain is that the national stores are more likely to use a third-party delivery service, and the quality of that service can vary.

As for scheduling, most stores let you pick the delivery date. Some let you choose your preferred four-hour delivery window on that date, while others assign you a window the day before the drop-off. Great stores offer weekend delivery, too.

If you need your old appliance hauled away, the typical rate is around $20, though a few places include that service for free with delivery and installation. Considering what a pain it can be to get rid of an old appliance after the fact, this is a useful service to have access to.

Installation may or may not be included with purchase, depending on the type of appliance and the retailer—but you should expect to pay extra if the installation is more complicated than connecting a power cord and a water line.

Even if the installation is technically free, you usually have to purchase new connectors (such as water lines or a dryer hose, sometimes called an “installation kit”) as a condition of the installation. This is a pretty standard policy across the industry.

Great retailers use their status to negotiate warranty claims on your behalf. Every major appliance comes with a manufacturer’s warranty, which typically covers parts and labor for one year. But most manufacturers have terrible customer service, wasting your time on the phone, making you wait weeks for a technician, and sometimes not resolving the problem anyway. If the retailer gets involved (as a business partner to the manufacturer), that tends to speed up the process. (Most retailers sell extended warranties, but that’s a topic for another time.)

The holy grail of appliance retail, if you can find it in your area, is a store with an in-house service team that knows how to fix the appliances it sells and can respond to service calls pretty quickly (within a week is reasonable for most appliances; faster for fridges). This is not especially common anymore—most retailers rely on third-party companies for delivery and installation in at least some areas and aren’t involved at all with warranty service.

The very best appliance retailers tend to be independent local or regional stores. They tend to have experienced salespeople and great customer service, including help with warranty claims—and if you’re lucky, they have their own team of skilled delivery, installation, and service technicians.

Compared with the experience in a big-box store, you’re more likely to be able to talk to a knowledgeable, engaged human throughout the entire process—from the showroom floor through the end of your warranty.

The problem is, many areas don’t have a store like this. If you’re not sure whether there’s one near you, appliance manufacturers’ websites usually have a search function that can point you toward some. Check those stores’ reputations on Yelp, Google, or Facebook, and see if they have the kinds of service and delivery perks that we listed above that give them a real advantage over the big-box places.

It might turn out that a national chain (or a store that will deliver nationally, anyway) is your best bet. We tracked down the important prices and policies for some of the most popular retailers you’ll come across if you’re shopping online. So if you need to go that route, the following is what you should know.

If you’re a member, Costco offers the cheapest delivery and installation of the big national chains; you also get an additional year of warranty coverage for many products, and Costco will help you make warranty claims with the manufacturer. The downside is that it has a limited selection compared with most other stores: For example, it doesn’t sell items from certain brands, such as Bosch or KitchenAid dishwashers, Electrolux washing machines, or Frigidaire ranges. (The chain does carry most of the LG, GE, and Whirlpool/Maytag appliances we recommend, though.)

Among stores that don’t require a membership, Lowe’s has some of the most affordable and flexible delivery, installation, and haul-away options, and it’s one of the few retailers that offer to help you make claims on your warranty if you need to. In some areas, Lowe’s employees make the delivery—otherwise your order is delivered and installed by a third party, as with most chains. Note that Lowe’s doesn’t sell Electrolux laundry machines.

Home Depotand Best Buy also have comparably affordable and flexible delivery, installation, and haul-away, though they don’t help with warranty claims.

Designer Appliances charges for delivery outside of New York and New Jersey, and the company charges even more to bring the appliance inside your house and to install it.

Abt charges for delivery outside of Chicagoland and extra to put it where you want it. The retailer also charges extra for installation in Chicagoland—outside of that area, you have to book that service on your own (though the company will point you to Home Advisor).

AJ Madison brings the appliance to your front door, but that’s it. Installation is available in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania but nowhere else.

Sears is unusual among national stores in that it has its own service team and has okay prices and policies, but the company is in serious financial trouble, so we’re a little worried about its ability to honor warranty claims (particularly on its house-brand Kenmore appliances) over the long term.

Delivery

Other services

To be absolutely clear, everything we learned about the prices and policies comes from each retailer’s customer service and public relations departments. We did not follow through on purchasing any appliances from any of these retailers for this article.

Do whatever you’re comfortable with. The process is not much different anymore.

Obviously, if you go to a store, you get to touch some appliances. Ideally, you’ll have any appliance for a decade, so there’s something to be said for experiencing the fit and finish before plopping down the dough. Plus, some people feel more comfortable talking through their delivery and installation options face-to-face with a sales associate.

Shopping online usually opens you up to a broader selection of appliances than you’d see on a showroom floor, and it lets you quickly filter your search to models with specs you need, such as specific dimensions. (You could always search online first and then head to a store to check out the handful of models that might work for you.)

If you opt to make the purchase through the internet, setting up delivery and installation is pretty much just as easy as it would be in person. The prices shouldn’t be any different. And if you decide that you want to talk to a real person after all, most retailers give you the option of speaking with a customer service rep on the phone during the buying process. Some retailers have chat boxes on their website as well, though these are less common on websites for local or regional stores.