The spontaneous combustion of our Maytag dryer created a new state of urgency. When the washer died, we had the one down at H2 to replace it with. We'd given the dryer away so there was no free fix this time. The washer was not one we wanted to keep anyway, it was a top loader that seems to devour clothing. All the edges of my towels are now shredded and frayed. Yeah, they are all 10 years old. But the one thing I can say about the Maytag Neptune washer is that when it was working, it worked fantastic. My old towels didn't look old until I started using this bottom of the line agitating top loader. Hate is not a word I toss around lightly, but yes, I hate that beast.
After I'd recovered from the dryer fire, I spent the rest of the day researching new appliances online. Well, there was a brief break in the action for dinner and a trip to the laundromat to dry the laundry that was in the dryer at the moment of ignition. Then there was the dilemma as to whether to put new appliances in H1, the house we're living in, or in H2, the house we hope to move into. Convenience aside, we didn't really want to install them here since we have already included the appliances in the sellers' agreement. Putting them in at H2 would involve some work, though. Let me explain...
When we built the house we followed the plans on the laundry area. We didn't catch the fact that modern appliances were not going to fit into a 30" deep closet. Most washers and dryers are pushing that depth without allowing for space to put hoses and cords or vent the dryer. Because of the shallow depth of the closet, we were never able to put on the bi-fold doors we'd purchased for the closet. They still sit in their packaging in the garage. We were definitely aware that it would be hard to find appliances for that space. We thought about moving the laundry into the spare bedroom and turning it into a laundry/craft area, but I hated the idea of giving up a bedroom. I tried searching for washers and dryers that were under 27" in hopes that there might be a front loading set that were not tiny apartment sized, but maybe taller or something.
Sears actually let me search by depth which is how I stumbled across this set:
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| Read all the specs on this GE set HERE |
It was.
I did a little more digging and discovered that this set was actually 34 1/2" deep. Width for each is 27". Ah, gotta love a typo. While I was searching, I discovered that there were no reviews on this set. It must be very new. It is also super expensive- to the tune of $1499 each. Ouch! But then the google smiled on me and coughed up a price of $768 at AppliancesConnection.com (note- that is no longer their price, check for yourself). I showed my husband and he was intrigued. Mainly because we were hoping to spend around $650 each and this wasn't much more for a much, much higher valued appliance. Nearly half price!
The next day we stopped by Lowe's to see if they had this set in stock so we could look at them before ordering online. What we discovered when we were shopping is that front load washers are not designed to switch the door swing with the exception of Electrolux models. This posed a problem as our space was plumbed for the washer on the right. Appliance manufacturers think the washer should be on the left. The dryer doors can all be reversed, but you can't even special order a washer for most models with the opposite swing.
This little tidbit along with the complete lack of shallow dept front-loaders led us to acknowledge the fact that we were going to have to modify the laudry closet to accommodate any front-loading set. Lowe's did not have this exact set, they had a white version one step down for $1399. We liked it, thought all the features sounded fantastic and decided we'd order online. I was checking the model number against the AppliancesConnection.com website, just to be sure it was the same, when a sales man asked what I was looking up. I showed him my phone and he said, wow, that was a great deal. Jokingly, I said, "that isn't something you'd be interested in price matching, is it?" I was laughing when I said it. But said he didn't know but would take a look. I honestly expected him to laugh right along with me so imagine my surprise when he borrowed my phone and called a manager over to take a look.
Because of the drastic price difference, it wasn't a decision made quickly. But in the end, Lowe's did match the price. The gave us free delivery, too. They were not able to give us free sales tax, but we considered that a more than fair trade-off to be dealing with a local store and also get 6 months same as cash.
I am so stinking impressed with Lowe's and their commitment to price matching. The fact that this happened on our 17th wedding anniversary felt like a gift from God. Here you go- finally a matching set of appliances and they are even half price. :)
The joy lasted until U of M beat ND that night. For me anyway... my husband the Michigan fan was overjoyed. Me, not so much. That's ok, though. He got the win, but the reality of all the work that lay ahead to get ready for the washer and dryer would sink in the next day. The appliances were on order. He had 2 weeks. Could we do it? Could we make that deadline?
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