Real Estate and Related Topics

Measure twice before buying huh? These new washer and dryers are huge, but in a large department store or big box store, you lose your perspective for sizes.

Fabulous public service post. 

Thanks for publishing it.  I sold a home to buyers who had to leave their own monsters in their "little" house.  Their new home wouldn't accomodate the monsters.  The tenants in their "little" house were very impressed with the big red monsters.

I JUST DO NOT GET THOSE MONSTERS.

Paul, that could be it perspective.

Lenn, thanks I might change the title to "measure your house and any future house you may buy" I don't get them either, colors are pretty cool though!

That's pretty silly. They could've easily returned them to the store and exchanged them for smaller units. I guess they were set on the monster edition... 

Measuring for appliances before you make the purchase is key.  Sometimes, you just can't guess the correct size.

Good story and a lesson learned. And a good reminder.

I don't get the point of these appliances that seem to get bigger and bigger.

I had a client who ordered a massive refrigerator that would not fit through the door - no how. They had to buy another.

Jeff

Great reminder for us all. Although I just had some buyers get a washer and dryer because the sellers could not fit the units in their new place. Score!  I recently toured a home that had replaced the refrigerator and you had to squeeze around it to get into the kitchen.  It was a nice fridge but really did not help sell that house.

I personally purchased a new washing machine and dryer this year and I had initially wanted to purchase a front loader... however with the matching stand it wouldn't fit under my utility room cabinets.  I could have purchased without the stand, but who wants to bend over practically to the floor to load and unload laundry.  Not me!  We opted for a super large top loaded... but were smart enough to measure before making the purchase - thankfully. 

The same thing applies on refrigerators. Some of the newer models won't necessarily fit your kitchen so be sure to measure before you buy.

Hi David~  Once it happens to someone one time, they will remember to always measure the space first!  Those front loaders are much bigger than most people think!

David...

People often assume that if you buy it, it should fit! But as you correctly stated, that is NOT always the case.

Useful post David. I think I'd add something to what you have to say - Those suckers are heavy! If moving is something you do often, find something smaller. My sons have been less than impressed with moving mine for me TWICE. They have already told me if I decide to move again those things stay!! 

Also, I'd offer the same cautionary advice to huge furniture. Furniture stores have loads of space and the sectional may look small there. It might not once you get it home. (No, unlike the washer and dryer that's not a mistake I've made - I just see so much huge furniture in small houses I felt the need to mention it).

Denise

So true.  I just encountered new construction where the space for the washer/dryer was only 2 ft deep.  One of many things that cost the contractor the deal

David, very true with measurements, measure twice, cut once.

Rodney,  and, measure up, down all around too!

Jeff, I also just saw a refrigerator that came so far out from it's spot you had to squeeze around it!

Kathryn, that is going to happen more and more, people are going to score these monsters!

Jennifer, that's a good point, no stand no good!

Betty and John, I've seen some of those that actually detract from the kitchen because they make it look small!

That's a lot of bad luck for multiple buyers you're working with. I had a couple last month where the listing agent was annoyed that I asked for the measurements of the utility room and even when I explained about my clients brand new W&D that they wanted to be able to move to the new house, he didn't care. Apparently he's never gone through this.

Hi David -- Great tip.  I once bought a frig that didn't fit.  Luckily, the cabs were old and I took a mitre saw to it (manually) and raised it up to make it fit.  Lucky thing those weren't expensive cabs.  Hinges, doors, etc.  Yikes!

David,

What's the matter with the standard models. They've worked well for years. Marketing I guess.

David, I've seen the big red monsters Lenn refers to. They look nice, but do they add anything else?

Hello and thanks for the laugh! When I was building, I would spec the cabinets with plenty of vertical space, plus make the cabinets extra deep. I love those machines!

This seems like such simple common sense, but as you point out too many get caught up in the purchase and not the reality.

My Dad builds garages. The client measured the boat for the garage and gave him the measurements. He built the garage frame. OOppps. They forgot to measure the trailer. So he added a bump out. The bump out model became a great garage seller. Moral...measure everything.

David - Your post addresses a very valuable point with regards to these newer oversized washers and dryers.  It is also important to make sure that there is enough space for large fridges.

Ahhhhh... .Such great advice. Our laundry rooms these days just arent made for such monsters. A client had to double stack the washer and dryer - exactly telling them that their laundry room is tiny.

Vickie, they are massive, I must research why they make them so big.

Richard, well especially with a washer/dryer they have been a standard size for so long.

Denise, I'll bet they are heavy, and people do not want to give them up. I too have seen some big furniture in small spaces.

Jim, that was some of my point, I'll bet you look at most homes built in the last year and they are not ready for the monsters.

Gary, or how about "they look bigger than the ones we have.....ahhh they'll fit!"

DONATE machines to local housing agency, take the tax deduction and buy regular size machines that will fit.....same with refrigerators that do not fit under cabinets!!!

David, I didn't realize they were that big. Something to think about when replacing the older ones. Thanks.

Same goes for garages. It's amazing how much smaller the garages are on some newer homes! Two-car garage, means I can get two cars in it, right? Maybe, maybe not. Better measure to be sure.

Excellent advice.  We actually purchased two of those behemoths (lenn, happy to fill you in on why they rock!), and when they were delivered, and dragged down the basement steps, it was the installers who told us they won't "fit" in the location we need (between the slop sink, and the circuit panel)...

So, back they went, and we had to replace them with slightly more conventional washer and dryer.

America is comfortable supersize everything, even if it makes no sense.

Great job on this one.  I suspect that these big jumbo machines will not fit into my laundry room, which is quite spacious but BARELY accomodates the width of my old standard machines. 

Also, just a little side note...the water saving energy star washing machines do not get very good ratings from consumers.  Seems they use so little water THAT THE CLOTHES DON'T GET WET.  I am a big proponent of conservation, BUT prefer clean clothes.

I went with my father in law to get a new washer and dryer. For some reason one of them would fit through the bathroom door to get into the laundry room but the other one (I think the dryer) would not. We had to remove the door jam to get it through. What a pain.

For our part, when we moved to our current home, there was a washer and dryer the same size as ours in the laundery room. Apparantly, the door was built after they were in place.

It seems like they are building washers and dryers for people the size of Shaquille O'Neil.  If the house is big enough for Shaq, it's gotta be big enough for the rest of us.

Watch out for refrigerators, too!

I had a similar issue with standard washer/dryers years ago. New construction.  Wouldn't fit through the laundry room door.  Went to the construction trailer, had the builder pull the door and pry off the stop molding.  That was all it took.  Called the painter to come down and touch up the area, good as new.  The daughter of the elderly buyers was very impressed by all of this.  Told me her agent was gone like smoke after the closing and never heard from again.  As the saying goes, "They don't care what you know until they know that you care."

How true you are. Good points!

I've seen all those examples.  One client couldn't even open the door to the washer fully the room was so narrow.  It looked more like two oversized 'cars' than a washer/dryer combos.  Got chrome with that Eldorado?

I've seen this with big fridges too.  Someone gets all excited about the super deluxe model and has it delivered to discover their fridge either won't fit into the opening or sticks so far out into the kitchen that you barely walk around it.

I thought Washers and dryers were like refrigerators.  The manufactures and the home builders had an agreed upon sizing and space.  When we moved I found out the hard way I needed a gas dryer and not an electric one.

This is too funny David. You would think it would be a given for someone to measure the dimensions of their appliances BEFORE buying - but apparently not - lol.

Note to self, make sure to mention this point to all of my new homebuyers.

David  Great service to the public.  Another culprit are "monster" refrigerators built for large homes

From supersizing meals to supersizing the laundry - do I detect a common theme here?

In most cases of new construction, the cabinet locations & spacing were designed for a "standard" sized washer/dryer/refrigerator. This doesn't do any good for existing and older homes though. Best to measure with a tape measure first.

In carpentry, its measure twice cut once. In this case, its measure once, buy once!

I measured my new kitchen in Oregon before moving up from California. It had a standard type of refrigerator that stuck out into the kitchen too far. I was determined to have a counter depth style, but they were all wider than the space. My solution? I drove up ahead of my moving truck with all my pets - a sleeping bag - and my circular saw. I cut off the end of my cabinets & counter top to make room on Sunday and the refrigerator was delivered on Monday. May sound radical, but I knew I would be remodeling the kitchen anyway. Never underestimate a woman with power tools!

Hopefully the old standard washer and dryer will not go away the same way the 5 gallon flush toilet.  When  we remodeled I had 3 people in the street fighting over my old non-watersaving toilet.  I don't want to have to build a house around the washer and dryer...just give me simple appliances

Most excellent awareness post....I have been moving washer/dryers, refrigerators and stoves all my life. More than a few times, I have scratched my head on how people got things in or out of a room. In my latest move of about a year ago, the only way into the room with a washer and dryer was on the back of someone with two helpers guiding. I love this business.....

Thank you

We didnt have an issue with the Washer/Dryer, but we did have an issue with some of the furniture when we bought the house. With some creative arranging, we got it to work. That was out first house. With the second house, we measured and planned a little better. Good advice.

Hi David, my wife and I were in a brand new home in Leland, NC a couple weeks back.  The laundry room did not have enough depth allocated for the new style was her and dryers.  Your advice is well heeded for the refrigerator as well.

I did a home staging consult recently and actually recommended that the washer and dryer be removed.  Same type situation...the monster size units that the home owner purhased would only fit in the laundry room one way...side ways on a different wall from the hook ups.  This is a 1.5 million dollar home and the machines being there like that only brought to attention the lack of room in the space.

Yup! Happened to me with a refrigerator too. 3/4 inch too big. Luckily the old one was the least offensive of the appliances. I did not have the guts that Pangaea did with her power saw, but also see a remodel down the road.

David, I know so many people who have purchased washer, dryer and refrigerators without first measuring … what a disappointment. Great Post … thanks.

That is a great reminder.  I always offer my clients the opportunity to go back to a home they have under contract so they can measure anything or anyplace.  I also caution them to wait until the loan and the purchase goes through before buying anything specific to that home.

Yep, seen that problem more than once. You would think the word would be out; oh hey, it is now!

David I agree this is a great post and a great reminder to measure before purchasing.  I also agree with the many comments.  But, I must say I love my monster washer/dryer.  It sure saves on water usage and the dryer appears to be hyper efficient.  It did tend to vibrate way tooooooo much when spinning and wiggle/move, but, hubby and fix it fellow added something under it on the floor and hubby messed and messed with "leveling" and now all is well.

Sue of Robin and Sue

Donna, I bet he realized when you said new w/d they weren't going in that utility room.

Chris, a mitre saw, whoa! Now that's getting the job done.

Terry, I figured there had to be a reason, apparently there are HE (High Efficiency) and Energy Star ratings that these bad boys have, less water, less soap, more drying and less energy!

Aaron, I think some of them look cool and some hideous, but they must  probably do a great job with less of everything.

Michael, yes they gotta fit.

Hi David,

Measuring is a must factor when buying a new home.  As an Agent, remember, DON'T TELL THEM THE ROOM SIZES!  Let them measure the room. If you tell them the room is 9 x 12 and they may take your word for it.  They just went out and put that new 9 x 12 carpet in the new house and it was too small.  Oops! the room is 9'4" x 12' 7".  Who do you think they will sue?

Yes there are some great designs. I moved into my new condo and learned that with a lot of pushing and shoving I could get my washer and dryer into the closet area. But alas, the door frame was set in the way so I couldn't open and fill the soap dispenser. Just as well, the standard appliances work quite well and were half the price.

Excellent point! The same is true for refrigerator spacing.

Christine, well I just don't think some folks realize the size difference between the newer models and the ones we've had for years.

Cheryl, Ouch, that was a good save by your Dad, I bet most people would make that mistake.

Mark, good point they have become monstrous also, I was previewing a home that had one so big it almost blocked the entrance to the dining room!

Loreena, and you also have the other extreme where they are just buying sgft and the laundry room is like another bedroom.

Wallace, yeah good luck with that one, people get very attached to their eye candy machines!

Michael, especially for builders, they need to find something that will accommodate both kinds I guess.

Dan, Oh yeah great point I have been in new homes where the buyer and I have been incredulous at the size of a Two Car Garage........ it's for two cars alright just not at the same time!!!

Alan, I'm proud of you for owning up to that. I read up on them and they apparently use a lot less water, soap, very efficient.

Karen, that's funny we still like to super-size some things...although in this case I believe it's to use less.

Jenna, I read that too and also some need a certain kind of soap and they sometimes do not rinse very well.

Mike, that is one solution for builders, build the house around the washer and dryer.

Bob, big is out...or so I thought, however I'm sure these things are big for a reason as it can't be cheap to add all that metal to a washing machine. The trouble I see is with all the electronics, I mean we're washing clothes here, it used to be done on a rock in a river and then thrown into a tree to dry!

If you don't see the new washer and dryer in the basement you will find the bi-fold doors being stored there instead.  One great solution would be to use pocket doors assuming the utility room is deep enough to put these monsters into.

Laurie

Just had this happen to buyers I worked with......Next up is the utility room that did not think it was ever going to have something this big....so the door won't open all the way.

Now I look at every laundry room with different eyes!  Refrigerators can be an issue too, especially in older homes.

Bob, That is a good builder you have there, good saying!

David, Thanks

Lyn, that's funny two cars, builders need to build another garage to fit these bad boys!

Cindy, somebody just told me they got the fridge, wouldn't fit so they took a saw to the cabinets.

Gene, ouch!

Harj, apparently by the comments I am not alone in this phenomenon.

Mike, dont forget to have them measure from the closet door to where the front of the monsters are!

Karen, I was at Home Depot today and saw some giant appliances.

Ruthmarie, interesting, lets keep an eye on bed sizes...The Delux King or The Queen Combo!