Well, our new washer and dryer have arrived! And we promised to share how the installation went, what we did with the floors under them, and how we like them so far (that’s where things really get interesting). We realized a few days ago that we’ve had a whole bunch of different laundry situations. In our first house we had front loaders with a counter…
In our second house we had stacked front loaders with cubbies next to them…
… and in this house we’ve had top loaders with cabinetry above them. Here are the new guys sitting pretty (although not quite as pretty as the others since we haven’t tackled the rest of this nook yet).
Honestly, each of these setups have had pros and cons:
- We loved having a counter over our first house’s front loaders, but it usually ended up cluttered with stuff (it became sort of a dump-this-here-until-we-deal-with-it-later zone). And this setup required the most bending, which wasn’t that bad at the time, but now that we’ve had top loaders a while, we definitely can appreciate less of that.
- Our stacked loaders were nice because we had cubbies for storing everything we needed, which didn’t tend to get cluttered like the counter (there just wasn’t space to drop grocery bags, returns, and other random items there). There was still a fair amount of bending and lifting when it came to doing laundry, but again – at the time it was just fine, and we really only realized how nice top loaders were once we moved here.
- The obvious con to top loaders is that there’s no place for a counter, which we did really like having, but we still have the top of the dryer to work with (we can put the laundry basket there for example – or lay things out to air dry). The cabinets might be our favorite storage solution (as compared to open cubbies or pull-up blinds) just because everything is tucked out of view but still really easy-access.
*Note: We got some questions on Friday’s post about why we don’t bring our appliances with us when we move. It seems to be one of those regional things. Here people tend to leave them, but it’s not like you leave nice ones without getting anything in return for them – it’s just factored into the listing price here (a seller can command a higher asking price by saying “there are new top of the line appliances” which obviously add a lot of appeal/value).
But now onto our new washer and dryer! When it came to delivery, the guys were really nice, although I did realize about half-way through it that I needed to lay down a dropcloth to protect the runner, even though they wore those nice little shoe-booties (the runner was getting dripped on by the old appliances as they came down – but it was thankfully nothing I couldn’t just wipe down to remove). With the booties/dropcloth combo it looks like a slip-n-slide situation (I begged them to take off their booties because I was afraid they’d fall) but thankfully they went slow and steady and all was fine. Turns out I’m just a worry wart.
You might remember that we couldn’t wait to get the old appliances up and out of there so we could finally replace the old pan under the washer and remove the remaining carpet scraps that were sitting under the dryer.
We decided that laying down some thick 3/4″ plywood (which is the same depth as our hardwoods) would be a nice way to give that particle-board subflooring a more finished look – especially since we could stain it to match the floors so well (we used one coat of Dark Walnut followed by three coats of SafeCoat Acrylacq to seal them). We actually added plywood under our last washer and dryer (more on that here) since we heard it was easier on them to have reinforced flooring (something about them lasting longer) so we’re hoping it gives these a leg-up.
As soon as the guys carried our old appliances downstairs we ran up into the laundry nook for a quick floor presto-change-o, which we did in a blind panic because we knew it would only take them a few minutes to get the old ones downstairs and the new ones upstairs. First we had to remove the old carpeting, which was more secure than we expected (John actually had to scrape up the staples in a mad-dash after we yanked up the carpet and underlayment). Look at him go:
Then we had to get the boards down. Here’s the first one going in. We had pre-measured them and stained/sealed them beforehand so they were all ready to slide into place when the appliances came up.
The second one went right in after the first, but there’s still a small gap that we have to fill where the molding jutted out too far for us to get a flush result. We hope it’ll look nice and complete once we slide that missing piece in (we’re just going to cut one more slice of plywood and stain it to match). Wish we had time to prime and paint that blue trim hiding in the nook while the old washers were out, but it might have to wait for a rainy day…
When you step a little further back, you can hardly tell it’s not the same hardwood flooring running under those appliances (we didn’t photoshop the crack out of this pic, it’s just barely noticeable from this distance). And we’re really happy with how well the color matches. We also plan to add some nice white folding doors (there were some blue ones hanging there originally) so that’s another reason we thought the subtle flooring change should work really well.
As for leak protection, since these guys are on the second floor (and we REALLY REALLY don’t want them to cause damage to anything below them, we were sure to place the washer in a plastic water-catching basin and also upgraded to those nicer reinforced steel water lines instead of the plastic ones.
The crazy thing is that during installation there was actually a small leak where it was attached to our water line, but we caught it while the installer was still here, and he ducked back there and fixed it by tightening things a little. The lesson? Check those lines!
So now onto the fun stuff: how we like our new washer and dryer! Well, we LOVE the dryer so far. It has been quieter, has a much larger capacity, doesn’t shrink things nearly as much as our older one did (that one practically “burned” things and this one has a heat sensor so it doesn’t over-dry). I also love the charming little chime sound it makes when it’s done (which can still be silenced, but it’s so much better than the loud buzz that our old one made).
We also really like the digital setup of the washer and the dryer. It’s easy to see things, like how long each cycle still has left.
The washer’s capacity is also really awesome. It fits a lot more than any of our previous models (especially the old one we were replacing).
And now for the womp-womp. Remember how I worried that bad things happen in threes? Well, our new washer is broken. I’ll pause for effect, as I quietly weep into my dirty laundry pile. The installation just included starting it to make sure there were no leaks when it filled up, but they didn’t stay to watch it run a full cycle (which is completely understandable… that would be close to an hour of washer-watching time).
So imagine our surprise when we ran our first real load of laundry well after they had pulled out of our driveway and heard a crazy-loud grinding sound during the wash cycle (whenever the agitator is moving, there’s this jarring metal-against-metal sound). You can hear it all the way from downstairs with the TV or radio blaring.
I woefully called Home Depot to tell them we already had a problem and they told us to call Maytag, who told us they could get a tech out in seven days. Ack! A full week without a working washer after buying a new one and expecting it to run without issue? I sweetly asked if they could get that service call moved up a bit since we were expecting a working machine upon delivery (our laundry had built-up a bunch already, so the prospect of another seven days of waiting stunk) and they said we could call Home Depot and see if they could do anything. I explained that I called them first, but would try one more time.
Well, when HD heard it was going to be a week until Maytag could make a service call (which might not even fix things, it might just diagnose that I needed a new machine, which then had to be ordered) – I could feel them trying to work something out for me, which I really appreciated. They had mercy on my sweet laundry-missing soul and agreed to take back the first one and deliver a new one on Thursday.
I’m really happy with Home Depot’s customer service (I’m sure it’s a lot easier for them to just say “call Maytag, it’s a mechanical issue that they’re supposed to handle) and I have to be honest that I wish Maytag had been able to come out for a service call within 48 hours or so, which is what I expected when my brain reached that “oh snap, our brand new washer is broken” moment.
So that’s where we are. Still sleepless in Seattle washerless in Richmond, but we love our dryer and the new flooring under it. And here’s hoping that by Thursday I’ll be whistling while I work that new washer. I’ve never looked forward to doing laundry this much in my life! Have you guys had any unexpected delivery or new-appliance issues? We’re happier than ever that ours have a one-year warranty given this little curve-ball, but we hope this third house snafu means we have all of our bad luck out of the way for a while…
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Sidenote: We’d love to see you guys this weekend at the Richmond Home & Garden Show! We’re speaking at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday (with a book signing following Saturday’s talk). You can get half-price tickets online right here. Oh and they gave us the shock of our life when we were driving down the highway and saw our giant faces on a billboard.
Seriously, we screamed so loud it probably scared other drivers. It’s exciting, unbelievable, and terrifying to see your own mug that big.
Avi says
I was curious what your opinion was of the HE Top Loader and HE front loader washing machine, vs standard top loader, in regard to cloth diapering?
We are in the process of getting a new house, which comes with front loaders, and we are worried about laundering the cloth diapers for our little one.
What has been your exeprience?
YoungHouseLove says
We never got to try cloth diapers in the old top loaders because Clara was potty trained by the time we moved here, but we heard from a few people who have the same washer/dryer we just bought and use cloth diapers and they all said it has been great, so we have high hopes!
xo
s
Meaghan says
I’ve had a front loader and a HE top loader (LG) and we use cloth diapers. The top loader is way better for us! The diapers can soak better in the top loader, there’s no smell/mildew issues like we had with the front loader, and it can handle way bigger loads. I’ll never switch from the top loaders again!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that Meaghan!
xo
s
Kati says
We bought top loader and it made a WW1 sounds when we ran it. So the service guy came and put it apart and there it was – safety plastic around the drum (I don’t know how it is called in english). So if delivery guys didn’t take it out, that could be the problem.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kati, we checked to make sure everything that should have been removed at installation is already out, so we think it’s just something with the motor or agitator.
xo
s
Jeanie says
Thanks for the washer/dryer research, we are looking for a set for our new house.
Also wanted to say that you guys have it going on with your website, forums & book. It must be very exciting to see your faces on the billboard, but it is obvious all the hard work you two have put into this blog. Congratulations on the good things happening. Your website is one of the first ones I check in the morning, inspiring stuff.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Jeanie! You’re so sweet, and we’re so glad you’re enjoying our blog.
xo
s
Paula says
We had a similarly disappointing situation – but with one added annoyance. We bought a range on sale early in our kitchen redo, optimistically thinking we would have it installed within a couple of weeks. Ha, it sat in our living room for about 3 months. Then when we finally had the cabinets installed, we hooked it up and….nothing. So we had to have a repair guy come about 4 times before it was working – over the course of a month. And the whole time I’m thinking WHY could they not have fixed it in the 3 months we weren’t using it?!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! That’s so frustrating!
xo
s
sheila says
Buy the extended warranties on these machines through Maytag or Home Depot. I have this same line(a little higher end models), control panel had to be replaced on the dryer, covered in the 1st year under warranty, the outer tub of the washer just was replaced because the bearing broke which seems to be a common problem on the machine. I bought the warranty much later one so it was more expensive and wish I had bought sooner. It was covered under warranty and if your machine sounds like a jet engine about to take off, this is most likely the issue!!! Your new house looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the info Sheila!
xo
s
Dawn says
During the kitchen renovation of our old house, the fridge we’d ordered arrived and was too big to fit through the front door – or any other door of the house. Had to send it back and order (and wait for) another one. THEN the new stove arrived and promptly broke down. Did I mention this was two days before Thanksgiving? Ah, well. All’s well that ends well. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man!
xo
s
Andrea says
Will you say some more about the choice for upstairs w/d and how you prepped the floor, etc? We’re about to make the switch to upstairs, and my mother thinks it is absolutely the worst decision of all time, that we will minimally end up with a stained ceiling and that its likely that they’ll just fall through! Did you put a pan of some sort underneath? What about the plywood? Any other advice?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, everyone recommended that we get a plastic pan for the washer to sit in, and we got reinforced steel hoses for the hookups so they’re stronger than the standard plastic ones. We just laid the new plywood pieces right on top of our subfloor, so if there’s a giant leak they’ll get all wet but they’re so much less expensive than other flooring (like the hardwoods we laid in the rest of the upstairs) and we hope that the water would end up in the plastic pan that the washer sits on anyway (hopefully we won’t have any leaks due to the reinforced hoses, though). Good luck!
xo
s
Danw says
We had a used washer delivered that did something similar. Turns out something came loose that holds the drum in place while the guys were carrying it up our stairs. (we lived in an upstairs apartment.) luckily the place we got it from was really great and came back the next day to fix it. We still have the washer, and it still works good, 4 years later. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, ours is upstairs too! Hope that’s not what’s happening (makes me worry the second one will have a problem too).
xo
s
erin says
i totally hear you on how excited you are to do laundry!! we were like that this weekend when it came to doing dishes!! we’ve been living for 7 years without a dishwasher since we moved to a new town and the rentals and now our own home did not have a dishwasher. we’ve periodically looked on craigslist for portable dishwashers, but they were all so expensive!! anyways, my boss mentioned something about our local bowling alley selling the lanes on craigslist (they went out of business a while ago) and how i should check them out. i once told her about a diy show i saw where a couple bought a bowling alley land and turned it into a kitchen counter. so i looked online at them (the price seemed way too high for me!) and then just started to look at what else was for sale in our area. low and behold there was a portable dishwasher available for only $150!! it had been listed for over a month at a higher price and then the price was lowered and it had still been sitting for over a week! i immediately texted the seller and we were able to pick it up the next morning. we ended up not being able to actually use it until sunday because we needed a connecting piece, but man that thing is great!! i can say that i will never not have a dishwasher again!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so awesome!
xo
s
Hannah B. says
Sorry about the washer! Although I do have to say, I think the true mark of your success as bloggers can be boiled down to the fact that you can get this renting graduate student who has zero time to even think about her next load of laundry (yes, gross.. but.. thesis) interested in reading about yours ;) here’s to hoping the next one works beautifully!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re so sweet Hannah!
xo
s
Jileen says
Sorry to read about your washer, glad that HD is able to get one out to you. On a completely seperate note , didn’t realise you guys were selling curtains especially in the UK (I have a nagging suspicion you are not lol) ?http://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Curtains-Light-Diffusing-meters/dp/B00A1CE0JY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_5
YoungHouseLove says
So weird! That’s totally a picture of our first living room. Thanks for the tip!
xo
s
Jo says
I just discovered your blog last week and love reading it! we had a brand-new washing machine that required six visits from the repair guys until the issue was resolved. It leaked during the cycle. It was extremely frustrating to purchase a brand-new appliance that needed repaired from the get-go. Not long after the washing machine was repaired, we noticed that it was taking the dryer up to an hour and a half to dry the laundry. In came repair guys again. He discovered that the vent hose was way too long for the dryer and had accumulated so much lint it could’ve caught fire. Again frustrating. The joys of home ownership:)
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow, that stinks! So glad you caught it before there was a fire!
xo
s
Rachel says
Since you’re going to have to take the washer out again anyway, maybe you should try to do it early and get that blue trim taken care of before the new one gets there!
YoungHouseLove says
These guys are much lighter than the old ones that used to be up there, so if I have the energy I’d love to tackle those four coats that await me. Haha!
xo
s
Paula says
Oh my this brought back the horrifying memory of my MAYTAG washer issues through Sears just last year. I got a brand new maytag for Christmas from my son. What a wonderful son he is. In less than 30 days the washer wasn’t working. I called Sears. IN SEVEN days they sent out a tech. He obviously did not know what he was doing!! I am no washer repairman but I could tell he was brand new at it. He told me they needed to order a new part and would be back in SEVEN day to put it in. By this time I am pretty upset. I try calling Maytag, who tells me that it is under a Sears Warranty. I wait the seven days. A different technician comes out and puts the new part in. The washer still doesn’t work. He says that it must be the ‘motherboard’ whatever the heck that is and orders a new part and says they will be back in SEVEN days to repair it. By this time I am throughly pissed off. The best way to get help is to go on their Facebook sites and let the world know what you are going through. Maytag immediately got me a technician out to the house. It wasn’t the ‘motherboard’ (whatever the heck that is) but the pump was full of sand???? Finally after FOUR weeks of a non-functioning washer, which was brand new, (and two teenagers and an invalid in our home) I had a fixed washer. Maytag gave me a free extended warranty. Sears didn’t even give me an apology and they lost my business forever. But my revenge was sweetened this year when Sears went out of business in our little town. You just can’t treat customers that way! I haven’t had a single problem since.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, what a debacle!
xo
s
Erika says
Oh nooooo – I commented on your last laundry post and mentioned that our washer had just died as well! We actually JUST ordered the same washer you did and it will be delivered on Friday. I really hope it works!!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve heard from a bunch of people who have the same one and love it, so I really think ours was just a fluke. I have that kind of luck these days. Haha!
xo
s
Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork says
You’re on a billboard! That’s crazy! Congrats on that (and on the new washer/dryer!).
Nicole says
I feel your broken new washer woes! We got a Samsung set just before Thanksgiving, and the washer blew a circuit Jan 2nd (a Thursday). The husband called Samsung directly, and they didn’t get a tech out until Monday to look at it. Needless to say, it took a second repair company, many calls, and it was finally fixed on the 24th – three weeks later! I ended up doing laundry at our sitter’s, but I had my cloth diapers soaking the entire time, changing the water often. So far no issues with them, but so aggravating! And we had to use disposables the entire time. No compensation from Samsung at all for the hassle. I’m glad yours got resolved quickly and easily!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! So sorry! One guy we were talking to (who sells appliances) said Samsung is awesome equipment but he hears their customer service needs some help (he apparently gets lots of complaints) but I wouldn’t say I loved Maytag’s service so maybe it’s common with a bunch of companies these days?
xo
s
Jenny M says
How do returns on new washers work — if they had declined to replace it and insisted on a repair, could you just return the washer, since it’s new, and buy a new one (at HD or elsewhere)? Does the fact that it’s delivered play into it at all? Curious…all these stories of people being stuck with non-functioning machines and needing repairs off the bat seem so whack!
Jenny M says
Oh, and so sorry to hear you’re still feeling (even more) sick! Yay for double the prize when he’s born? Bleh, that’s rough, though.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love the double prize concept. I’m using that.
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I think I would have had to get the washer back to the store myself (renting or borrowing a truck) but they would have taken it back and then I could have bought a new one or just taken the money and walked. Home Depot was just taking one for the team to offer to send someone out with a new one and cover the cost of hauling back the broken one (and dealing directly with Maytag to fix that one instead of leaving it up to us) – which I really appreciate!
xo
s
Amelia says
Crossing my fingers for you guys. We had maytags before and they were nothing but problems. We have a samsung now with a 10 yr motor warranty and it is working fabulously.
Hoping for a quick resolution:)
Carla says
We had problems with our brand new washing machine. The store, of course, preferred to do some repairs instead of swapping it out with a new one. It turns out the issue was an easy fix, but next time I’m going to insist on an outright replacement. I will never again tolerate any repairs on a brand new machine when I’m within the first 30 days of ownership. I will insist on a replacement. The tough thing with appliances, though, is that if you do a return, you’re often charged a restocking fee. At least that’s the case at the family run appliances store we bought our washing machine from. As much as I want to support small businesses, that could be yet another reason to purchase appliances from a larger chain like Home Depot.
YoungHouseLove says
Never knew that about the restocking fee!
xo
s
Claire @ Lemon Jelly Cake says
Oh, that stinks!! :( I’m so glad they’re coming out to replace it for you. We recently had to replace our broken dryer (20+ years old) and while we were waiting to find a good deal, I spent several weeks driving to my mother-in-law’s house to dry our clothes and cloth diapers. I couldn’t wait to dry laundry at home again! We really take those appliances for granted until they stop working for us. :)
Savannah says
Our washer was making that same noise a while back. It worked fine , just the awful noise every time it ran. My husband found a loose screw in the back and the belt was off a little from that. He tightened the screw and no more grinding terrible noises! Obviously with a new one they should fix it/replace it…but we were happy it was something super simple. Could be that’s all with yours too! :)
YoungHouseLove says
So lucky!
xo
s
John says
Your picture is in the newspaper too. Thought about adding a shelf and rod to the right side of the cabinets? I installed 3 metal rods over my washer and dryer to hang wet items. It took the place of rope lines.
YoungHouseLove says
Funny, we haven’t seen the paper yet! As for a shelf and a rod, we’re debating both of those when we start in on the laundry nook – we definitely don’t like the off-kilter look of just the cabinets, but want to get a little further on the nursery before switching focus (never expected the washer to die so quickly! haha!).
xo
s
Andrew says
Bummer, hope you get it fixed faster than 7 days. My wife’s grandmother, Shug, had her washer die last year and the subsequent 5 new ones didn’t work either. She finally got a working new washer and then the dryer died. Fortunately, that only took one new dryer to replace. On a side note, one of the delivery men quit his job due to carrying 5 washers down the narrow stairway that it took to deliver those washers to Shug’s house. Good Luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, that’s a lot of washers!
xo
s
Melissa Arnold says
Have you checked to make certain there aren’t any stabilizing bolts that need to be removed upon installation? I once moved into a very swanky, brand new apartment with front loading washer and dryer and the washer made a horrible metal on metal sound when it spun. They immediately replaced it and the new one made the same sound. While I was waiting on the maintenance guy to show up to “fix” the problem again, I started reading the installation manual. It showed that they use stabilizer bolts for transportation of the unit before installation and they must be removed upon installation. My entire complex had their machines installed without removing them!! I don’t know if your washer could have them, but maybe?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Melissa! We checked for ours and they appear to already have been removed so we don’t think it’s that. Glad your fix was so easy though! That’s so funny that they forgot to remove them for the entire complex!
xo
s
Bobbie says
Not to be a debbie downer but we had an awful experience with Maytag/whirlpool corporation a few years back with out brand new oven that stopped working 3 mos. after we had it. The part that was needed was going to take 6 weeks to get..blah blah blah. Long story short, I had to threaten to file a claim with the Better Business Bureau and they finally delivered a new one to us. However, the oven broke in November and we did not get a new one until February! It was 3 mos of constant phone calls and arguing with Whirlpool. Three months of no baking anything over the holidays and all 3 of my children’s birthdays! It sounds like your experience worked out a little better for you because Home Depot is doing the right thing. Thank Goodness!!
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow, that’s so disappointing Bobbie!
xo
s
Kathleen says
Love the billboard – although I probably would’ve driven right off the road in both excitement and mortification at the sight of my mug blown up to billboard scale! Is this a check off a bucket list for either of you?! Done and done.
YoungHouseLove says
I think both of us would consider a billboard with our faces on it as more terrifying than exciting, so I’m not sure it’s on the ol’ bucket list, but we do think getting to speak at the Richmond Home & Garden show is pretty unbelievable since we remember going to it about five years ago and blogging all about it as complete home novices. It’s so crazy to think about how much can change in a few short years!
xo
s
kristen says
Might be a silly question because I’m sure you checked but did you get all the packing materials off the washer. My parents got this same washer (from home depot) and they had some serious packing around the motor area underneath. It was bolted to the package.
UGH – Hopefully they fix it soon for you! They look nice and I completely agree with you that the top loading washer is the best. Can’t wait to get a new one. I’m over the cleaning of under-the-counter type loaders.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kristen! We don’t think it’s anything like packing (we double checked that nothing was left on after others suggested it) but I would love if it was an easy fix!
xo
s
Erin says
I’m sorry your washer doesn’t work, but I’m kinda laughing since dooce had a washer issue with Maytag as well. It sounds like your situation is already going much better though thanks to Home Depot.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s so funny how many people remembered the Dooce thing was Maytag! I completely forgot it was with the same company – so grateful for Home Depot!
xo
s
Autumn says
When my husband and I purchased our first home in August of last year, it came with (NEW!) beautiful stainless steel appliances…all except for the fridge, darn. After a lot of shopping around, we finally settled on a great refrigerator from H.H. Gregg a whopping two weeks into living in the new digs. (Two weeks feels a heck of a lot longer when using an ice cooler to keep the minimal grocery items we couldn’t live without from going bad.)
A few days after ordering, the delivery guys brought in our new refrigerator to a chorus of angels singing, “Ahhhh!” Okay, maybe it was me. After installing it and tucking it into the correct spot, they peeled off the protective plastic as I looked on with a ridiculous grin (can you tell it was my first brand-new appliance purchase?) and…the man looked at me mid-peel and asked me if I minded having a few dents on the door. *face palm*
Of course I DID mind having dents on the fridge, so they apologized and uninstalled it and took it away. It took three more days before another was delivered and I swear I had never been so happy to toss out the half-melted ice of our wimpy cooler and have regular, refrigerated milk again. It’s the little things. But thank goodness for honest delivery guys with great attitudes!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like such a headache! But glad it worked out in the end!
xo
s
CandiceMcC says
So when we moved into this house, we had no refridgerator. In our neck of the woods, most appliances move with the previous owners. Due to some last-minute buying/selling craziness, I couldn’t order the fridge until right before we closed. There was a multiple-weeks-long wait. Well, once we remeasured I realized we needed a counter-depth instead of the regular depth. Cancel order, re-order, increase wait time. I was out when they came to deliver the fridge. In the wrong color. My husband sent it away even though they gave him the option of keeping it until the correct color could be delivered. Husband fail. :) After yet another wait, the correct one finally arrived. Did I mention during this time I was 8 months pregnant with gestational diabetes (read: crazy strict diet) and had a toddler at home? With only a tiny dorm fridge loaned to us by my brother? But I have lived to tell the tale.
Sorry about your washer and “all-day” sickness. Boo.
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow, that’s hard Candice! Glad it worked out in the end, and you lived to tell the tale!
xo
s
Carrie Lea says
I just got my very first BRAND new washer and dryer on Saturday (My parents bought them because they are the most awesome parents that have ever procreated. I just keep fixing my old used one until there was no fixing left. They took pity on the fact that I have spent my entire savings account on my doggie.). My w/d have to be stacked, they are in a teeny tiny closet in the middle of the house, and my pretty shiny new machines were all hooked up and they were going to plug them in and the cord was to short…. womp womp womp. They guy who “updated” the house had put the plug at the bottom of the closet, which worked with my old one unit machine, but with the larger size of my front loaders it was about 5 inches to short. And apparently they don’t make cords longer than 6 ft. So my dad, who is the best, had to build me a cord. But then he bought the wrong plug and really, awful, long story short- the install took 6 hours instead of 1.
And it was my birthday. And I was late to my own party.
Thank goodness after all of that they worked!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, what a way to spend your birthday! So glad your dad was a hero though!!
xo
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Carrie Lea says
Yeah- not the best birthday ever. :)
He’s a good dad. We can’t DIY together but I’m glad I have him.
And he buys me tools!
YoungHouseLove says
He’s a keeper!
xo
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Jen G says
We couldn’t do a counter either with our new laundry room…but check this out pintest – not sure if link will work (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/42502790205370942/) we did ours just like this and LOVE IT! sadly i don’t have a photo of it…
YoungHouseLove says
So cool! I think I have that one saved as an idea for ours. Really handy!
xo
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Jill @ Mission Deocrate says
I’m so happy this story seems to have a happy ending. We had a similar thing happen with a dishwasher we bought at Sears and they sent us back and forth but finally sent out a repair guy and then charged us for it! On a brand new washer we had owned for 10 minutes! I fought with Sears for months and finally after calls, emails and a hand typed letter got the charges removed. I will never shop there again!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, that’s rough! I can’t believe they charged you!
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Jessica D. says
Ahh gotta love appliance drama….or not lol. We had to buy a new dryer because our old one stopped working and wasn’t worth fixing. When we had it installed I was so excited to do laundry, put a load in the washer, it filled up with water and then stopped. I had to bail all the water out with a bucket and wring all the dirty clothes out. So we promptly ordered the matching washer and everything was right as rain. What is it with the laundry?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, that’s such crazy timing! Glad you have two working ones again!
xo
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Adrienne Parsons says
Should have gone with the GE washer and dryer (my husband is a design engineer for GE cleaning products, so I’m a little bias, and I tested the GE top load glass top before it launched, and it was the best one I have tested yet). Love your blog!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds awesome!
xo
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Marci S says
We got a top loading Maytag a year or 2 ago and had the same experience with installation – they made sure it filled without leaking and left. The noise when I actually did a load of wash was horrendous. Maytag sent a repairman out the next day and he said, that’s the normal noise. We went back to Home Depot and the saleswoman said that they had a 3 day buyer’s remorse (or something) policy on appliances. We returned it and got a front loading Maytag. It’s still loud but not as bad as the top loader. My niece got an LG about the same time and her laundry nook was just off the kitchen/living room. You can’t even hear it when it runs!
I know Consumer Reports recommends against the warranties but our experience is that appliances aren’t built today like they once were. A Home Depot salesman said most washers last 5 years now which for the price is ridiculous.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, that’s NOT long enough for them to last! Food for thought, for sure!
xo
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Teresa says
What a bummer about your new washer. I just made a comment last week on your post about appliances not being made like they use to be.
That’s really wild to see yourself on a billboard. I saw the same ad with you guys in the local “Boomer” magazine a few weeks ago.
YoungHouseLove says
Ahh, we didn’t see the Boomer thing. That’s crazy! And you’re so right about appliances, they just don’t seem to be made like they were back in the good ol’ days!
xo
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Teresa says
Its in all the grocery stores in our area. It caters toward the “Baby Boom” generation which I know doesn’t apply to you guys but its still a pretty neat magazine with lots of good articles and best of all its “FREE”.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Teresa!
xo
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krys72599 says
We remodeled the kitchen in our lakehouse during late summer and early fall (new cabinets, flooring, backsplash, appliances). My dream refrigerator was a stainless steel, french door, bottom freezer. No matter what people say about the bottom freezer, I grew up with one and having the fridge on the bottom just contributes to all sorts of leftovers lost in the back because I can’t see them…
The appliances were delivered. They were beautiful! We looked for obvious scratches or dents and there were none.
We finished the kitchen, hooked them all up, and I was so happy!
THEN we didn’t go back up for three weeks and when we did, there was ice forming on the freezer motor and it was 66 degrees in the refrigerator portion. We also noticed one door hung a bit lower and we couldn’t fix it by adjusting the door height.
We called for service and they wanted to come the next day but we weren’t there so they came when we were. The repairman said we needed a new hinge and a new gasket.
Yea, well. When it froze again we called again and they had the hinge so a new guy came to fix it. And it turns out the door to the freezer wasn’t closing all the way so the door was just open enough to let heat in and cold out but not open enough to set off the open door alarm. Then when he fixed the freezer door THEN the upper door COULD be adjusted.
Ugghh.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man!
xo
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Tasha @ Designer Trapped in a Lawyer's Body says
SO glad you are back in business with laundry. We have 3-year-old twins, so I can’t imagine what we would do without a washer for a week. I know how much laundry cute little toddlers can generate! The flooring under the washer/dryer was a clever solution and it looks great stained to match your hardwoods. Fabulous job as always. I don’t always take the time to comment, but I read every single post you publish. You are one of the first blogs I started reading and I LOVE IT! Your blog also helps me convince my husband to tackle certain projects. Coming to our house in 2014, a DIY runner and dark stained kitchen cabinets–I have you to thank for his agreement to these projects. He has to see things first, so your blog is a go-to source for me to prove what will look great! Thanks for all the inspiration.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Tasha, you’re so sweet! And congrats on your adorable twins – they must keep things exciting :)
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chloe says
Sherry!
Where did you buy that plastic basin? I am getting a new washer and dryer on the 2nd floor too and I’m freaking out about water leaks.
YoungHouseLove says
Home Depot sells them, so we just added that to our purchase.
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Sarah says
Had two leather Mitchell Gold + Robert Williams love seats delivered last Friday that we ordered from Overstock. Never ordered a large/expensive item like this based only on a picture! Was a nail biter for me. But, they are lovely and delivery/placement in the room worked out fine. Yep. would do again.
YoungHouseLove says
SO glad!!
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Tori says
We were moving into our first home and had never had to purchase appliances before. We found a basic dryer at Best Buy that they were selling for 1 cent more than they paid for it because it had been the floor model. After loading it into our car, lugging it upstairs, and plugging it in, it didn’t work! It spun, but didn’t heat up at all! Back downstairs, into the car, and back to Best Buy it went. They took it back, no questions asked, for a full refund. As we were standing in line to return it, I was looking at the receipt and noticed it said “gas dryer.” We needed an electric one! So, the dryer probably worked, just not for us!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! At least you figured out why it didn’t work!
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Caroline says
Oh man! I hate that for you! We have the same ones (theyr’e gray and they’re not the XL model) and when I went to do the first load the “sensing” cycle was going on and on and on. I was like WHAT?! I called my husband in and we both just stood there totally dumbfounded thinking our new washer was broken. Turns out he forgot to flip the water back on- details details. All was well once we got the water on :P
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Glad you figured it out!
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KellyM says
hmm bummer about the defective washer…i looked those up right away and am just about to pull the trigger on the same pair….nice to hear that home depot really stepped up to the plate…on a different note…what happened to your blogroll? i visited a number of them everytime i read your blog…almost every day!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry, we clicked a button to turn the blogroll off last week (we’ve received a few complaints about it not being updated, linking to blogs that were inactive or that people didn’t like, etc). It has always been a challenge to keep that current, so we just disabled it for the time being. We noticed a lot of other blogs seem to have been phasing them out as well, so we’ll have to see where we end up :)
xo
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Lauren says
So Strange. I had almost exactly the same experience with a new washer and dryer this summer. except after the installers left I could not get my washer to turn on… I seriously wanted to cry. Called HD… They had me call Maytag… Maytag had me call the repairman who couldn’t come out for a week so I called HD back and got the BEST customer service rep who had it replaced at the next available delivery date. Ironically about 4 days later I tried one last time to get it to turn on and it did. But I was really thankful that HD was willing to replace my washer without any hassle and I knew I had a unit that hopefully wouldn’t continue to have issues!
YoungHouseLove says
So lucky!!
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Jane says
Oh man. That stinks. I hope your new one comes fast and works well without any problems! Offtopic , but have you guys considered having a “Surprise me” tab somewhere on your blog? Like you hit the button and it surprises you with a post from the archives? It would be awesome for people to spend time reading your old posts. Do you think that’s possible?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, that would be so much fun! Is that a plug in? Have you seen it on other blogs? I’m not sure how we could code it to rotate in different posts all the time. Anyone know?
xo
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Jane says
Yes and yes! Here is one of my favorites. http://smittenkitchen.com/ — Look on the left hand side and you will find a ‘surprise me’ link. I love that feature in her blog! I do not know the technical aspects of it but I am sure a google search can help you guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Jane! Would love to add one of those! We’re actually planning the slowest blog redesign in the world (we have been working on it for 4+ months now, with no end in sight) so hopefully when it’s more finished we can add that in!
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Eilene says
I wish I could make it to your the home and garden show. I bet it’s a lot of fun. I was told today that I have to train thousands of people this month… not all at once… but STILL! My heart is already racing just thinking about it. Hopefully you guys are used to this stuff by now. I know I’m not. yikes!
YoungHouseLove says
You’ll do great Eilene! Good luck!
xo
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Kelly says
We bought all new kitchen appliances in November. A week after they were delivered and after using the oven a handful of times the inside glass on the oven door imploded on itself!! It scared the crap out of me! There was glass all over the inside. Thankfully it went in and not out! I called Sear’s and told them what happened and they shipped out a new one to me three days later.
YoungHouseLove says
Scary!
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