What the dealio, guys? Remember how we mentioned a few times that we’d like to upgrade to an energy efficient front loading washer and dryer sometime down the line when we saw a killer deal (we heard they pop up around February since new models are often introduced then)? Well, one found us a lot sooner than we expected. Yesterday actually.
We were walking through Lowe’s on Saturday when we noticed a sign that said 10% off all appliances. Not much of a deal, but enough to make us take a detour through the appliance section for fun. And while we were in that shiny-new-appliance-induced-euphoria, we noticed a big sign on an energy efficient Whirlpool Duet washer & dryer set that said $898 for the pair (marked down from $1198). Not a bad deal but not an earth-shatteringly amazing one either. But boy were they beauts.
We knew we liked Whirlpool Duet front loaders (they’re what we had for over three years in our last house). And they’d work in our new laundry room since they’re stackable. So we asked a salesperson if the 10% off offer that we noticed was valid on top of the posted $898 sale price for the pair. No dice. Since they were already labeled as an “in-store special” there weren’t any added price cuts they could apply. So we called it a day and went home.
The very next morning (Sunday), as if by fate, John got an email saying all Energy Star washer & matching dryer sets priced over $397 each were 20% off for a limited time (hooray for signing up for the Lowe’s mailing list when we moved). So we figured that it was worth calling Lowe’s to clarify if we could use the 20% coupon on the $898 set we had seen. Although in all honestly we went into it assuming they would say no…
… which they did. Boo.
Then we noticed that on lowes.com the exact same washer & dryer were marked down to $399 each ($798 for the set instead of the $898 in-store sales price we saw earlier). And it appeared as though the 20% email offer that John received would work on top of that online sale price. Score. But we’d always rather purchase things from our local store than order them online, so we called the store back and explained that we wanted to order the set online for $319 a pop thanks to the additional 20% off the $399 sale price that we found online, but we’d be happy to come in and order directly from the store if they’d honor the $638 grand total…
… which they did. Yay.
Why the change of heart when we mentioned ordering them online? If Lowe’s is anything like my old days in retail (I worked at Express on 34th Street in Manhattan for a few years during college) they’re working to personally hit a sales goal in each store every day, so they’d much rather you go through them than order something online since it’ll boost their daily numbers. Plus they’re probably allowed to honor online prices if you print out and bring them those e-promotions and show them what you could get on their website (although we did have to speak to a supervisor on the phone before getting the all-clear).
So that’s how we practically bought one and got one free (saving almost 50%) when it came to a new Whirlpool Duet front loading washer & dryer. We plan to stack them in our laundry room in the place of our existing not-front-loading-or-energy-efficient current set so we save a bundle when it comes to water and electricity (plus they’re a lot more functional thanks to the front loading washer capability along with the extra internal space and other brand-spanking-new features).
And while we’re on the subject of saving energy, guess how many clams our new set will cost to run per year according to the Energy Star tag? Fifteen bucks. A year. For all those loads of clothes and cloth diapers that we’re doing these days. Actually it’ll probably be around $9 for the year because their $15 estimate is based on eight loads of wash per week, and we usually get by with about four to five including Clara’s cloth diapers. You know how there’s that crass term for people who are obsessed with celebs? Star effers? Well we’re Energy Star effers. They’re just so much better than the old electricity and water wasters of the past- like the older stackable washer and dryer that we inherited with the house.
Speaking of those, since they’re still in great working order, instead of sending them off to a landfill we’re hoping to sell ’em on craigslist soon since we have to wait a week or two for the new dryer to come in and get delivered. And if nobody bites on craigslist we’ll donate them to the Habitat For Humanity ReStore (they do pick-ups, which makes things even easier). And we promise to share pics of the new ones (possibly with Clara playing Vanna White) when they arrive. Have you guys scored any after-holiday appliance deals? Or convinced a store to honor an online deal with some over the phone eyelash batting?
Psst- Thanks to a few smart commenters, we just learned that we can get a $75 rebate from the VA government for buying an Energy Star appliance thanks to this link, which would take our total down to $563. Squeeeeeeeee!
carolinaheartstrings says
Kudos. Great buy. I bet you can get money back on your taxes for energy efficient applicance purchases!
katy says
My husband is famous for talking people down on price. We recently bought a new Bosch dishwasher for a couple hundred bucks less than the already low price at a scratch and dent store. He actually asked for a “nice guy discount.” And he almost always gets what he asks for. We ended up with a new stainless steel Bosch dishwasher for $600. unreal!
Nuha says
Score! I’d like to buy an energy efficient washer and dryer when we buy a house, but the price tag always seems so intimidating. This makes me so giddy to know that we could buy them at a great price! yay!
Jessica says
Kind of off topic too… But just wondering if you still love your Elemental cloth diapers? I have read so many conflicting reviews on them. I currently CD my 2 y/o and 4 mth old but use pocket diapers w/ inserts. I’m SICK I tell ya of stuffing diapers!
I want to move towards the AIO’s like the elementals or possibly the Grovia brand and since I only have about 15 dipes for 2 kiddos I am going to have to add to my stash and I want to make the most informed choice possible. Any info you can give would be greatly appreciated!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
We
loveare obsessed with our Elementals. So easy and autopilot. We couldn’t say more good things about them!xo,
s
Felisha says
I live in OK and called my local Lowes. They would not honor the discount $399 + 20% off.. However, they have the washer and dryer on sale for $459 (in-store) each and will honor the 20% off on that price. Which brings the washer and dryer to $359.20 each. I think at the price it’s still an AWESOME deal, and it’s lower then the $399 internet price. Maybe that will help some of you?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! Thanks so much for sharing Felisha! It really is funny how much things vary from store to store!
xo,
s
Janna says
Great deal! My Bro and sis-in-law got their new range and dishwasher at sear’s during the black friday sale – they spent less than $700 on both and they were Kenmore brand – a steal that they needed since they are in the middle of a complete remodel.
Yey for amazing deals:)
lauren says
the info you guys posted about the cost of running the units is incredibly impressive–but i have NO idea what it would cost to run non-ES units. do you guys have any information like that to compare it to? wondering if it’s worth it for us to upgrade from our non-ES units (one of which is a top-load washer) or not. how can you figure out what you’re spending on doing laundry?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
We don’t have much of a clue either. The range on the tag went up to $75 per year, but we’re not sure if that’s the Energy Star range or if that includes non Energy Star models. Perhaps googling around will yield more info?
xo,
s
Jessica says
Sweet deal! I was actually thinking about your current washer and dryer in your new house as I was washing our baby girl’s cloth diapers (BG 4.0s with some Fuzzibunz thrown in). I was wondering how your older front-loading machine was doing at getting them clean. Glad to hear the new machines are on their way!
LCB says
What a great deal! We’re moving at the end of January (fingers crossed) and will need to purchase our own washer and dryer. I wish we had the place to store them now and take advantage of this deal.
Shaundra says
WOW!! That is a deal. I would love to possibly purchase the old set from you. My husband and I are moving from Richmond to Chesterfield in a couple of weeks and will need a new washer and dryer.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Shaundra,
Thanks! We’ll email you to try to work something out!
xo,
s
Tanya says
Great score!! And I’m soooo pleased you won’t be throwing away your old washer & dryer. Too many people do and it kinda undermines the act of getting an energy efficient set. At the very least they can be recyled. Some cities will collect them for free, for recycling or refurbishing.
~Tanya
dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com
Chelsea in Richmond says
Holy bananas! We bought brand new front loaders from Sears before the holidays thinking we were getting a steal at $1200 and look at this! Luckily, those units haven’t been delivered yet so I think I will cancel them and buy these instead! Especially since you can get 6 months free financing from Lowes.
Like you, we pay off our credit cards every month but we also take advantage of free financing on larger purchases like these. You just have to make sure you pay it off within 6 months of the purchase date not your payment due date. That’s how they trap you sometimes.
THANK YOU for this awesome tip!
Janie says
Combination washer/dryers are a PITA and don’t work very well. You don’t see them in America because Americans use their dryers for 100% of their clothes 100% of the time, and the combo things aren’t able to do that. They’re more useful for the occasional pair of jeans when it’s been raining for days.
Elizabeth says
YHL,
I used to work at Lowe’s and here is some killer info…Lowe’s fiscal year ends on January 31, so if you ever need a good deal, January is the month to get one. Most stores will make a deal to obtain sales goals as long as they don’t take too big of a hit in margin. However, Lowe’s #1 goal is customer service, if you EVER have a problem in one of the stores ask for the Store Manager, not the same thing as the Manager on Duty (MOD). The biggest fear of any manager at Lowe’s is a customer complaint, so as long as your request is reasonable…have faith they will take care of you. (By the way, I am a fan of Lowe’s, if you can’t tell).
YoungHouseLove says
Great info Elizabeth! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Meghan says
Hey guys! First time commenter here. Love your new house and I’m really enjoying the updates on your progress. Old houses are so much fun! Ours was built in the 1920’s. When I moved in, my now husband had renovated every room except for the kitchen (go figure!). I told him it had to be done before we got married. Gotta have a place to cook! Long story short, we did the whole thing for less than $2000, new appliances and all! Our W/D is a stack-able set in the kitchen that we got for $550 for the pair from Lowes. The original price was around $1250 but it was a floor model that had been marked down especially low due to being on display for awhile, and had no box to carry it home in. Not a problem for us! It was a TRUE steal that we’ll probably never find again. It never hurts to ask about floor models being sold… sometimes they sit there for months! We’ve had ours for 2 years with no problem at all. Glad you guys found such a great deal!
Claudie says
I have to admit that I’m jealous. :) Our laundry situation is pathetic at best. My husband and I have been talking about getting a new set and these are such a great deal. I know we won’t end up getting them because we have to redo the laundry closet and we wouldn’t really have anywhere to store them while we waited to get the shut off valves replaced and a new floor put down to get rid of that ugly linoleum that we’ve got in there now. Hopefully we’ll be able to find a great deal when the time does come. :)
susan says
Hey I thought my husband was doing great by snagging a Christmas tree stand marked down from $25 to $5. Way to go. You paid less on both your washer and dryer then I spent on my washer. I am off to sign up for Lowe’s e-coupons! Thanks guys, susan
heartartz says
Congrats!!!!
Can’t wait to see the “new” laundry room. I am so happy for you.
I thought of you two and wondered if a stackable washer and dryer were in your future plans when I saw saw stackables on the HGTV Dreamhouse special (but theirs were ASKO appliances)
Very nice set up… cool laundry room.
http://www.hgtv.com/dream_home/hgtv-dream-home-2011-laundry-room-pictures/pictures/index.html
Leslie Ann says
How much are you selling them for on craigslist?? I am a local Richmonder in need of a new-used stackable washer and drier set. You could email me about this if you like!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Leslie Ann,
We’ll shoot you an email with the details. Thanks for the interest!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
What a great deal!!
Quick question: Any tips for cleaning front load machines? I noticed that ours tends to smell after a day or so with the door closed (mold/mildew gathers on the front rubber seal.) I see Tide has a new product out used to clean front load washers. Maybe I’ll have to give that a try.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elizabeth,
We didn’t have that issue with our Whirlpool Duets, but lots of other commenters have shared tips about that. Hope they help!
xo,
s
Christy says
With all the Energy Star love floating in these comments, I think it bears mentioning that recent investigations have shown that it is a program with very little (if any) oversight, and products boasting the Energy Star label have no real guarantee of being energy efficient. While it is certainly a good start, you should always do further research on a product before assuming that it is more energy efficient than the item you are getting rid of. Because it isn’t always the case.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/science/earth/26star.html
Madelaine says
Thanks so much for everyone that helped answer my questions on front load mildew issues! We are going to try to hold out for another year, getting new windows this year.
Liz says
A tip for those who are having trouble getting them to honor the coupon- try going through the online checkout process and entering the coupon code just to see if it works (right before the actual approve/payment stage of the checkout process). If it does, print out that page showing the additional discount and take it to the store. I saved $250 on my washer/dryer set at HD last year by using an online coupon marked as “Bath”. At first, the store wouldn’t honor it because it was labelled bath, but when I showed them that it would in fact work (and they realized that I could just go home and use it online without them) they ended up taking it.
ashley says
We have the whirlpool duet sport set and were told to leave the door to the washer open between loads to prevent the mildew smell and we’ve never had any problems. Maybe it helps to leave it open to air dry any water that may be left in it.
BIll says
How do you know if front loaders can be stacked on top of each other?
YoungHouseLove says
We just ask them at the store (they sell stackable conversion kits for around $20 for the specific models that condone it). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elaine K says
One comment on front loaders. The clothes come out so much drier than traditional washers that you don’t have to dry them as long which has to save energy.
YoungHouseLove says
We also noticed that with our last set Elaine! They spin things super fast so they’re just damp instead of soaking wet when you transfer them over to the dryer. Love it.
xo,
s
Amanda Z. says
We bought our Whirlpool duet set as well at Lowes a few years ago. They were sitting in the middle of the aisle in the “scratch and dent” and they were HALF OFF!!!! Apparently someone had ordered them, and when they were delivered they didn’t fit in their house. They were brand new and unused!
Angie says
I was thinking about you guys and wondering how the cloth diapering was going now that you’ve moved and have a new laundry set up. How are you liking the Charlie’s Soap? Thanks to your posts, I now have a box of bumgenius 4.0’s in my nursery, but I’m really intimidated by the laundry! My guy’s still too little for them, and I’ve been waivering between Charlie’s Soap and Hard Rock–I just need to order one and get started. You guys make cding look really easy, I hope I have good luck with it too! Keep up the good work!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Angie,
We love Carlie’s Soap and the whole cloth diapering thing is easy! Seriously, you do so much laundry with a little one, what’s one load of diapers? And we love BumGenius so you definitely picked a great brand.
xo,
s
Dani_PA says
You should also check with your power company – I know that ours has rebates now, too. We got a new fridge and a new dehumidifier this year and got $60 back from Met-Ed.
Krysta says
What a fabulous deal on awesome W/D combo! Squee!! LOVE!
Do you have any tips on refrigerators? I.E. specific times of the year to look, etc….
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Krysta,
We’re planning to look in February since we have heard that’s when all new appliance models come in. Good luck!
xo,
s
Steph says
I read this post this morning and we just purchased the set! Thanks SO MUCH!! Our old machines are ancient and we’ve been planning to replace them for over a year.
We were able to order them online and then picking them up in the store. The 20% discount was applied automatically in the cart before we checked out on the website. Maybe some of the readers whose stores aren’t honoring the discount could do that?
Anyway, thanks again for the heads up!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that it worked out for you Steph! Such a deal.
xo,
s
liz says
I’ve heard some iiinteresting stories about how having a front loader can change your cloth diaper washing routine. Maybe you can elaborate on what works best for you sometime!
So glad you guys are settling in and already making improvements. It’s totally greased my goose about getting on my renter overhauls… getting my art properly displayed and making the absolute best of what I’ve got.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
We had front loaders at the old house and have been cloth diapering for nearly 8 months with no issues. We love them!
xo,
s
Monika says
Great job guys, you got an amazing deal!
You are actually quite lucky that the store was willing to honor an online price. I know that in Canada, retailers generally will not honor online prices even if it is their own website. The cost of running a brick and mortar store is factored into the price that you pay, and because online retailers have virtually no overhead, it is impossible for brick and mortar stores to match those prices without losing money.
So good job again for scoring such a great deal! Looking forward to seeing them installed when they arrive.
Monika
diana says
I am so glad for you! It can happen only in America.
And I understand your pleasure to share the pcture of that dream laundry room….
lynn says
Ah, and so it goes in the DYI world. You never know what opportunity might come your way and how it will change what job comes next. With the biggest purchase out of the way for the mud/laundry room – my guess is it just moved up the list in terms of the reno. I bet you’ve completed the room in your DIY mind by now, right?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lynn,
Oh yeah- we’re definitely planning to tackle that sad cramped room once those come in. It still won’t happen overnight, but we’re so excited to get started!
xo,
s
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
That is awesome! I would love to have one of those washer/dryers are our “laundry room” is really a closet in our bathroom!
Blaire says
Thanks for the Va. rebate info….we bought a new washer back in September and I had no idea about this. I now have $75 on the way to me!
Shasta says
Even though I’m not the one getting a new washer/dryer combo, it just makes me so excited that you guys are and that you essentially got one unit FO’ FREE. I even called my husband to tell him about your incredible savings. Granted, he was like “What the heck?” but he too recognized how important is to try and ask for deals. The worst they can say is “No” and thankfully, you didn’t take that as your final answer.
I think you will end up being GREAT coupon shoppers at the grocery shopper what with your savvy savings know-how in the bag. Go YHL!
Christy says
Just wondering how many cloth diapers you have in order to only have 4 total loads of laundry per week? That’s impressive!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christy,
We have a dozen and we wash them every 2 days now that Clara isn’t, um, pooping as much (we used to hate leaving them to sit in the wetbags when there were up to 5 dirty ones a day). So 3 of those loads are usually diapers and one of them is baby & adult clothes (we wash them all together with baby-friendly detergent so we aren’t running one tony load of tiny clothes – which always seems kind of pathetic and small). Of course we usually do a load of sheets/towels each week, so we probably average 5 loads a week now that we think about it.
xo,
s
Lisa B says
Love your beautiful, inspiring website! Thank you! Just found you a month ago~as I’m itching to do some home improvements & was searching for ideas…..and you two are a GOLD MINE!!
Congrats on a killer find! Please keep us updated as to how you’d rate your new washer/dryer when you get them & start using them regularly. I do TONS of laundry weekly {big family} and recently looked into getting a extra large capacity front loader. I changed my mind after the research I did on them. Too many complaints about odor….motors dying out too soon……etc. I’m truly interested in knowing how you like yours. They are beautiful! :)
Jana says
So Awesome! I am so happy for you for getting such a great deal!
Erin says
Ok, maybe I’m naive, but how do you reach the dials at the top when they are stacked?!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
The dials on our current stackable system are about the same height as the new ones will be, and even a shortie like me can easily reach them. They’re only about 65″ from the ground, so it’s like me reaching up to touch John’s face (only less sweet and more task oriented). Haha.
xo,
s
Elisa @ What the Vita says
Definitely check online!! I just did a post today about that – I got a mirror at West Elm much cheaper than what they were asking in-store thanks to a sale alert by ShopStyle.com. I had to call and ask if they would honor the sale price online, and they said they would, and they added a 20% off store-wide sale on the top of it, even though the mirror was technically not on sale in the store!
Laura says
Congrats on scoping out a great deal! I was checking out the links you posted, and noticed that the power cord and vent are sold separately. Did they tell you what that was about? How can they sell a power cord separately?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
Since certain houses call for a three-prong cord and certain set-ups have a four-prong one, they sell those separately depending on your set up. That’s another reason why we like buying in the store- so people can explain that stuff to us!
xo,
s
Jen says
Congrats on the great deal. I just purchased an LG front loading washer and dryer. I saved nearly $100 by getting Best Buy to price match another stores price. I am also getting $75 back from the state of Virginia for their appliance program. I know you mentioned you were going to do this but I am pretty sure the rules state that the old appliance must be properly recycled or hauled away….ie no craiglist. You might want to check before you sell your old one.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen,
We did see that after following that link over, so we’re planning to try to sell them first on cragislist (so we’ll get some money back and our unit won’t get junked quite yet since it still works). Thanks for the heads up!
xo,
s
kitliz @ DIYdiva says
Curious– because I’ve been looking a W/D myself for the last few months and occasionally I see them stacked in the store– how do you reach the controls on the unit that is on top? Aren’t the controls still at the top/front of the unit? It’s probably just me being ultra short, but when I saw the setup, I didn’t think I’d be able to reach them without a stool.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kitliz,
Just scroll back a few comments for that answer. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
jennifer f says
love it! Oh how I dream of having a true “laundry room” one day…is that sad? Currently I have a closet upstairs with bifold doors (I know how you hate those doors) which holds our washer/dryer. I have a wire shelf on the top to hold detergent, etc. Any ideas to make that closet a little more functional for laundry?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer,
We’d google around for images of laundry rooms with a similar setup so you can get some ideas!
xo,
s
erika says
Hey guys…that deal is amazing. While I totally trust your judgement, I think that one thing you may be missing when it comes to the cloth diapering/front loader issue. Not everyone has a sprayer on the toilet, and for sure, I believe that makes a huge difference in the cleanliness/smell of the diaper. Perhaps if CDers were giving their dipes a quick rinse before tossing them in the front loaders…the smell/cleanliness issue would be solved. IMO anyway. Congrats on a great deal!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erika,
That could totally be it! We swear by our sprayer and assume all cloth diaperers use them- but if not, we definitely recommend it!
xo,
s
Cassie says
Steph,
How come this isn’t working for me online?
“We were able to order them online and then picking them up in the store. The 20% discount was applied automatically in the cart before we checked out on the website. Maybe some of the readers whose stores aren’t honoring the discount could do that?”
What was the final price online for each? When did the 20% show up?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cassie,
I think the consensus is that it’s working for some people and not for others. No idea why the computer is randomly doing that, but perhaps calling your local store and speaking to an actual person will help so you’re not at the mercy of the checkout software!
xo,
s
Ericka says
That is a CRAZYYY deal! I don’t even know you guys, but am excited for you! I paid TWICE that 3 years ago for my LG washer and dryer. I love my front loaders – they are stacked in a closet and I find that the height of the dryer is perfect for me (I’m 5’8) and I don’t mind bending down to get stuff out of the washing machine.