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!
Alina says
The VA appliance rebate is awesome! We got $60 back for a new refrigerator. Plus, the check arrived in less than two weeks even though the site says 8 – 12 weeks.
Julie says
Just bought myself a pair too!!!! thanks for the tip. This is a great price! I had to call in b/c my local store didn’t have the washer in stock but they gave me the same price, they’re shipping from the warehouse to my local store and DELIVERING FREE!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julie,
Amazing! So glad they’re honoring the same price for ya!
xo,
s
Sarah @Newlywed and Decorating says
Thanks for the heads up on the sale! My husband has been researching buying us a new washer and dryer so I forwarded the info to him!
Joy says
We bought all new energy star appliances this summer after buying our house. I adore our new Samsung front washer and dryer stack unit. They’re smarter than humans!! I got rebates from our local electic co-op. The state also has rebates. I’ll also take advantage of the $1500 tax rebate on our new metal roof, new wood stove, and appliances. Unfortunately, we live on an island only serviced by a ferry and Sears wouldn’t deliver. I had to hire the local freight company to pick up our appliances and an appliance guy to do the installation. Then we discovered we needed a plumber to do the dishwasher install and get our plumbing up to code! $1500 later we got our appliances installed! (it was all worth it!)
Megan Carlisle says
As soon as I read your post I immediately went to Lowe’s.com, saw that the set was still for sale and the 20% off was still going on and called the manager of our local store. He agreed to honor the price and give us the additional percent off. BUT, when we arrived at the store he changed is mind. He decided that the mark down on the set was all we were gonna get. We were disappointed and chose not to buy the set after all. I am glad it worked out for you guys though!
dominique says
you guys are my new heroes! Love the blog, recently found it and I am newly obsessed. great work!
Rhonda says
Sweet deal, it pays to walk away and be resourceful!
Kathryn says
Just wanted to check… that $15/year is the operating cost for the washer alone, right? I think dryers use quite a bit more electricity than washers! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kathryn,
Yes, since only the washer is Energy Star, the estimate is for that unit. We try to line or air dry whenever we can though- and we have learned that our last Whirlpool Duet washer spun things really fast at the end so they come out damp instead of soaking wet (which means a lot less drying time). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie L says
HEy guys thanks for this post! We just bought the same washer and dryer before Christmas and because of your post I went back to the store an awesome adjustment! We have a gas dryer so we didnt make out as much as you did but close enough and I absolutely love them. Lowes was awesome and had great customer service!!!
Stephanie L
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stephanie,
Wow- it’s amazing that they price adjusted for you even though you got them before Christmas! Go Lowe’s!
xo,
s
Michele says
Yay!!! For you guys! What a deal :) I’ve had that photo saved for a long time in my “dream laundry room” file. I love everything about it, especially the washer/dryer in it. It makes the chore of laundry seem a little less terrible if you are washing, drying and folding in a pretty space.
Ashley says
Did you guys know that Clara’s dresser was an example for lining drawers at bhg.com? I saw the nice paper and thought it reminded me of yours!
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/budget-decorating/cheap/low-cost-home-decorating-with-paper/?page=7
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley,
Sweet! That’s so funny. Thanks for the heads up!
xo,
s
Maggie says
Happy New Year Youngsters and Friends!!
Thank you for always making me smile! I am convinced you bring so much JOY to the world with your blog.
Here is my Frugal Find – not an appliance but I ordered it last week so definitely an awesome after Christmas find…I wanted a new cell phone and have been lusting after the new Motorola Droid Pro for about 2 months…it’s currently about $180 on Verizon’s site so I was thiiiiiiinkkkiiiinnnggg about it while lusting….well last week after seeing yet another video review I stumbled onto Amazon Wireless…I had to add the phone to the cart to see the price, so I thought okay, let’s see… pause for suspense…take a deep breath…the price was ONE PENNY… or $0.01 as it was noted on my cart…I couldn’t place my order fast enough!! Is that COOL or what?
p.s. we have kenmore elite front loaders and I love them too!!
Loving the new home sweet home…can’t wait to see it evolve!! I took be bold with pattern pledge for 2011 too!! :-)
~~~feel the love~~~
Maggie
katy says
I LOVE YOU GUYS MORE THAN EVER. I just showed my husband this and now we are upgrading tomorrow. THANK YOU. It will no longer take me an entire day to dry a load of clothes (we have been sporting a Craigslist make-shift dryer since March).
My husband has been getting us all ready for the purchase tomorrow and wanted me to ask if they gave you a “promo code” in the email. Hopefully you will know what this means.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katy,
It was just an email promotion so there wasn’t a promo code or coupon. Some people are seeing the promo automatically credited to them online while others don’t seem to be able to get it on top of the $399 deal, but either way $399 for each one is still a killer deal. And you can always call the store to see if they’ll honor the additional 20% off (it seems to vary by location since some commenters are able to get it while others couldn’t). Good luck!
xo,
s
Ange says
So many good deals to be had. Reading the comments just reminded me, we are waiting for our new modular sofa suite to be delivered. Post Christmas, floor stock bargain RRP $3299 we bought for $1999! With my new extension (hoping to have pics to send you)& seating I’m so excited – I can’t believe I had forgotten!
Kristin Lea says
hello, I have been reading your blog for a little over a year, and just decided to finally leave a comment. I simply love finding deals and getting great things at great prices. It is such a thrill!!
Clara is so adorable and I loved yall’s Christmas card with her and burger. Are you going to paint her new room in the same colors as her old?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kristin,
We actually painted her room (in a different color!) already. Love it! You can read about that here: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/12/breaking-out-john-painting-belt/
We just had to get our bean settled before any other room!
xo,
s
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
wooooot! I just love getting expensive things (like appliances) for a deal!
Liz says
Hi Guys,
Sorry if you’ve already answered this… is the washer/dryer any wider than your current set? Just wondering if they are going to fill the laundry room more! If not, are you going to install some kind of storage beside them? Can’t wait to see them in the space, they are beautiful!
Liz
YoungHouseLove says
We’re going to add some sweet and functional built-ins down the line to really maximize the space and add a bit of a mudroom function!
xo,
s
Hilary says
What a great deal you guys. Will they be higher than your current set when stacked? It would be a shame to lose those overhead storage cabinets. The house is beautiful by the way :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Hilary,
Nope, they’ll fit right in so the cabinets aren’t in any danger of being demo’d!
xo,
s
Kristen says
I saw a previous commentor asking about ebay coupons. They work, but not with any other coupon or discount (we’ve used them several times on non-sale items without any issues.)
As far as this promotion goes, I tried to get our local store to honor either the 20% energy star promotion or a 10% coupon, but no luck. They told me since we were getting the prices at far below cost, that $399 is the best we could do. With tax and all it would be around 800 for both, which is still too much for us. Sigh…..
Nik says
Hi … I am commenting from Australia for the first time. I LOVE your blog. In the past week we received our house insurance bill. As it had gone up considerably from last year, I rang them and asked if they would consider giving us a discount. We have been good customers, paid on time, only made one claim in the 12 years we have been with them and have our cars and beach house also insured through them. Guess what? They gave me a discount of $184. I was so impressed with myself. I have always been too scared to ask for a discount but seeing what you guys have achieved in the past gave me the confidence to do so. There is no harm in asking right? My husband was so impressed … he said it was like getting paid overtime without having to do the work. Anyway … thanks for the inspiration. I only wish I was in the States to receive all the great deals you guys get.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s fantastic Nik! Congrats! So glad you asked!
xo,
s
Breeanna says
That’s so awesome! I’m jealous of your new washer and dryer :) enjoy them!
Lydia says
What a great deal!
Just wondering, and sorry if you already answered this, but how do you guys get by on 4 loads of laundry per week, with diapers? Our baby is just a few weeks younger than Clara, and I’m washing diapers alone 3 to 4 times per week, on top of our clothes/sheets/towels, so we’re doing probably 8-10 loads per week, total. We do have a old washer/dryer (bought used 7 years ago) – is it possible you are able to fit more into the front-loaders that don’t have an agitator?
We’re selling our condo, and when we move, the washer/dryer are staying and we are upgrading for the new house! Here’s hoping we can find an awesome deal when the time comes…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lydia,
We have a dozen cloth diapers 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 wet bags 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 tiny 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. Our washer and dryer aren’t huge (front loaders and stackables usually aren’t as big as top loaders) but it somehow still works for us. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
katy says
Sherry, one more question. In the first picture the door looks really shiny and metallic. But in the link you shared, it looks more of a matte gray. Is the link photo just off, or is the matte gray one the one you are getting? Also, does this sale apply to other colors? I’m pretty sure I want white, but just curious if you knew.
We are off to get ours this afternoon. Here’s to hoping they will honor the extra discount.
Thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katy,
We’re not sure. Since we’re still waiting on delivery we can’t remember exactly, but the link to the pics on lowes.com are probably more accurate than the pretty laundry pic (since that’s the upgraded steam model). As for the sale on colored washers, we didn’t ask. But the ones on lowes.com that are listed as $399 appear to only be white. Good luck!
xo,
s
Jessica @ The Southern Belle Baby says
So, I went to Lowe’s this morning since our washer died last night (while full of dirty cloth diapers, of course, because that’s how life works). I called around last night, and no one would honor the 20% off on top of the online price, but I dealt directly with the store manager this morning, and he gave me a great deal. He honored the online price, and gave me the only washer they had in stock- it was “damaged” with just two tiny dents, so he knocked it down to $299!! I was so excited! It’s purely cosmetic (and not even noticeable!). Then, I got the dryer for $399, so we only paid $698 for the pair! Woo hoo! AND since I was in desperate need of laundry services, they are delivering it today!
Thanks so much for sharing, and hopefully, we won’t have issues washing the cloth diapers in a HE machine (we use BG pocket diapers, as well- love them!)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s an amazing deal Jessica! So glad it worked out for ya!
xo,
s
Snickrsnack Katie says
Wow, that is an awesome deal! I think we spent around $1,600 for our front loaders (with pedastals) last year. I LOVE them and it was worth every penny, but wow – if I could have saved a grand, that would have been nice!
originalann says
Oh my gosh, that is so awesome! Just goes to show you – nothing is random; you were NOT meant to get them the first time around… nor the second! I’m going to keep my eyes peeled with hopes of finding such a deal for myself!
andrea p says
Love the new front loaders! Tres jealous!
Curious what kettle you have? What color too?
Thanks & happy new year!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Andrea P,
John got me a deep inky blue Chantal Loop. Love it so much!
xo,
s
Beth says
I have the same Duet washer and also use cloth diapers. I’m not trying to burst your bubble but the Sanitary cycle takes 1 hour and 12 minutes and that doesn’t include the 20 minutes for the Rinse/Spin cycle I do first to knock off the solids so you’re looking at approx. 1 hour and 32 minutes to wash dipes! I normally wash them at night….just thought I would give you a heads up. Oh and another thing, you have to leave the door open between cycles so the washer can dry out otherwise it will start to smell moldy. This is what the service dept told me after I kept smelling it when I opened the door. I told them that leaving the door open is VERY unsafe when you have kids toddling around. Otherwise it’s a great machine! Can’t wait to see how you guys update the kitchen, it looks a lot like mine right now!
Hugs from Texas,
Beth
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Beth,
Thanks for the heads up! We actually had the same washer & dryer at our last house so we’ve learned how to time and space our diaper washings so they work for us! We also don’t have to do any rinse cycle since we use a diaper sprayer (which we highly recommend!). Hope it helps.
xo,
s
A Different Beth says
Hey Yall,
Congrats on the exciting new purchase! Quick question, do you ever feel guilty for not shopping around at other stores? Or did you peruse the other big names prior to stopping in at Lowe’s? Just curious about your thought/shopping process. We are also appliance hunting. Thanks and I’m really loving the real time blogging style!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey A Different Beth,
We actually shop around at a lot of stores for different things. We have found that Lowe’s seems to consistently have the best deals for appliances, but we still check other places just to be sure. We also didn’t buy the hardware for our last kitchen from Lowe’s or Home Depot because we discovered that a local place (called Pleasant’s) had better stuff/deals. We also usually love going to the local lighting outlet over Lowe’s or Home Depot. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Emily says
Hi! That’s an awesome deal. We’ve been looking for a washer and dryer. So, I added these to the shopping cart just out of curiosity. It wouldn’t take the additional 20% off. So, I called Lowe’s to ask. He said because they were already marked down, they couldn’t use the additional 20%. Any ideas? Did you have a different code than I’m seeing? Either way – it’s a great price!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
Judging on everyone’s comments it seems like some places will honor the additional 20%, some will give 10% and some won’t add any. We don’t have a code or anything, we just called a real person at the store and asked if they would combine the deals and they thankfully went for it. Good luck!
xo,
s
Wendy says
Okay, I’m sure someone else has already commented on this (300 comments is a couple too many for me to check), but make sure you order a stacking kit! We just went through this, ordered front loading Maytag (same as Whirlpool) washer and dryer, but nobody told us we would need a stacking kit – you’d think the salesperson would have asked. When the W and D were delivered we didn’t have the stacking kit and had to wait two more weeks to get it! Totally worth it though – Happy Laundering!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Wendy! We happily were reminded that we needed one in the store during the ordering process. Thank goodness!
xo,
s
Amy says
You must have had a really motivated salesperson! I’ve contacted all of our area Lowe’s and they uniformly told me the $399 price includes the 20% off (+). In fact, if you go through the motions of ordering online, the total purchase price is $399 per unit (no adtl 20% calculated online). The upshot is, you got a fantastic, probably unrepeatable price.
Kelly says
Thanks, guys! This post couldn’t have come at a better time! On my way to Lowe’s tonight!
Kari says
AWESOME DEAL, love it when that happens!!!! :D Great job guys!!
katy says
Boo. Our local Lowe’s (we called two) won’t go for the extra 20 percent off. I’m thinking we should wait a few days and maybe they will receive so many calls from this post, they will offer a special “Young House Love” deal.
Sarah says
Thanks for the heads up on this! We were able to get Lowe’s to match the online price of $399 each and then take an additional 10% off of that, bringing them to $359 each. We’ll get a 10% tax credit on the washer and a $25 rebate from our electric company, bringing our grand total down to $657. Our washer and dryer are in perfect working order, and we’re confident that we can get at least $250 via craigslist for the Whirlpool pair we currently have, which are in perfect working order. If that’s the case, our cost is only $407! Holy crap! Thanks again!
Sarah says
Haha, did I mention that they are in perfect working order?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, amazing deal Sarah!
xo,
s
Leslie C. says
I think this new washer and dryer may be in the cards for us this weekend!!
We have had our washer and dryer for about 5 years and I am pretty certain that they are not energy efficent! I think with selling our old washer and dryer on CL we could bring the total down even more!
Thank you for the timely post, the deal doesn’t end until the 10th!
erika says
I don’t know how you guys did this but would you mind calling my local Lowes for me and sweet talking the same deal?! I’ll just show up to pay!:)
Flo says
Wow, that’s a really good deal. We are also looking for a washer/dryer set and just visited Sears Outlet but never found anything this cheap. I also called my local Lowe’s in CA, they refuse to give me the 20% off on top of $399 sale price and told me that the 20% is already priced in and even if I buy online, I would not get additional discount. :-(
Any suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Flo,
If you scroll back through the comments you might find some idea. It sounds like some Lowe’s are honoring both, some are just giving 10% and some aren’t giving anything additional off (but it’s still a great deal!). Seems to just be a store to store thing. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Roeshel says
Holy cow! Are you kidding me? What an awesome deal! Thanks for the tip – laundry room is on the 2011 DIY list and new appliances are a must. :)
Have a great week!
R
SaRaH says
I bought them tonight OVER THE PHONE because I couldn’t get to Lowes before they closed…and after calling around to different locations and speaking to every manager possible, I didn’t want to risk ‘Kevin’ (aka best appliance manager ever) changing his mind! He agreed to the extra 20% when I offered homemade brownies. Thank you so so much for this post! We took 6 months off work and remodeled every inch of our 3 story townhome, but didn’t splurge on new appliances. I can’t want to get my new washer/dryer delivered next week. Thank you x a million!
YoungHouseLove says
Awesome! I love how homemade brownies sealed the deal!
xo,
s
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
Well done! I love a bargain. Can’t wait to see pics of them in your house.
annabelvita says
I think you should build a drying rack to go on the wall. Like this one: http://annabelvita.com/be-still-my-renting-heart
Someone has to build it for me because I can’t put it up in my rental and I want to so bad!
Leslie c says
So we just went to lowes and they were not going to do it for the same price, but when I mentioned our ” friends” in richmond got the same deal the other day, they said if they could call and verify with that store that they sold the set for 638 then they would give us the deal too!
So can we pretty please with sugar on top find out which store you purchased at we would be eternally grateful!!
Feel free to email me if you don’t want to publicize that info! Thank you so so much!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Leslie C,
We went to the Forest Hill Ave location here in Richmond. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Leslie C says
You guys rock!!!
We are now the proud owners of a energy efficient washer and dryer for the same awesome price that y’all got!
Thanks again for getting back to us so quickly!!
Mira Williams says
Sherry,
My husband and I are trying to figure out how we’re going to arrange our “laundry room” more of a laundry closet, it seems… Anyway, a front loading top bottom dealio would be much easier to work into any plan. However, my inlaws have front loaders (energy efficient), and they have had SO many problems with them. They have mildew issues that make their towels, clothes, etc for lack of a better word stink. They’ve managed to mitigate it with running vinegar through the washer and leaving the door open, but haven’t totally eliminated the entire problem. Are these not issues you guys ran into? If you did, what are your tricks to solve them?
Thanks so much!!
Mira
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Mira,
We never had any issues at all with ours (we have heard Whirlpool is the best and we agree!) but we do occasionally run vinegar through just to clean them and leave the door open for a but after running a load to air thibgs out. Works like a charm!
xo,
s
amy says
Okay, does anyone else have to leave the door of their front-loader open lest a musty smell build up inside? If so, what are we supposed to do with the washer door being open all the time? It looks bad, and with our laundry room, the door is really in the way? Any ideas or solutions?
Shari says
It must be karma…..awhile back you bought a vacuum at Target and I let you know that there was a rebate for it. Tonight I’m reading your blog and see you mention the VA rebate that had came from a few of your readers. I bought a Maytag Bravos set in November and now can get the $75!!! Love that!!!
Colleen says
Thank you! I just got the same W&D at my local Lowes for the same price as you guys! I had to call the 800 customer service people,then speak to a local manager, send customer service an I’m not real happy my local Lowes won’t honor the $638 price email, dropped off a copy of Leslie C’s post , 2nd manager called from local Lowes and said we will honor the price for you. They will be delivered next Friday.