Can you imagine living without your trusty home appliances in your Palm Beach Gardens real estate? Just think back to the last big hurricane to hit South Florida and remember what it was like to have no hot water, dishwasher, laundry machine, or even a microwave for more than a couple of days. Yikes! The only thing worse than losing your power for so long is having a broken appliance.

Before you begin looking for a handyman in the phone book or on the internet, there are some vital facts that you will have to figure out. The answers can be the difference between a small repair and a long and expensive one.

For starters, you should try a little troubleshooting. You may be surprised when you fix it yourself without the help of any costly repairman. Refer to the owner’s manual, as well as trusty Google for instructions. It may also be smart to look for tripped circuit breakers and surge protectors that are off. Fixing the problem could be as simple as flicking a switch. Just turn everything off and keep it off for a minute or so. Then power your appliances up again to see if resetting your appliance’s internal circuit board does the trick.

Next, you should know how old your appliance is. It may not be worth hiring somebody to repair a machine that was manufactured in the Nineties. For instance, anyone in a home for sale in Palm Beach Gardens should replace his or her microwave if it is more than 5 years old. A dishwasher should last more than a decade, as should a washing machine. A freezer generally needs to be replaced every 11 years or so. Thirteen is the magic number for how long you should rely on a fridge, as well as a dryer for your clothes. Your oven may be your longest lasting appliance, as it should be nice and healthy for 15 years.

Remember that none of these numbers are set in stone. In fact, it may be worth replacing an appliance if it has lasted more than 50% of its life expectancy. Unless you have a personal attachment to some kind of an antique appliance, you should consider buying a new one when repair costs start to build up. Besides, modern technology has probably superseded your beloved microwave and dishwasher.

Check out your warranty’s expiration date. Is it up or are you covered for life? If you cannot find your original paperwork, it may be worth spending a few minutes on the phone with General Electric, or whoever manufactured your appliance.

Finally, do a little homework on repairing your appliance. It may be worth it in the long run to simply order a new energy-efficient fridge than hiring a repairman. Who knows, maybe you can even get back some type of tax credit or rebate from Florida Power & Light. A general rule used throughout Palm Beach Gardens luxury homes is to replace any piece of machinery if fixing it costs more than half of a new one.

 

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty:

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 19 counties throughout Florida with over 40 locations and approximately 1,800 Sales Professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & Foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network among 42,000 Sales Professionals, 1,200 offices throughout 47 states. The company is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation, having generated more than $3.37 million since 2001. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.

Florida Realty News
Florida Realty News
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty, a wholly-owned subsidiary of WCI Communities, has over 39 locations and more than 1,650 real estate sales professionals and team members serving 17 counties throughout Florida.
Show Buttons
Hide Buttons