To replace all the white goods in anticipation of them all going wrong...

[karategirl]

My husband and I bought the cheapest fridge/freezer and washing machine we could find when we moved into our last place 6 1/2 years ago. They're still working, but the fridge/freezer is on its last legs, and the load capacity of the washing machine is very small. We got a chest freezer off of freecycle a couple of years ago, which works but is pretty grotty - the seal is going, it's constantly frozen up etc.

Baby is due in July, and I think we ought to replace the washing machine because we're planning to use cloth nappies, so a bigger load capacity would be really useful. We could also do with a tumble dryer, and have found myself putting a new fridge/freezer and chest freezer in my online basket, because I'm convinced they're going to completely pack up soon.

I can't bring myself to press buy! Is it completely ridiculous to buy all this stuff now (when we've still bought virtually no baby stuff)? It's just over £1,000 for all four appliances, which seems like pretty good value (and we can afford) but it just seems stupidly over the top when the things we have still work!

I'd go for new washing machine - pref with 5 yr guarantee, def a tumble drier if your using cloth (my motherease came perfect out of the tumbler) and new chest freezer as I wouldn't be defrosting with a new born

We use cloth nappies and cloth wipes and have a second hand 7kg washing machine. It's fine. Just clean out the filter very very regularly. Do not forget especially in the first month of using new wipes and nappies. Makes a huge difference.

The cloth nappies are wonderful and it's not much extra work as they never leak so I do less clothes washing. Reusable wipes are infinitely better than disposable ones.

Ignore the naysayers and PM me if you want any advice.

We are also using a second-hand freezer which we tarted up a bit. Also fine. If you're worried about them going I'd just save a bit of money. Our washing machine has stopped working 3 times while I've been off but each time we've thoroughly cleaned the filter and it's been fine again.

Also don't tumble dry if you can avoid it. It's bad for the nappies and makes using reusable bad for the environment. You'll want to dry them outside whenever possible anyway to get stains out.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that personally I'd buy them now. If you think the fridge is on it's last legs - who wants a fridge potentially packing up with a week/ month old baby about and all that hassle? The washing machine I'd upgrade not because of the nappies but because a larger drum will equal fewer washes when your/ DH's/ baby's clothes, towels, bedding need doing. The freezer I wouldn't worry about too much but I just have a fridge/ freezer as you say you have so I don't know whether it'd be a disaster if that packed up. You say you can afford it and will give the old items to a good home so why not?

@karategirl. The extra laundry with cloth nappies wasn’t a problem. I had 21 nappies I think, and washed ever 2 or 3 days, so only 2 or 3 nappy loads a week. I just bundled the baby’s clothes in with ours, but i’ve always used non-bio anyway. Always did the nappies separately, and ran through a rinse cycle first. I used Tots Bots mostly, but i’ll admit to using Bambo disposables at night. They look £££££ but they are amazingly absorbent - I very rarely needed more than one a night.i didn’t start using cloth nappies until each baby was about 2 months old - too skinny! Until then, I used Natur bamboo nappies from Boots.

I wash my cloth nappies twice a week. Ends up in the washer for 3 hours. No biggie really. Because it's a longer wash cycle I tend to pop them in before I go up to get him to sleep etc etc and then I hang them out to dry in the morning or tumble in low if the weather is shite so most of the time right now!!!

We've replaced a washing machine in 4 hours flat. Son-out-law and I repaired a tumble dryer in 24 hours for £6. Fridges and freezers? Find out who makes the compressor fitted to the largest number of brands, then look for the cheapest one.

I'm considering replacing things which are approaching the end of their life whilst I still have a full time salary, in case they stop working whilst I'm on maternity pay.

that is really flawed logic.

Why not put the money aside for these things now? Or just buy the most pressing item and keep the rest of the money aside? Seems silly to spend all that at once on things that might keep going for months/years, when you don't know what else might happen. Your boiler could go, your car could go, all sorts of unexpected expenses.

This ^
If you've got money, then put it in a savings account, and if one of the things you think might break, breaks, then you''ve still got the money you haven't spent. If OTOH, something else breaks, you can use the money for the thing that actually has broken, rather than having spent it on something that could still work for months or even years. It just doesn't make sense at all.

Don't just look at drum size with washing machines, look at cycle length too. My previous machine was a minimum of 2 and a half hours cycle. My current one most cycles are about 1 hour 40 but it also has a 35min rapid wash/dry. If the cycles are too long your either only really going to be able to put them on overnight or be tied in all day waiting for the bloody thing to finish.

The throwaway mentality really irks me.
You can fix a broken machine.
If you are really worried, you can take out extended warranties maybe.
Replacing big appliances “Incase” they break is crazy.
Please enlighten me as to how I can tell my fridge is “on last legs”. I’m genuinely curious.

I would, in fact, I did.

We bought a new washing machine before DD2 was born - the old one worked perfectly fine but the drum was tiny and it had an awful energy rating. We could afford it, we bought a lovely big 12kg ecobubble and gave the old one away on freecycle. We bought a tumble drier too. We also replaced old tatty towels, had some work done in the house and painted and decorated while we still had the money to do it.

Make hay while the sun shines.

It's all well and good saying "just save the money for when it breaks" but it's much more difficult to buy decent quality (expensive) things when there's a new baby in the house. You're more likely to buy the cheapest thing as a stop-gap, because your priorities change, as they should. Suddenly it doesn't seem as appealing to spend the extra money on something longer lasting.

And if OP gives these old appliances away, or sells them for a bit of money, how is that 'throwaway'?

Your fridge does sound like it needs to be replaced, I'd definitely change that, especially if you're going to be storing EBM/formula in there.

The rest... Just put the money away until they break.

Also, don't buy Hotpoint, unless you want to be replacing most of them in the next 3 years (all new appliances when I bought my house, all hotpoint, all needed replacing in under 5 years)

Please enlighten me as to how I can tell my fridge is “on last legs”. I’m genuinely curious.

Seal no longer tight (surprisingly expensive to buy replacement parts); motor audibly struggling; coils getting much hotter than usual; condensation inside and/or out; food spoiling quicker than you expect it should; heavy frost insude fridge and/or ice box/freezer; knocking sound (faulty compressor, loose fan). A lot of the time a fridge can be repaired, but a lot of the time it’s not that cost effective in straight economic terms.

Occasionally miele have an offer on where you get 10 year guarantee rather than the usual 5 with their washing machines. I'd buy a cheap tumble drier and save the rest of the money until the offer is on and replace washing machine then.

Also chest freezers and young children are an incredibly dangerous combination. Child proof it before the baby is born and you are knackered.

Save the money and replace when broken. AO.com deliver stupidly quickly (our washer died after 13 years when DC1 was about 3 months old) - we ordered a new machine Saturday night and it was delivered and installed by 8am Sunday morning. It's not difficult to spend 20mins on a website choosing an applicance, even with a new baby. I can't remember the last time I went into a shop to choose an appliance - why would you when you can check out the space etc and dimentions of dozens of models at home without a sales droid pressuring you?

We used cloth nappies - two extra washes a week and that was it.

Replace if you want to, but don’t feel like you have to. We used cloth mio solo from Aldi and tots bots from the nappy lady and were fine with our ancient 7 kg drum and no tumble dryer. The nappies dried best on the washing line. It was quick and easy.

When we bought our house the washing machine wasn't on the inventory but left anyway. We just stuck the money in a savings account knowing that it would die at some point and need replacing, as it was obviously quite old. 4y 11m later it finally stopped spinning on the Saturday - new one up and running my 9:30am on Monday morning. Easily survived through to the toddler years although was making some interesting noises towards the end! Just make sure you're not tempted to dip into it for car repairs without replacing it

Most online white goods retailers have next day delivery. Replace your stuff when it dies. You'd be without one for probably less than 24 hours.

Replacing the washing machine for one with a bigger drum though would be a good idea. Newer ones are cheaper to run and with a baby you'll be doing double the washing you do now. Make sure to get a few quid back on your old washer though. Gumtree and Facebook are a great way of selling your stuff.

It's all well and good saying "just save the money for when it breaks" but it's much more difficult to buy decent quality (expensive) things when there's a new baby in the house. You're more likely to buy the cheapest thing as a stop-gap, because your priorities change, as they should. Suddenly it doesn't seem as appealing to spend the extra money on something longer lasting.

Sorry, but how difficult is it to put the money aside, research what you want and IF the washing machine dies order what you've already picked?

Sometimes it is just pot luck. I have a fridge freezer and a small freezer, the small freezer packed up after 5 years, I bought a new freezer. My fridge freezer is now 23 years old. It’s still going, the back frosts up a lot so have to defrost once a month but other than that it’s fine. It has survived about 10 house moves in that time so I have had my money’s worth.

It’s a Candy if anyone is interested!

Sorry, but how difficult is it to put the money aside, research what you want and IF the washing machine dies order what you've already picked?

What about if the op decides what they want and then is comes onto an offer, allowing them to make a significant saving if they purchase ahead of time instead of when in dire need... would that be permitted?

Some people sail through the newborn phase, others are not so lucky and are lumbered with physical or mental health issues to work on recovering from, on top of caring for a helpless baby. So for those people the answer to your question of “how difficult is it?” would be, “really bloody difficult.”

If you want to replace stuff that works, do it during black friday madness!!!

Our washing machine packed up around this time and we saved £250 on a new one. Also decided to replace out ancient pc, again saved around £200

Sorry, but how difficult is it to put the money aside, research what you want and IF the washing machine dies order what you've already picked?

Things go in and out of production, price fluctuates.

And I'm just speaking for myself, but something I picked out before a baby that costs £700, would not be as appealing to me post-baby. I'd think... I need a machine right this second, I'll buy a cheap one and spend the money on something else that needs doing.

It's much easier to have better quality things in the house before having kids than it is to buy them once they're born.

Some people sail through the newborn phase, others are not so lucky and are lumbered with physical or mental health issues to work on recovering from, on top of caring for a helpless baby. So for those people the answer to your question of “how difficult is it?” would be, “really bloody difficult.”

Yeah I'm familiar with that since after my first child's birth I was in a physical and mental heap. However, I still could have said to someone "the washing machine bit the dust, could you buy one with these features for me? Money's in the bank."

OP your washing machine could literally last years. Do what you feel you need to but that money could also be put aside and if you don't need an appliance you could use it for a nice little family holiday when you need it. I think during pregnancy the brain can do funny things to you and your house can end up full of "just in case" items. Until you need it I really wouldn't bother buying it.