Landlords - need advice on appliance replacement please

[Earlybird]

Several years ago, I moved out of central London (and the UK) and kept my flat as an investment. Rather than let the flat sit empty, I rented it out. The tenants have been very good - responsible, pay on time, and take care of the place. We recently agreed a new lease, and there is every indication they would like to stay a long time (they have been in the flat 4 years).

The husband emailed a few weeks ago to say the washer/dryer had broken down. It is old, so replacing it is the best option.

I am undecided about what sort of quality washer/dryer to purchase as a replacement unit. The old machine lasted many years and required few repairs. A similar machine would cost about £900 (integrated combination washer/dryer).

I may at some point live in the flat again. If I was living there, I would choose a replacement of that quality.

Would I be mad to spend that sort of money? Should I buy something cheaper for now (approx £700, so not a lot less) and replace again as needed if/when I move back into the flat? Don't want to spend money foolishly, but also don't want to go for a cheaper option that might require more repairs and quicker replacement.

Fwiw, as the tenants are childless professionals don't think the machine is used a huge amount.

I am having trouble differentiating between

• what i would want personally
• what I should provide for use by tenants

WWYD?

I have this trouble too and tend to buy what I would want. Fortunately (from a financial perspective) my DH is very good at dismissing my wants and assessing our tenants needs .

Personally I would go with cheap (ish). Afterall you could spend ££££ and the appliance still breaks (bitter experience of very expensive Miele cooker)

We bought an integrated washer dryer for our rented place about 4 years ago. It is an indesit so not total crap but def not top of the range. I am pretty certain it cost less than £500. We also pay for appliance insurance so although the machine has required repair it has still been more cost effective than an expensive machine that hasn't required repair. It also makes repairs etc so much more convenient.

nancydrewfoundaclue - thanks for your reply.

Is appliance insurance different from a product warranty? Sorry if that is a dense question.

bump for the night crowd.....

oh dear - no one else has advice? Would greatly appreciate thoughts please.

We are in the opposite position, have a flat rented in France that we used to live in. We had to replace the dishwasher last year (unsurprising, the previous one looked like it was over 10 yrs old!). We replaced it with a good quality one in the hope that it would last longer. I think a lot of landlords put in the cheapest possible or cut corners and I don't think it pays off in the end. If I have to be involved in conversations about repairs (even if free under guarantee), it is time and effort (plus international phone calls if you're not lucky!) that I could live without. The only thing is that you have to hope the tenants treat it well. A properly treated appliance like a washing machine can last 10 years plus.

This year it looks like we need to replace the induction hob. However, when we get quotes, we will ask for some induction hob quotes and some electric hob quotes. We will not necessarily pay over the odds for an induction hob if we can get a top quality electric for less.

What brands of washing machine are you looking at? Consider buying from a place with the best extended warranty!

When the washer/dryer in one of our rented flats went, I asked the (absolutely lovely) repair guy what he'd recommend.

He said to avoid anything that was a bargain basement job (he specifically mentioned Beko) but recommended Indesit as it was essentially the same as an Electrolux but for far less £££.

I got it from John Lewis as they extended the manufacturers warranty from one year to two. That was a couple of years ago though and I couldn't get an Indesit anywhere when I tried to get one for a different flat recently.

My personal experience has been that washing machines rarely go wrong in the first few years so I never get an extended warranty. The few repairs I've had done have either been cheap (say £40 or less) or so huge that it's been more cost effective to write the machine off so I tend to favour cheaper models (i did actually end up getting a Beko for the second flat when I couldn't find an Indesit and have had no problems in the 2 years I've had it).

Recommend Indesit as they are fab and last for ever.

I let without white goods because my letting agent said it wasn't worth the hassle of letting with.

I would suggest you buy 2 seperate units if space will allow, if either machine breaks down you will only have to spend half the money to replace, the outlay for 2 seperate machines will be much the same a single washer/dryer and do NOT buy a Beko under any circumstances.

I wish there was room for two machines as I would much prefer a separate washer and dryer, but that is not a possibility.

The 3 machines I'm currently considering are:

Zanussi £639
Bosch £870
Siemens (old machine was this make) £999

Warranties for all machines above are 2 years with option for extended warranty for 5 years - though am unclear if it is 5 years total coverage or 5 years in addition to 2 year manufacturer's warranty.

I have looked at John Lewis and Debenham's, and am leaning toward Debenham's as they deliver/install/remove and dispose for 'free'. My last experience with John Lewis was that purchase price only bought the machine (a fridge, in that instance), and though delivery was free, all other 'services' were an additional cost.

I let without appliances, too, for the reduced hassle factor. The ones you're considering seem to be very expensive to me. Does your agreement account for provision of white goods? If not, I'd let your tenants buy what they want, and, if they then leave, they can choose whether to take appliances with them or leave them in the flat. If they're long term tenants, chances are the appliances will be ready for replacement when they leave anyway.

Tbh I don't see much point in providing them with what YOU want at great expense to yourself unless you are certain you will be moving back yourself.

not a landlord but a tennant. when the w/m in our flat broke, we received a check over the amount of a same for same from the landlord and went to buy a mashine ourselves.
the mashine that broke was a shitty banger indesit, the cheapest possible and we bought a mashine from the next higher categorie and just paid the difference. was around 300£ at that time.

The flat is a 'high end' rental, so tenants would expect white goods to be provided. Also current tenants are not from the UK, so unlikely they would take appliances with them when they vacate the flat.

I've looked at Beko and Indesit, but they are so much cheaper (roughly half the price) that I am wary of being penny wise and pound foolish. Have also checked Good Housekeeping reviews too, and those brand machines generally did not rate nearly as well in professional reviews or customer comments.

dh had a second hand Indesit washing machine before he had me, and it lasted from 1985 (being 5 years old at that point) until Easter Day 1993 when it expired, so not bad, as it survived three moves and washing smelly submariners kit.

I bought another Indesit and that lasted from a week after Easter 1993 to mid 2006, and it had coped with smelly submariners kit and the constant washing of school uniform and sports kit for ds plus the constant washing of his stuff when he was a baby.

I don't see the point in paying for a load of programmes when actually there are actually only two or three that I use (as opposed to the 12 on my current machine, couldn't find an Indesit in Belgium so had to buy something else). I would also say that for the cost of one of the more expensive machines you could replace an Indesit two or three times, and that tenants don't always look after things the way you would (another reason I don't leave white goods!)

I let out flats in Central London and experience has taught me to just opt for the cheaper model (but not a totally dodgdy sounding makes as they are mid to high end properties) and get an extended warranty. At least half my appliances are John Lewis own brand & I get a 5 year warranty & the few times I've had to get them out, the service has been very good IME.

I default to the John Lewis website and would go for mid-range. Also, they come and plumb it in and take the old one away.

Please DON'T buy the repair insurance. They take ages to fix the machine and as a tenant I really hated trying to get white goods fixed under it. Also, don't get 'the best'. Just get good quality, somewhere in the middle of the market. Don't think about what you would want, just what is financially reasonable for the market you are renting in.

As a LL I would buy the siemens, especially if you are going back to the flat in the future

Thanks for your responses. I typed a reply a few days ago, but lost it to the middle of the night 'Mumsnet is offline for backup' gremlins. Grrr.....

I (obviously) don't want to buy a cheap machine and end up being penny-wise and pound-foolish, but neither do I think I must install an eye-wateringly expensive model either.

The three models I am considering at the moment are:

Zanussi £639
Bosch £870
Siemens £999

Does anyone have experience of those brands?

I am leaning toward the Siemens because that is the same make as the old model (which was installed in 1996!). It was a good robust machine that only had to be repaired once when an underwire bra wire came out during a cycle, and got stuck causing a malfunction (I know, i know - handwash!).

I am a bit wary of Indesit and Beko as they are so much less expensive than many others (in the £400 range).

Fwiw - I don't expect the machine to be used heavily by the tenants as they are a childless professional couple.

I never pay over about £450 for a washing machine for us as a family anyway. As I said, Indesit have done us proud, and had they been selling Indesits in the shop I had to get my new one from I would have bought an Indesit again. I do use my machines heavily - having military and school uniform to wash and the Indesits were the best machines I ever used.

I bought a Bosch dishwasher, but never will again - will go back to Indesit once I am back in UK.

I would go for Bosch every time. I have them in all my properties. I use bosch for DW and washing machines, but I'm not so fussy about fridges.

an I just say that if it was a few weeks ago then you really need to do something about it now. It will get to the point where they don't care what it is as long as they can have clean clothes. More than a week is too long IMO.

Bosch suck, especially their dishwashers.