Hilary Farr's Advice For Buying Kitchen Appliances Is Easy To Follow

Kitchen remodels can become pricey, and fast. In fact, remodeling your kitchen is one of the costliest upgrades you can make to your house. According to BankRate, a minor kitchen remodel typically costs $27,500. However, the ROI is very high — 96%. But this return plummets when you begin to tinker with luxury materials and appliances, fetching you only 38%. Sometimes bigger and more expensive isn't better, which seasoned HGTV designer Hilary Farr understands. Since she has redesigned thousands of homes, she knows what is worth splurging on and what requires a more tight-fisted approach. And according to her, when it's time to choose your appliances, you want to meet somewhere in the middle.

Farr recommends staying on budget, but stretching it so you pick the fanciest option you can afford. This doesn't mean going over-budget; it means choosing something on the nicer end that's still within your comfort zone. This strategy is significant because it allows you to both consider what is fiscally responsible and what is aesthetically pleasing. Here is a closer look at Farr's advice on how to narrow down your kitchen appliance choices. 

A budget can help you narrow down your appliance choices significantly, but there are still plenty of options to wade through within your limits. To help you decide which appliance is best, Farr has one simple rule. "Kitchens are the perfect example of blending beauty and function. Now start with function and choose the highest quality appliances that you can possibly afford," she told Desert Financial Credit Union. This will help you strike a balance between choosing something beautiful and wanting to stay budget-conscious.

To put this into practice, first look at the function of your appliance. If you're choosing an oven, list out all the things you want the oven to do. This can include just being a simple convection oven, or expand its functionality into air frying and offering steam-cleaning capabilities. Once you narrow down your must-haves, select a budget you're comfortable with. Then look up ovens within that range, and narrow down that list to the ones at the top of that price point. This process will ensure you get the best of both worlds. 

If you have selected an appliance that is at the higher end of your budget but you wish it were a little less expensive, there are various ways you can make it more cost-effective. The first is to bundle your appliances under the same name brand. By buying your fridge, stove, and oven with the same brand, you can usually score manufacturer rebates that can total up to thousands of dollars. Or, if they don't offer a bundle discount, manufacturers will usually offer something for free, like a dishwasher or vent hood. This can make the purchase seem less like it's teetering on going over budget. 

You can also add to the discounts with the help of a utility rebate. If your preferred appliance is Energy Star certified, you can get a tax credit for choosing a green option. (Plus, that appliance upgrade adds value to your home!) All you have to do is go to the Energy Star Rebate Finder and see if your chosen product is listed. You can also go to your utility company's website and see if they offer any credits for making the switch. For example, if you have ComEd, they offer a $100 rebate on induction stoves. That's money in the bank.