Which Appliance Outlet Stores Will Get You The Best Deals?

The upcoming Mother's Day marks one of the best times of the year to purchase a new home appliance. It's said you plan to fail when you fail to plan, and in the case of home appliances, that means thinking about what stores will score you the best deals. A great choice is an appliance outlet store, where cosmetic issues like marks or indentations motivate a retailer to sell at lower prices. As long as you don't mind these minor issues, you can secure a 50% discount or more on your purchase at a few of our favorites, including Best Buy and Lowes.

Depending on the size of your appliance, the average cost of an item is typically anywhere from $50 to $600 for a basic to high-end under-sink filtration system and between $200 and $5,000 for a basic to high-end refrigerator. Meanwhile, repairing your appliances will run you an average of $50 to $400, with repair technicians charging an eye-watering $50 to $125 — this doesn't even include the standard $70 to $130 diagnostic service fee. Taking advantage of the sort of great deals Best Buy and Lowes stores offer can actually make more sense than paying to repair an older one while also helping you decide when you should repair your oven or buy a new one. Here's why Best Buy and Lowes outlet stores are our top picks.

Since 2019, Lowes outlet stores have been growing in number, offering customers high discounts on lightly-used, scuffed, or discontinued appliances. Some locations can be found offering up to 75% off discounted appliances, while others have offered as high as 80%. Not to be outdone by the usual price reductions, you can also take advantage of special sales days at Lowes like Memorial Day, manager's specials, or during one of the best Black Friday appliance deals.

A few things to keep in mind are Lowes doesn't do installation, so anything requiring that will either have to be done by you or a professional, which we've already discussed will come at a cost. While Lowes will deliver appliances up to 50 miles from the outlet store, that typically comes with a $99 price tag for up to five delivered items within a 30 miles radius. That rises to $110 at the maximum 50-mile radius. 

If you want to save a bit more, you can rent a truck from Lowes for $19.99 for 90 minutes and deliver it yourself. They'll even help you load the truck. Your appliances come with a one-year warranty on top of which you can add a Lowes Protection Plan. Don't forget the 48-hour return and exchange policy at the outlet store your appliance was purchased at (with a receipt). Since higher discounts are usually indicative of more issues, stay away from these unreliable appliance brands when digging for discounts.

If you've ever walked into one of its regular stores and wondered if appliances are a good deal at Best Buy, this one is for you. Best Buy outlets take away the worry about getting a decent deal by regularly offering up to 70% discounts on select appliances. If you're looking for the steepest discount possible, there are 26 Best Buy outlet stores across 17 U.S. states where clearance and open-box products (appliances taken out of their boxes after purchase or for in-store displays) are sold.

Similar to Lowes, Best Buy offers delivery for a fee starting at $29.99. A member of Geek Squad is also available to assist with installation, with prices ranging from an additional $29.99 for a washing machine to $479.98 for an island hood. Something to keep in mind is that the cost of delivery with installation can vary with certain appliances, like with a gas dryer, for instance. If it still makes sense with the discount, Best Buy will also take your old appliance off your hands for $59.99 and recycle it through a third-party.