Your Refrigerator Is the Reason Your House Isn’t Selling 

If you’re ready to sell your home, every detail of your home will be under scrutiny from buyers.

Case in point: Your fridge may be more important than you think, especially if it’s a different brand or style than the rest of your kitchen appliances.

For today's homebuyers who are already stretching budgets to cover mortgage rates, this patchwork look is often an immediate psychological turnoff, according to real estate agents and designers. 

“It signals a piecemeal approach to home maintenance that leaves buyers wondering what else was neglected, instantly adding an expensive chore to their post-closing to-do list,” says Taylor Lucyk, licensed real estate broker at the Taylor Lucyk Group in Bergen County, NJ.

Oftentimes, investing in a basic appliance set that matches makes more sense than offering seller concessions. It’s usually the cost-effective option that gets your home off the market for more.

Is fixing the mismatch worth it?

Most real estate experts agree that leaving a kitchen mismatched is almost always more expensive than fixing it. 

This is particularly true if you’re selling a more expensive or luxury property. It also applies if you’re listing a medium priced home with buyers who may be more concerned about finances and replacements. 

“A brand-new, cohesive four-piece stainless steel likely costs less than you may believe. A package generally runs between $2,500 and $5,000,” explains Lucyk. 

If you’re looking to maximize your return, Lucyk recommends purchasing a discounted single-brand appliance bundle to instantly modernize the space. 

Dell Jeanty, real estate agent at Dell Residential at Samson Properties in Arlington, VA, points out that aside from painting, buying matching appliances is one of the least expensive upgrades you can make before you list your home.

“At the end of the day, mismatched appliances are a turnoff for buyers, since many want HGTV home ready. Random appliances that don't align are seen as an eyesore,” Jeanty says. 

Levi Rodgers of LRG Realty in San Antonio had a listing where the sellers refused to swap out a 12-year-old white fridge in an otherwise updated kitchen. The home sat 47 days before going under contract about $9,000 below the comp range.

“The fix is cheap relative to the cost of getting it wrong,” explains Rodgers.

By investing in appliances that create a clean, cohesive look, you’re more likely to create foot traffic and get top dollar for your home. 

“With matched appliances, you are on a better negotiation footing. You have a larger buyer pool,” adds Jeanty.

Why concessions can cost more

If your appliances don’t match, buyers may be tempted to ask for concessions, which are costs you’ll be asked to cover to sell your home.

In many cases, replacing the appliances is cheaper than agreeing to the concessions.

You can spend $2,500 to $5,000 on a basic set of matching stainless steel appliances from a retailer like Best Buy or Home Depot. Or you can anticipate concession requests you won’t want to accept. 

“From experience, I can tell you that either buyers demand some concession for the purchase of $3,000 to $7,000 in appliances, or they use this as a reason to make an offer well below asking price. Putting in the same money in appliances makes far more sense than conceding $5,000 and leaving your property listed for too long,” says Thomas O'Shaughnessy, vice president of Clever Real Estate in St. Louis.

Remember you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on new appliances. A basic set will almost always do the trick.

After all, the goal isn’t to fill your home with the most high-end devices. Instead, it’s to remove objections before buyers ever have a chance to use them against you.