Problems of Owning Furniture & Appliances
The real story of buying a new furniture or appliance takes over our savings.
Whenever we go to buy new home furniture or appliances, be it online or brick-and-mortar store, our first thought is usually, “How much will it cost?”
Well, that cost is quite straightforward. Depending on the product brand, type and functionalities, you will get a fixed price on the product. However, a much larger question is here, that ultimately defines how much money you actually spend:
See, when we calculate the price we pay on just the product’s MRP, we’re missing out on hidden costs that we have to incur later — relocation, repair & maintenance and later the hassle of disposing off the product in case we want a different one or upgrade.
Relocation
Let’s start with relocation here, the highly unorganised packing and moving industry does not offer standardized pricing, even if relocation is intracity or intercity. We have to haggle with many different companies for the prices and do all the groundwork to find a deal that doesn’t leave you broke.
Moving Vehicle
There are many options when it comes to choosing a moving vehicle and vehicle provider in the city or intercity. The typical cost for, say, moving from Pimpri Chinchwad to Khed Shivapur will be in the range between Rs.1500–3500. This cost often includes a base fare, a distance fee and a time fee. We have to consider a vehicle for moving 180 to 220 cubic feet of our goods, including 1 bed, 1 refrigerator, 1 RO, table, chairs, almirah, kitchen utensils, 1 washing machine and other miscellaneous items.
And for the inter-city, there is another astronomical price for relocation.
Manpower & labour charges
Typically 2 people are needed for moving 1 BHK entirely. Taking an average cost of Rs.500 for each person totalling about at Rs.1000, excluding tips and extra fees for cleaning. And let’s not forget that we have to supervise and inspect the goods while they are packing.
And these prices are for in the city and if we want to move to another city then the charges gonna go up.
Packing material
When moving fragile items, specifically kitchen utensils and household appliances like fridge, AC, microwave and washing machine, we really do not want to take risks in considering packing materials. It can be durable bubble wrap, styrofoam for expensive appliances like fridge and microwave. The cost of keeping our expensive appliances and delicate furniture safe can fall in the range of Rs.1000–3500.
Toll taxes
Depending on the route along which our moving truck will go, we will be charged with toll and highway taxes. Some movers provide a higher than actual invoice which includes these charges.
Unpacking
Unlike relocation in the city, usually the packers doesn’t give unpacking services for intercity relocation. We have to offer additional fees for it.
Insurance: 3% of declared goods value
Many movers and packers insist on insurance for our goods and it is advisable to do so. Especially for the new and expensive furniture and appliances
Even with industry-wide price variation, the average cost for inter-city relocation comes up to Rs.25,000.
But here’s the catch: Imagine if we were to not relocate your furniture or appliances, and just had to pack a few suitcases and bags when moving homes, both within the city and between cities. With AppliancesOnRent, we can eliminate these high costs of relocation and move our essentials. When we rent furniture and appliances from Appliances On Rent, we are already provided with insured products. Moreover, when moving, instead of hauling everything from one place to another, It simply provides us with the same products in another city. This saves logistic costs and damage risks, and in turn, it ensures a smoother experience for us in our new home.
Maintenance
Now we might say that we don’t have to pay any of the aforementioned costs as we are not relocating anywhere. Well, as it turned out, there are plenty of places where we have to burn our money for the furniture and appliances that we own and one of them is maintenance.
Furniture maintenance can burn a hole in our pocket, more so for high-end furniture, which already costs a premium to buy.
Sofas, for instance, need regular cleaning and shampooing to maintain the fabric. The average cleaning cost for a 3+2 seater sofa set is usually between Rs.1,500 — Rs. 2,000. For upholstered office and dining chairs, the cost is Rs.500 — Rs. 1,000 each.
Appliance maintenance also costs as high as it can shake off the average budget of the family. Since most appliance comes with a 1-year warranty which covers maintenance and repairs. After that, we have to pay for it ourselves. Based on brand and type, the price can vary for the maintenance and if any part wears off and you have to replace it then it costs an additional budget.
Similar to relocation, AppliancesOnRent also offers maintenance services that ensure your extra expenses are minimal. All products undergo routine quality inspection and come with annual cleaning and maintenance. Furthermore, our direct contact with the appliance and furniture manufacturers eliminates middlemen and their charges, allowing us to keep these services free for you.