Washer-Dryer Options

I am so torn about my washer/dryer.  I am putting the washer/dryer in the master closet.  It is on the 2nd floor so I’d like it to be fairly stable and not vibrate too much.  I’m not too worried about noise.  It will be on the other end of the house from the Den and the Master Bedroom so I think it’ll be ok if it’s a little noisy.

Water is very expensive in the Boston area so High Efficiency Washers make sense.  I’m not the hugest fan of front-loading.  I find it to be much less ergonomic to get into the washer with it being so low to the ground.  Then again, the ability to stack is very nice.  That would give me room for a folding surface next to the washer/dryer stack.  Then again, The top of the dryer is already a great folding surface.

The laundry area in the closet is in a corner to the left of a window.  There is just enough room to put a washer/dryer set side-by side.  I also then have the option to put cabinets above the washer dryer. If I get front loaders, I can put a surface above both of them though. Great folding surface and such a chic built-in look.

The top-loader can look chic and practical as well:

I’ve narrowed it down to a couple options.

The first is the low-end, cheapest washer/dryer set I cam buy.  Amana from Home Depot.  The Set with a gas dryer is $878.  Still pricey.

One would think I’d be able to get them on Craigslist but no luck.  They are just as expensive or more than 10 years old and I don’t want to carry them up the stairs just to have to replace them in a couple years.

The Next step up is the lowest-end energy efficient top loader, the Maytag Centennial series which can be used with GIGA Turbines. At $1096 for the pair, they are just $218 more expensive than the lowest end and they will be quieter, more efficient, and higher-end looking.

The next step up is the Front-loader set. This set from GE is $1498 which is quite pricey. $620 more than a standard washer/dryer.

I’m leaning toward the high-efficiency top-load. I could go down a notch with the dryer since those are all equally inefficient. There is no rule that says the washer-dryer have to match and if I’m not planning on stacking them, I don’t need to get a matching set.