By Yascha Noonberg, May 14, 2024
This photo of the new dishwasher in my condo listing looks pretty uninteresting. The path to get here though, is fraught with peril and could have been avoided. I’ve seen it happen enough times in my career to warrant doing this blog post about it.
It starts innocently enough… someone decides to order a new dishwasher from Home Depot or another large store where delivery, install, and the haul away of the old dishwasher is pretty affordable.
The day arrives when the delivery crew shows up with the new dishwasher and as they go to remove the old dishwasher, they hit an insurmountable challenge and all work comes to a grinding halt.
The updated kitchen flooring has been installed right up to the front of the old dishwasher and there is absolutely no way of getting it out!
Unfortunately, when some homeowners either try to replace their kitchen flooring themselves or hire a less-than-skilled worker to do it, they cut corners and instead of removing the dishwasher first and installing the new floor under the dishwasher so it can eventually be removed if necessary, they just keep it there and install the new flooring right up to the legs of the dishwasher which essentially traps it in place.
Often times, the only way to remove a dishwasher when that has happened is to remove enough flooring to create a path out for the dishwasher. Unfortunately, usually that involves pulling up half if not all of the kitchen flooring depending on the type of flooring it is and the orientation of the boards.
It’s one of those cases of an extra step during the floor install saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars when the dishwasher inevitably breaks down and needs to be replaced.
Fortunately in this case, I was partnering with a skilled contracts who was able to make a minor cut in the floor and then cut off the legs and pry out the old dishwasher to get the new one installed.
The lesson here is when doing a remodel, don’t ever assume that the appliances will last a long time. Always install flooring with the assumption that the dishwasher will need to come out at some point!
If you ever need a good contractor recommendation to help get your property ready to sell, I’ve got lots!
Yascha Noonberg
Principal Broker | ADU Specialist | OR
He/Him
Consistently featured as one of the Top 50 Brokers in Portland. Certified Residential Investment Specialist "Yascha is absolutely an asset, not only to his clients, but his industry as a whole as an example of how REALTORS® should strive to conduct business...
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