Have you shopped for major appliances? If so, where have you found the best deals? It's been a while since I've shopped for any, and when I did, I ended up buying mine at Home Depot, because the prices were right, they had a good selection, and also shipping was free. I don't know if they offer removal, but that's something I'm interested in, as well as probably free hookup of the new one. I'm having an issue with the stove here at The House I'm renting. No doubt if I even bring it up to the landlady she will toss a hissy fit and claim she'll send someone to 'fix' it, so I'd like to be pre-armed with information on a low cost replacement. I haven't even measured the stove or the space where it will go yet, but I'm sure it's probably the standard 30" oven that's in most small kitchens. I don't need anything fancy, and of course she's not going to pay for anything high end, but I would like another gas range. If anyone comes across any deals, feel free to paste me a link here, so I can check it out. I'm going to fiddle with the one I've got, but it's been on its way out for a while now, and I don't think it can be resurrected.
Perhaps you can offer to split the cost with her on a new stove? Ultimately, having someone come out and repair an old stove can end up costing nearly a third or more of the price of a new (basic level) stove. Stores such as Sears also have outlet/clearance stores in some locations, where they sell returned items at steeply discounted prices. They may have a couple nicks or dents in them, or the original purchaser may have got it into their home and realized it wasn't right for their kitchen. Plus it's in her best interest to not have the place blow up due to an old stove that is perhaps leaking gas and not working properly. Besides, she's making an investment in her property for both you and future tenants. You may also be able to get them to sell you the floor model at place like Home Depot, or keep an eye out for recently discontinued models that they are looking to unload.
Thanks for the suggestions, @ohiotom76. I've got it working for now, It's not a matter of gas leaking or anything like that. The door has been falling apart for years now, and it's just a really old stove that needs to be replaced. I've somehow got it so the door stays shut for the most part, and I can cook again. Yay. She's a slumlord, and every time something has to be repaired (such as the ceiling collapsing from water leaks that had apparently been ongoing for years), it takes forever for her to fix, then she starts talking about raising the rent. I can't afford higher rent or to move, so it's not worth it for me, and I've decided to deal with it the way it is for now. I may consider investing in a good toaster oven in the future if it happens again. I'm not going to invest any money (I don't have any to invest, anyway) into this place or anything that will end up benefiting her if I do move eventually.
I think a good toaster oven is a good idea here, because you can take it with you. It sounds like it won't be worth you splitting the cost as you won't get it back. Landlords don't want to replace things unless they have to, but a door falling off means that it's not safe. If there is a good bargain one, you could mention it, or even look on freecycle.
I just bought all new appliances. While I called around to get prices on the models I liked I found the best prices at a store called Canadian Appliance Source. They have great prices that other stores can't beat. I ended up buying a stove, fridge, dishwasher, fan and microwave from them. The more I bought the better my discounts were. The only problem we encountered was when we went to return the fan, it didn't fit and they wanted to charge a restocking fee, which my husband emphatically told the manager we were not paying. Other than that we have no complaints with this store and you can't beat the prices. If you are in Canada and looking for appliances I'd check out their website.
I guess it's a bit late because the pre-Christmas sales of appliances in the mall stores offer the biggest discount. Our 40-inch Samsung tv was offered for $500 only which used to sell for $800. We didn't think twice when we purchased that and all we required was a demo if the set was working well. That was last year though and this year we didn't buy any appliances although I had seen the promo and bargain sales when we went in the mall to shop for Christmas gifts.
I've seen some good clearance prices on major appliances at Home Depot. I also noticed that Sears Outlet stores has some good deals on appliances if you don't mind small scratches. I once saw a washer dryer space saving combo there for $125 that just had a tiny dent.
