If you need a washer and dryer in Raleigh or the Triangle, you've got two paths: buy a set and own it, or rent one and let someone else handle delivery and repairs. Buying looks cheaper if you only count the sticker price. Once you add everything in, the answer depends on your situation.
What buying a set really costs
- The machines: a new matched washer and dryer set runs about $900 to $1,600 at Triangle-area stores, more for high-end models.
- Delivery and hookup: often $50 to $100, plus haul-away of any old units.
- Repairs: the cost nobody budgets for. A single appliance repair visit can run $150 to $400+, and machines break most right when you're depending on them.
- Moving or reselling: when you leave, you either pay to move heavy appliances or sell them at a loss on Facebook Marketplace.
So the true cost of "buying" is closer to $1,100 to $2,000 up front and over the first few years once delivery and the first repair land.
What renting costs
Renting a set from Carolina Laundry Rentals is a flat $60 a month. That covers the matched washer and dryer, delivery, professional installation, and every repair for as long as you rent. There's no appliance to buy, no repair bills, and when you move we pick it up, no hauling and no reselling.
The break-even math
Over a long enough time, and if nothing ever breaks, buying wins on pure dollars: $60 a month is $720 a year, so a $1,200 set "pays for itself" in under two years. But that math assumes two things that often aren't true, that you'll stay in the same place for years, and that you'll never pay for a repair. One $300 repair or one move can erase the savings.
Who should buy, and who should rent
Buying usually wins if you own your home, you're staying put for years, you have the cash up front, and you're handy enough to shrug off a repair.
Renting usually wins if you rent your home, you might move in the next year or two, you don't want a four-figure hit up front, or you just don't want to deal with repairs and hauling.
Why renting fits so many Triangle households
The Triangle is a renter's region. Between Raleigh, Durham, and Cary, students at NC State, Duke, and UNC on nine-month leases, and professionals relocating for jobs at RTP, a huge share of households move every year or two. For them, sinking $1,200 into appliances they'll have to move or resell rarely makes sense, which is exactly where renting a set shines.
We serve the whole Triangle for a flat $60 a month. If renting sounds like the better fit, you can reserve a set in a couple of minutes.
Skip the laundromat, get a set at home
A matched washer & dryer, delivered and installed across the Triangle, for a flat $60/month. Repairs included.
Reserve your setFrequently asked
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a washer and dryer?
Buying is cheaper over the long run only if you stay in one place for years and never pay for a repair. Renting at a flat $60/month is cheaper and simpler for renters, students, anyone who might move soon, or anyone who doesn't want a $1,000+ upfront cost and surprise repair bills.
How much does it cost to buy a washer and dryer in the Triangle?
A new matched set runs about $900 to $1,600 at Triangle stores, plus $50 to $100 for delivery and hookup, and eventually repair costs of $150 to $400+ per visit.
What is included when you rent a washer and dryer?
With Carolina Laundry Rentals, $60/month covers the matched set, delivery, professional installation, and all repairs for as long as you rent. No appliance to buy and no repair bills.