According to a special February survey question in the monthly NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, nearly 90% of single-family builders reported that they had experienced difficulty obtaining appliances in “a timely fashion” over the last six months. Fifty-one percent reported experiencing these issues “to a major extent,” and 38% to a minor extent. One builder wrote in that his appliances had been on back order for months.
In some cases, a builder may be able to sell a house without including all appliances, leaving it to the ultimate home owner to supply one or more of them. This is not always practical, however—depending on the type of house and appliance.
According to the same survey report, builders provide refrigerators in two-thirds of their single-family homes, garbage disposals in 85 percent, microwaves in 88 percent, dishwashers in 93 percent, and some combination of range/cooktop/wall oven in 97 percent. So when these appliances are not available as usual, large proportions of new home completions and closings are affected.
