Is Buying Used Appliances A Smart Way To Save Some Cash Or A Regrettable Mistake?

Just as every new appliance purchase isn't necessarily a home run, neither is every used appliance purchase likely to be ideal. But if you play your cards right, you'll get what you need without getting stuck with a dud. You can capitalize on the regrettable mistakes of others without making your own, and walk away with just the right appliance in tow (though we recommend a truck or trailer instead). 

The trick to improving your odds is using heuristics like brand reputation and trusting a vendor, doing your homework, and taking an honest inventory of what you require versus what you merely desire. If everything goes just right, you might even manage to get an unused appliance for half of its original retail price.

The first step of successfully buying a used appliance is knowing, very specifically, what you actually want to buy. Do you need the latest features, or whatever color is currently in fashion? Can do without recent "smart" features like, say, starting your dishwasher via smartphone from an interstate rest area? Do you have requirements like a propane cooktop, or a dryer that will accommodate a comforter? Do you prefer mechanical controls over computer circuitry? Building this list might narrow the matches you track down, but it will also make it more likely that you'll be happy with what you do find.

Knowing what you want is only half of the equation, though. You also have to find it, and make sure you don't settle for anything else. Some general rules apply to maximizing value in the used appliance marketplace. Buying a used appliance is — with one important exception we'll get to later — a process of buying something at a discount because of its age and the wear and tear it has experienced. For the sales to make economic sense to most sellers, you'll see the most meaningful savings on big-ticket items. So, the used appliance market is mostly useful for freestanding appliances like refrigerators, ovens, ranges, dishwashers, washers, and dryers.

The service life of these appliances can be as little as six years for some refrigerators, and as much as 15 years for other fridges, ovens, and ranges. Obviously, the usefulness and value of used refrigerators and other appliances is normally a function of age. Avoid appliances that are 15-20 years old, as they are at the end of their life expectancy and are likely to have substantial (and expensive) issues beyond normal maintenance repairs: Some appliance parts can be expected to wear out as if on a schedule, and this is normal. Improve your odds by giving preference to reliable brands, checking any machine you're considering over thoroughly, and carefully researching the model you're considering. If it has a terrible reputation for needing repairs or low life expectancy, steer yourself elsewhere.

The exception to practically all of what we've said so far is the vintage appliance. Many of the used appliance rules don't apply to vintage models, and the reasons are instructive. When you're calculating the useful life an appliance might still have, remember that pre-1980s appliances have a cult following because they are often far better built and more durable than more recent models from the same manufacturers. Modern appliances are often unreliable for a variety of reasons: cheap materials and other cost-cutting measures, unnecessary complexity that drives unreliability, and simple planned obsolescence. Those things don't usually apply to vintage appliances, which were built to last and, predating the features race and smart home obsession, focused on doing a few core tasks really well — like washing dishes or clothes, keeping food cold, and so on. They were more durable and designed with far more flair than today's stable of lookalikes.

For the aficionado, vintage appliances are more like a hobby than a shopping experience, and in some ways it's an approach most suited to the DIYer who's willing to make the occasional minor repair. That said, you can learn what to look for in modern used appliances by getting familiar with the vintage stuff. Are controls, valves, and pumps plastic-y rather than solid, substantial, even metal? How many microcontrollers are required to run the device? How many error codes can you find documentation for? Hint: vintage appliances neither have nor need them.

You can (and should) buy vintage appliances from individuals, but when shopping for used or refurbished appliances you should avoid online marketplaces ....  and really, anywhere you'll be buying from an individual. While you might sometimes get a better price from individual sellers, it's usually from someone who doesn't have the knowledge or any particular reason to look the machine over carefully before selling it. 

We mentioned above that your goal is to not get stuck with a dud. Here's how: Only buy from sellers like used appliance stores or repair shops who offer a guarantee, and you'll at least get an appliance that works on day one. Some thrift and non-profit stores offer a 30-day guarantee. If not, you might get stuck with a store credit with which you can buy a replacement appliance, or perhaps the other items such stores sell (maybe 30 bread machines or 50 weird commercial sconce lights that have quite understandably never been used).

Thrift and non-profit stores like Habitat ReStore occasionally get brand new appliances that have been rejected by new homeowners or for other reasons, so you can occasionally make the ultimate score. Aside from lucking upon a new appliance, your best bet for scoring the newest technology is trolling through the open-box deals, refurbs, and floor models at your local appliance and big-box home improvement stores. You can often get deep discounts in exchange for minor dings or the occasional missing (and inconsequential) screw.