How to sell your used appliance for top dollar

If you want to sell a used appliance that's in great condition, you want to make sure you get a fair price for it. Here are some tips to help you.

Let's say you've just moved into a new home that comes with some appliances but you've got your old ones too. You're probably going to want to sell an appliance (or two). If you go onto Kijiji or Craigslist, you'll see a lot of used appliances for sale. If you're savvy and can dedicate some time and elbow grease to the project, you can increase your asking price - because let's face it, used appliances don't generally fetch a lot of money when posted for sale.

[caption id="attachment_74485" align="aligncenter" width="500"] sell your appliance for more Washer and Dryer for sale $150. Inglis model, excellent condition, as advertised on Kijiji[/caption]

Given the cost of new appliances these days, this pair looks like a great option for someone on a tight budget. As a buyer, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal on a washer-dryer set, but as a seller, you might be pretty discouraged.

How to sell your used appliance for more than the average listed price

One general tip is to think like a buyer - "What would I be looking for in a used appliance?" Here are a few ideas to help you sell your appliance in its maximum price range. :

Use online sites

Sites like Craigslist and Kijiji have decimated the newspaper want ads section, and for good reason. Posting is immediate, free, and easy to do. People looking for used items will start with these two sites as a matter of course. There are two newcomers to the field, however, that you might want to consider: OfferUp and LetGo. They are a little more user-friendly and provide easy posting right from your smartphone with their apps. One of the negatives of these latter two sites is that they don't have as active a user-base yet as at the other two sites, however, it costs you nothing to post on more than one site in order to maximize exposure. (Use caution when selling online. Here is a great article on how to sell things online safely.)

Post several photos

The more appliance photos you show, the more likely you will get people inquiring about it. Photos demonstrate its condition and without them, few people will bother contacting you. Take pictures of the outside, and interior, and, if possible the model and serial number of the item. Don't use photos from the manufacturer's website as they don't represent the condition of your actual unit.

Link to the manufacturer's owner manual

If you can identify the model and serial number of the unit, you can use that information to identify exactly when it was made. The manufacturer's website will help you figure out where on your unit you can find the model number. Here's an example from Bosch for their ranges:

[caption id="attachment_74480" align="aligncenter" width="840"] identify where your appliance model number is located Ex. of how to find a model number on a Bosch range. Visit the manufacturer's website. https://bit.ly/2PoqFFI[/caption]

Use a site like appliance411.ca to help you determine how old your model is if you don't have the owner's manual on hand and you do have the serial number. Once you've identified its age and model number, you can use that information to find your owner's manual.

List the appliance's features

The owner's manual will give you a lot of great information about the appliance that you may have never known (or forgotten about). Things such as whether or not it's Energy Star certified, whether it conserves water, and if it's a dishwasher, its noise level rating (in decibels) will be listed in the owner's manual. Especially if you are selling a high-end used appliance, you will want to make sure the advantages of the appliance are featured in your listing.

Prepare the appliance for sale

To get the highest price possible for the unit take steps to make it as easy for someone to buy as possible. Clean it thoroughly and touch-up any blemishes that might exist. This is a little easier with a white appliance than a stainless-steel appliance as you can buy white touch-up paint at any hardware store for less than $5. Stainless steel requires more effort and only minor scratches can be repaired at home.Replace any knobs or dials that have gone missing or broken, and ensure that it is fully functional (for instance, if it's a range and one burner is broken, repair it before you list it for sale).

Store for a short amount of time in a dry, pest-free place

This part is a bit tricky - a buyer is going to want to likely see/hear the appliance in action, but from a safety perspective, you don't really want a stranger coming through your home. If you can store a range or refrigerator in a garage and plug it in when the buyer arrives to show it working, that would be ideal. It's a little more difficult for a washer, dryer and dishwasher (where you need water or venting). If you are selling appliances in a house you are moving out of you can permit people to come in after the movers have cleared out everything.

Pricing

Use online listings in your area to determine what a reasonable price is for your appliance. Using competing listings, evaluate your model versus others of the same year or model number and features to judge how much you can list yours for. As with cars, if you're selling older, luxury appliances such as Sub-Zero or Miele, you can demand a higher price based on their reliability and repairability compared to mid-priced models.