Second Hand Or New?
Hi,
I am living on my own in rented accommodation, and am likely to only be here for maybe 3 months or so. It seems like a waste of money to buy a brand new washing machine, as I may end up moving into shared housing in a few months (or another rental property with a washing machine already provided).
Am I right in thinking I'm best off just picking up a cheap second hand machine to tide me over? There are a few that come up on Gumtree Bristol, but its hard to assess their quality/reliability. They are normally around £80, but you get the odd one for £30 or reconditioned ones for more... But as most washing machines don't seem to be built to last anymore I don't really know if they are even worth it? Would I be better off getting a new machine and reselling?
What do you think?
Thanks for any advice,
Jacob
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Advice on short-term washing machine purchase for rented accommodation
- The problem
- The poster needed a washing machine for a rented property for about three months and wanted to know whether a cheap second-hand machine or a new one would be better value.
- Likely cause
- This was a buying advice query rather than a fault diagnosis. The main concern raised was the risk that a very cheap second-hand machine could fail and lead to repair costs, while a new machine would likely lose significant value if resold after only a short period.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was to avoid buying new for such a short period and instead look for the cheapest suitable second-hand machine from a local repairer or shop, preferably with a guarantee. Renting was mentioned as potentially preferable, but minimum rental periods were said to make that less practical.
- Checks to try
- Consider whether the seller is a local repairer or shop offering a guarantee
- Consider the likely resale loss if buying new for only three months of use
- Check whether any short-term rental arrangement is available locally
2 Answers
It's a shame the property doesn't have a washing machine, I can see your dilemma. If you buy a cheap second hand one the risk is that it goes wrong leaving you with a potentially expensive repair. If it's in good working order it should be ok but the risk is there. If you get one from a local repairer it should at least be guaranteed. Ideally if you could rent one just for the 3 months ago that might be preferable but rental companies want a longer minimum period so unless you can arrange something with a local shop you are going to have to buy something.
I have some advice on buying second hand from a trader and privately looking at your rights here - What are my consumer rights buying second hand washing machine?
Buying a new machine then trying to sell it means you'll be likely to lose a fair bit of money as it would lose a lot of value even in 3 months. I'd try to get one as cheap as possible from a local repairman or shop who understands your situation.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Thanks Andy, I appreciate the advice. Will see if I can pick up something cheap with a guarantee.
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