Should you buy a used appliance?

Consumer Reports looks at the used-appliance market from the buyer’s side — when a secondhand fridge or washer is a smart buy, and what separates a good used unit from a risky one: age, brand, condition, whether it still works as designed, and any remaining warranty. Read it as a buyer, and it’s a guide; read it as a seller, and it’s a price sheet.

Because the very things that make a buyer comfortable are the things that set your appliance’s residual value. A unit you can prove is in good working order, with its model and age documented and any coverage still intact, commands far more than an identical one sold as-is and unexplained. OwnWise helps you build that case: it confirms what’s working (and fixes the cheap thing that isn’t), tracks the model and warranty status, and turns a vague “used appliance” into a credible, higher-value listing.

CR tells buyers what to look for; OwnWise helps you be the seller they’ll pay more for.