If you are in the market for a new washing machine, fridge or freeze then you may struggle to fork out the high costs of a brand new one. Second hand appliances can often be picked up at a fraction of the cost of a new one and often have a good few many years left in them.

There are a number of places in which you can buy second hand appliances but you need to think carefully before parting with your cash. If you are buying a reconditioned appliance from a shop they should be able to give you some sort of warranty, if not then I would be a little dubious and go elsewhere.

If you are buying from a private buyer then ideally you want it to be someone you know or at least make sure that you see the item fully working before committing to the sale. It may be that it has an intermittent fault on it and unfortunately not everyone is honest and you may not find out until you have gone through the hassle and expense of transporting it and installing it.

Try to establish why the buyer is selling this one and find out how long they have owned it for. If they will not let you see it working, then it’s time to look elsewhere.