From microwaves and ovens to washers, dryers and other essential equipment, dealing with damaged or broken household appliances can be a stressful experience.
It can also be an expensive one. Price quote data from Which? shows that it costs anywhere from £69 to £200 to repair common household appliances such as dryers, dishwashers and washing machines.
The largest and most expensive repairs are typically motor replacements, which can cost well into the hundreds of pounds. As a result, bringing the essential appliances you rely on back to working condition isn’t always an affordable process.
Luckily, there are several ways to make the cost of appliance repairs more manageable, from short-term loans to warranty programmes. We’ve listed four of the best methods below, along with information on how they can help you save time, stress and money.
Call several repair traders before you make a decision
Not all appliance repair experts specialise in the same equipment and repairs, meaning you could get a different quotation from one trader than from another.
One of the fastest, easiest ways to save money on your next appliance repair is to call several traders before you make a decision. Choose a trader that offers a fair price and a good level of experience to make sure the repair is both affordable and lasting.
Check to see if your appliance is still under warranty
If your appliance is relatively new, you might not need to pay for it to be repaired. Many home appliances come with reasonably generous warranties, meaning the manufacturer might fix or replace it for you at no charge.
Did you buy an extended warranty for your oven, washing machine, TV or other appliance? If so, make sure you call the retailer you bought the device from for more information on whether or not the warranty covers your appliance’s specific problem.
Severely damaged? Consider buying a new appliance
In some cases, your appliance might be so severely damaged that repairing it just isn’t a cost effective idea. In this case, you’ll usually save money by replacing it with a new item instead of shopping around for an affordable repair deal.
If you’d like to recover as much money as possible from the broken appliance, think about listing it online or in your local newspaper as available for parts. Some appliance stores could also be willing to accept it as a trade-in item, although this will depend on its condition.
Use a short-term loan to cover the cost of a replacement
There’s no way around it — buying a new appliance can be an expensive process. Luckily, there are a variety of financing options to make replacing your dryer, oven, microwave or other home appliance more affordable.
One option is to use in-store financing to break down the cost of a new appliance into a series of smaller, more manageable payments. If this option isn’t available, you can also take out a short term loan from a company like Mr Lender to split the cost into several installments.
Finally, you can use your bank overdraft to pay for the item all at once, although this could cost more over the long term than other financing options.
