Selling Broken & Damaged Home & Garden

26 guides to selling home & garden that are broken, damaged or incomplete. Every one covers what it is worth at Fair and For Parts, how to grade and photograph the defect, and what buyers ask before committing.

This category splits cleanly in two. Garden machinery is mechanical and behaves like tools: mowers, trimmers and pressure washers are repaired, and old fuel is the single most common cause of a ‘broken’ one. Soft furnishings and glassware behave like clothing: they are bought for material and for restoration. Old horticultural glass is the hazard to respect — it is not toughened and breaks into blades rather than cubes.

Before you write it off

On garden machinery, stale fuel is the answer far more often than a dead engine — petrol goes off in a few months and gums the carburettor. Drain it, put fresh in, and try again before you list. On electrical items, check the fuse and the cord at the strain relief. On anything glazed, establish whether the glass is toughened before you handle a broken pane.

What a defect actually costs you

WishThrift grades run New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts. Fair is roughly 45% of the working price and covers heavy use or a described fault; For Parts is roughly 25% and covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen. Grades are seller-declared — nobody inspects them for you — so an honest grade plus a clear photograph of the defect is what actually closes the sale. All five grades explained.

Across the 26 guides below, For Parts prices run from about £1 at the low end to £112 at the top, against £3 to £450 for the same items in sound condition. Those are guide figures in sterling; WishThrift lists in your local currency and does not convert for you.

Every home & garden guide

Frequently asked questions

Why will my mower or strimmer not start?

Nine times out of ten, stale fuel. Petrol degrades within months and gums the carburettor, so drain it, put fresh in and try again before you list anything as broken. It is the single most common reason garden machinery is written off.

Is broken garden glass safe to sell?

Old horticultural glass is not toughened and breaks into long blades rather than cubes, so handle and dispose of it properly and never leave fragments on the plot. Greenhouse frames sell perfectly well on their own, so treat frame and glazing as separate propositions.

Listing is free and there is no commission. Neither side pays a buyer-protection fee either — create a free account to list yours, or browse the full faulty and damaged index.