The short version
- Typical range: £80 – £300 — see the full washing machine value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Kitchen & Appliances
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Run a short cycle and watch the whole thing: fill, wash, drain and spin. Note any grinding, banging or leaking.
- Clean the detergent drawer, door seal and filter. A mouldy seal is the single thing that makes a buyer walk away.
- Find the model number on the door frame or rear, and locate the transit bolts if you still have them.
The photographs that sell a washing machine
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The whole machine, front, in place
- The drum interior and the door seal, clean and clearly lit
- The model and rating label
- The mid-cycle display running, which proves it works better than any description
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Brand, capacity and spin speed are the search: “Bosch 8kg 1400rpm Washing Machine, Working”. Capacity in kilograms matters to families and is often left out. If it is integrated rather than freestanding, that must be in the title — it fits an entirely different kitchen.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Brand, model number, drum capacity in kg and spin speed in rpm
- Freestanding or integrated
- Approximate age, and any repairs or replaced parts
- Whether transit bolts are included, which matter for safe moving
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a washing machine. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Run a full cycle on a dry floor and check. Answer with what you observed rather than a general reassurance — this is the buyer’s real fear.
Give a year if you know it or an honest estimate if not. Machines over about eight years old are priced as a gamble and buyers want to make that judgement themselves.
Say yes and mean it. Offering a demonstration at collection is the strongest thing you can do for a used appliance listing.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The washing machine value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £190 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a washing machine — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £190 |
| Poshmark | −£38 | £152 |
| eBay | −£26 | £164 |
| Mercari | −£19 | £171 |
| Etsy | −£12 | £178 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
Sells quickly year round because it is a distress purchase — people buy when theirs has died. A working machine with a demonstration offer often sells within days.
Collection only in practice: heavy, plumbed in and impossible to post economically. Drain it fully and fit the transit bolts if you have them, and be clear whether you will help carry it.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a used washing machine worth?
Usually £80 to £300 depending on brand, capacity and age. Working condition and a recent build matter far more than looks. See the washing machine value guide.
Should I sell a washing machine that needs repair?
You can, listed honestly as Fair or For Parts with the fault described. There is a real market among repairers and landlords. What does not work is selling a faulty machine as working — it is heavy, and it will come back to you.
Do I need to include transit bolts?
They are not essential but they help. Without them the drum can be damaged in transit, so if you have them, include them and say so — buyers who have moved a machine before will appreciate it.
See also: what a used washing machine is worth · browse live kitchen & appliances listings · condition grades explained.