Fridge repair and refurbishment workshop

Households, landlords, letting agents, small food businesses and buyers of refurbished appliances.

Repair fees plus parts, collection and delivery charges, and profit from selling tested, refurbished units. Trade work from landlords can fill quiet periods.

• Electrical and mechanical fault-finding
• Testing and safety checks
• Basic bookkeeping and stock control
• Customer service and clear quoting

• Public liability and stock insurance for the unit
• Work on the sealed refrigerant system usually needs specific qualifications, so check what is required
• Startup costs add up: unit deposit and fit-out, recovery and testing equipment, tools, a van and stock of parts and units
• Safe storage and disposal of old appliances and refrigerant, including waste carrier and waste transfer rules
• Selling refurbished goods: check consumer rights, safety testing and any guarantee you offer
• Business rates, rent and lease terms on the unit
• Higher fixed costs, so check you have enough steady work before signing

Startup costs are typically around £15,000 to £50,000, depending on the unit deposit and fit-out, recovery and testing equipment, tools, a van and your stock of parts and units. These are estimates, so check you have enough steady work before signing a lease.

Monthly revenue is typically around £2,500 to £10,000, depending on repair volume, bulk work for landlords and refurbished sales. This is an estimate, and the workshop usually means around 30 hours a week or more. Fixed costs are higher, so plan for that.

Check what qualifications are usually needed for work on sealed refrigerant systems. Also check waste carrier and waste transfer rules for old appliances and refrigerant, consumer rights and safety testing for refurbished goods, and public liability and stock insurance.