Home workshop appliance repair and resale
Repair washers and dryers in your garage or workshop, taking in units and reselling reconditioned ones.
- £1k-4k
- Side hustle
- From home
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
Official data
2,228 UK companies in this field, 32% registered in the last 2 years
SIC 95220 “Repair of household appliances and home and garden equipment”. Source: Companies House, November 2026.
What it is
A workshop-based service where you collect or accept washing machines and dryers, repair them in a garage or small unit, and sell some reconditioned appliances.
Your first three steps
- Check you have space, power and access for a safe workshop, and whether your landlord, lender or council needs to agree
- Source donor machines and parts, and practise reconditioning a few units to test your costs and time
- List reconditioned machines on online marketplaces and local groups, and offer landlords a collection and repair service
Who pays
Households wanting a cheaper repair, landlords with several properties, and buyers of reconditioned machines.
How it makes money
Repair fees plus parts, and profit on reconditioned appliances sold with a short guarantee.
Skills that help
- Fault finding and repair
- Testing and cleaning appliances
- Pricing and selling second-hand goods
Watch out for
- Planning or lease restrictions on running a workshop from home, check with your council, landlord or mortgage lender
- Electrical safety testing of reconditioned appliances, check what is expected before selling
- Consumer rights on second-hand goods sold to the public, including what guarantees you give
- Public liability and product liability insurance
- Waste rules for scrap machines and old parts, check if you need waste carrier registration
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: home workshop appliance repair and resale
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start an appliance repair workshop?
Estimates suggest startup costs typically around £1,000 to £4,000, depending on tools, workspace set-up and insurance. Public liability and product liability insurance are worth checking before you start.
How much can I earn repairing and reselling washing machines?
Estimated monthly revenue is typically around £600 to £3,000, depending on how many repairs you do and how many reconditioned machines you sell. Agree what guarantees you give on second-hand goods.
What should I check before running an appliance workshop from home?
Check planning or lease restrictions with your council, landlord or mortgage lender. Also check the electrical safety testing expected before selling reconditioned appliances, consumer rights on second-hand goods, and waste carrier registration for scrap.
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