Fix it or bin it? A homeowner's guide to appliance repairs
When a repairer is worth calling, what the visit involves, and how to make the repair-or-replace call without wasting money either way.
A washing machine that stops mid-cycle has a talent for terrible timing. Your first instinct is usually either panic-buying a replacement or watching three fix-it videos and reaching for a screwdriver — and there's a sensible middle path between the two.
A good appliance repairer can often have the machine running again in a single visit, for a fraction of the cost of a new one. The trick is knowing when a repair makes sense, and how to set the visit up so it doesn't turn into two.
What an appliance repairer actually does
An appliance repairer diagnoses and fixes whitegoods and household appliances — washing machines, dishwashers, dryers, fridges, ovens and cooktops. The visit usually starts with a call-out that covers travel and diagnosis, and simple problems like a blocked pump, a worn door seal or a failed thermostat are commonly sorted on the spot.
The line to watch is fuel and wiring. Anything gas — a gas cooktop, a gas oven — must be worked on by a licensed gasfitter, and anything hardwired into the switchboard rather than plugged into a socket needs a licensed electrician. A general repairer handles the plug-in appliances; the licensed trades handle the rest.
What repairs tend to cost
Most repairs land in the low hundreds all-in, with the call-out fee — typically around the hundred-to-hundred-and-fifty mark — folded into the total. Simple one-visit fixes sit at the bottom of the range, a standard part replacement like a pump or heating element sits in the middle, and major components push towards the top.
Parts are the swing factor. Common parts for popular brands are cheap and often carried in the van, while control boards, compressors and parts for premium European brands can cost more than the labour, sometimes need a second visit, and occasionally cost more than a second-hand replacement machine. Treat any figure as indicative until a repairer has seen your actual appliance.
Choosing a repairer worth the call-out
General appliance repair isn't a licensed trade, so reputation does the heavy lifting: recent reviews, brands they regularly service, and whether they'll give you a rough diagnosis over the phone from a model number. A repairer who asks for the model number before booking is a good sign — it means they're planning to bring the likely part.
The other mark of a good tech is honesty about the repair-versus-replace question. Once a repair passes roughly half the price of a new appliance, replacement usually wins, and a decent repairer will say so even though it talks them out of work. If yours won't give a view either way, get a second opinion before approving an expensive part.
Mistakes to avoid
Most wasted money on appliance repairs comes from skipping the two-minute setup: no model number given, no repair ceiling agreed, and a call-out fee paid just to learn the machine isn't worth fixing.
- Booking without giving the exact model number — it often turns one visit into two
- Approving an expensive part without asking for a repair-versus-replace opinion first
- Letting anyone unlicensed touch a gas appliance or hardwired oven
- Paying same-day emergency rates for an appliance you could live without for a few days
- Forgetting to ask whether the call-out fee comes off the repair price if you go ahead
Indicative range only, not a quote — see the full guide for worked scenarios and what moves the price.
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