The short version
A used appliance is worth what a similar model costs new, reduced for how much of its useful life has gone and for its condition. Three kinds of published evidence agree on the rough size of that reduction.
| Evidence | What it says | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Reports (updated Apr 2025) | Used appliances can be up to 75% off retail; the average is about 50% off, even for unused items | industry guide (Consumer Reports) |
| Commonplace resale marketplace (Jun 2026) | Most used goods sell for 20–40% of retail; like-new 50–70%, good 30–50%, fair 15–30%, for parts 10% or less | trade estimate (Commonplace) |
| The Appliance Advisor directory | Private sales roughly 20–40% of new; dealer prices 40–70% below new | trade estimate (The Appliance Advisor) |
| Used-appliance dealers (SC, FL, TX, OH, MO) | Used fridges $175–$1,000, washers $175–$500, dryers $175–$350, ranges $100–$550, dishwashers from $125, with 30–90 day warranties | dealer published prices, viewed Sep 2026 |
| Dealer buying from the public (NV) | Pays $50–$100 for fridges, $50–$75 for washers, $25–$50 for dryers | dealer published prices, viewed Sep 2026 |
The full list of 24 price observations is in our used price evidence summary below.
How the calculator estimates value
The calculator above uses a simple, transparent formula. It’s our estimate, built from the sources on this page.
Estimate = new price band × age factor × condition factor
1. New price band. Pick the tier that matches the appliance, based on typical new prices in September 2026:
| Appliance | Basic | Mid | Premium | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | $500–$1,000 (top-freezer) | $1,000–$2,300 (side-by-side, bottom-freezer, entry French door) | $2,300–$5,000 (large or counter-depth French door) | industry guides (CR, HomeGuide) + Best Buy listings, Sep 2026 |
| Washer | $450–$700 (top-load agitator) | $700–$1,300 (HE top-load, standard front-load) | $1,300–$2,200 (large smart front-load) | industry guides (CR, HomeGuide) |
| Dryer | $450–$800 | $800–$1,200 | $1,200–$2,300 | industry guides (CR, HomeGuide) |
| Dishwasher | $300–$500 | $500–$1,000 | $1,000–$3,000 | industry guides (CR, HomeGuide) + Best Buy listings, Sep 2026 |
| Range | $550–$900 (basic freestanding) | $900–$1,600 (convection, entry slide-in) | $1,600–$4,000 (induction, dual-fuel) | our estimate informed by HomeGuide and retailer listings |
If you know what the appliance actually cost new, use that instead.
2. Age factor. It starts at 60% of new for a brand-new unit and falls in a straight line to 10% at the end of the appliance’s typical life. After that it stays at 10%:
age factor = 0.10 + 0.50 × (1 − age ÷ typical life), with a minimum of 0.10.
We use the typical lives on our lifespan pages: refrigerator 12 years, washer 10, dryer 13, dishwasher 10, range 15. The 60% starting point reflects Consumer Reports’ finding that even unused appliances average about 50% off, and Commonplace’s 50–70% for like-new items. The 10% floor reflects the scrap and recycling values below.
3. Condition factor.
| Condition | Factor | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Like new | 1.00 | No visible wear, all parts and manuals |
| Good | 0.80 | Works fully, light cosmetic wear |
| Fair | 0.55 | Works, but dents, rust spots, missing trim or a known minor fault |
| Not working | 0.15 | Parts or repair value only |
These ratios follow the spacing of Commonplace’s condition bands (like-new 50–70%, good 30–50%, fair 15–30%, parts 10% or less), scaled so that “like new” is the reference.
Worked example
A 5-year-old mid-tier washer in good condition: new band $700–$1,300. Age factor = 0.10 + 0.50 × (1 − 5 ÷ 10) = 0.35. Condition factor = 0.80.
Estimate = $700–$1,300 × 0.35 × 0.80 = about $195–$365.
For comparison, one South Carolina dealer sells “Deluxe” used washers for $225–$500 and “Standard” ones for $200–$225, with a warranty. A private sale without a warranty should sit at or below dealer prices.
What used appliances fetch by age: the evidence
| Age | Typical share of new price | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 years, like new | About 40–60% | Consumer Reports: average about 50% off even unused. Fridge.com: top-freezers 1–3 years old $300–$600, against $500–$1,000 new |
| 4–8 years, good | About 20–40% | Commonplace and The Appliance Advisor: 20–40% of retail in private sales. Dealer prices for used washers ($175–$500) work out to roughly 15–70% of mid-tier new prices |
| Past typical life, working | About 5–15%, often under $100 | AppliancePartsPros: fridge 10–15 years old $50–$200. Dealer buy prices $25–$100 |
| Not working | Scrap or parts | Commonplace: 10% or less for parts. Dealers may buy some brands “working or not” |
A different model from Reperch halves a refrigerator’s value in year one, then takes about 10% of the original price off each year. By year five that gives a lower figure than ours. We use the gentler curve because dealer and resale evidence for 3- to 8-year-old units sits higher than Reperch’s model implies.
What moves the price up or down
- Style and features. Angi notes stainless steel, energy-efficient appliances and matching washer–dryer pairs have the best resale value.
- Recall status. A recalled appliance can’t legally be sold unless it has been repaired under the recall. See the appliance recall check.
- Brand and parts availability. Some dealers buy only certain brands. The Nevada dealer above takes only Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana, KitchenAid and some Kenmore.
- Local demand and logistics. A buyer who has to rent a truck will pay less. Delivery alone costs $25–$200, according to Consumer Reports.
- Utility rebates set a floor for old fridges. National Grid (MA) pays $75, and DTE and Consumers Energy $50, for a working fridge of 10–30 cu ft, with free pickup.
Where the numbers come from
Our evidence file holds 24 published price observations from 12 pages published by 8 businesses (six used-appliance dealers, a refrigerator retailer and a parts retailer), plus 7 rules of thumb. It covers 11 refrigerator, 6 washer, 3 dryer, 1 dishwasher and 3 range observations. Dealer figures are retail prices with a warranty. Buy-side figures are what a dealer pays sellers. We don’t scrape marketplace listings.
Limitations
- Dishwasher and dryer evidence is thin. We found one dealer’s dishwasher prices and three dryer sources. Treat those estimates as rougher.
- Premium fridges may be overestimated. The published evidence for 1–3-year-old French-door fridges is $800–$1,500, at or below the low end of our premium band. The resale market doesn’t reward high original prices as much.
- Dealer prices aren’t private-sale prices. They include testing, cleaning, delivery and a warranty.
- Local markets differ. Prices in big metros and rural areas can differ widely. Compare three or four local listings for the same style.
- Age matters most at the ends. The straight-line model can’t know if a 3-year-old unit has a failing part, or if a 14-year-old one was barely used.
What to do next
- Get appliance-specific bands: used washer price and used refrigerator price.
- Decide where to sell: where to sell used appliances.
- Buying? Run the used appliance buying checklist and find the age with how old is my refrigerator.
Checked against the sources below on 26 September 2026.