7 Things to Check Before Buying a Home Appliance

Why you need your own checklist

The average consumer spends less than 25 minutes choosing a washing machine — and then uses it for 10 years. Yet the difference between a well-chosen and a poorly chosen product can be 3–5 years of lifespan and significant repair costs.

Manufacturers know this. That is why technical datasheets are deliberately complex, warranties are written in legal language, and e-shop reviews are largely unverifiable.

Below are 4 things to check in the shop and 3 things to research online — the whole process takes about 15 minutes and dramatically improves the chance of a good purchase.

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In the shop

1. Inspect build quality and joints

Run your finger along the edge and feel for irregularities. Sharp edges, uneven gaps or plastic panels that flex when pressed are signals of cheap manufacturing.

What to look for: even gaps, smooth door and drawer movement, metal where metal should be.

2. Test the controls — intuitive design signals engineering maturity

A product whose controls are complicated and confusing was designed with parameters in mind, not the user. Design maturity correlates with overall build quality.

Practical test: Try to switch the machine on and set one programme without reading the manual. If it takes more than 30 seconds, that is a bad sign.

3. Listen to the operating sound (where possible)

Washing machines, dishwashers and fridges run for tens of thousands of hours. Noise above 45 dB is a real problem in daily use. For fridges in open-plan kitchens: the quieter, the better.

Tip: Showrooms have demonstration models. Ask the sales assistant to switch one on — or do it yourself.

4. Find out where the nearest service centre is

"Warranty repair" sounds great — but if the nearest authorised service centre is 80 km away with a six-week waiting list, your warranty rights are practically worthless.

Question for the sales assistant: "Where is the nearest authorised service centre for this brand, and what is the typical waiting time?"

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Online (15 minutes of research)

5. Check test scores from an independent organisation

Stars on e-commerce sites are not test data. Look for results from independent testing organisations — several European bodies test models sold across the continent.

Where to look: The IKOR database (now live), Stiftung Warentest (in German), international consumer organisations.

6. Verify spare parts availability

Under the Ecodesign regulation, manufacturers are required to ensure spare parts availability for at least 7–10 years after a model is discontinued. But not all of them actually comply.

How to check: Search for the model on the manufacturer's website plus "spare parts". If you cannot find a parts shop or service contact within two minutes, that is a warning sign.

7. Read the 1-star reviews — but smartly

One-star reviews are the most valuable source of information — but you need to read them with detachment. Look for recurring patterns: if 20 different people write about the same problem ("after 18 months XY stopped working"), this is almost certainly a systematic fault.

Red flags in reviews:

• The same defect reported by multiple users
• Mentions of unavailable or unhelpful service
• Problems appearing shortly after the warranty expires (a classic sign of planned obsolescence)

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Download the checklist

All the points above are available as a PDF checklist — print it out before you head to the shop.

If you want to go deeper, read our guide How to Spot a Quality Product Before You Buy or try the Secondhand Finder for an alternative route to better value.