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A used washing machine is a sensible buy if it's from a brand that lasts, is less than about eight years old, and passes a quick check of the drum bearings and door seal. Bring the transport bolts back into the picture before you move it, because a drum bouncing loose in a van can wreck the machine.
Miele is the brand people pay extra for second hand, because their machines are built for a long life and parts stay available for years. A ten year old Miele in good shape can still be a better buy than a three year old budget machine. Bosch and Siemens (made by the same company) are the solid middle ground and very common on Marktplaats. AEG, Samsung and LG are fine too, though some cheaper models from any brand have sealed drums that make a bearing repair uneconomic.
Very cheap no-name machines are usually not worth the transport effort.
Sellers often guess the age. The type plate, inside the door rim or on the back, has the model and serial number. For Bosch and Siemens, the FD number on the plate encodes the production month and year, and FD decoders online turn it into a date. For Miele and others, searching the model number tells you roughly which years it was sold. An old machine isn't automatically bad, but price it accordingly.
Ask the seller not to disconnect the machine before you arrive, so you can see it run a short program. If it's already disconnected, you can still do most checks by hand.
Standard machines are 60 cm wide and about 85 cm high, fitting under a counter. Depth varies from about 45 to 65 cm, which matters in a small Dutch bathroom or attic. Measure your spot including the tap and drain. Capacity of 7-8 kg suits most households; 9 kg and up is for families.
Energy and water use improved a lot in the last 15 years, but a washing machine uses far less electricity than a dryer, so a slightly older model with good build quality is often fine. Washer-dryer combinations (was-droogcombinatie) save space but are slower and fail more often than two separate machines.
Front loaders have transport bolts (transportbeveiliging or transportschroeven) at the back that lock the drum. Ask if the seller still has them. Without them, the drum swings on its shocks during transport and can damage the springs or tub. Universal replacement bolts exist, or you can wedge the drum carefully, but the original bolts are best.
Drain the leftover water via the small filter hatch at the front bottom before you load it, or it will leak in your car. A washing machine weighs 65-85 kg, so bring a hand truck and a second person, and remove the bolts again before the first wash.
Skip machines that smell of burnt motor, leak, have a cracked drum spider ('lekt' or 'maakt lawaai bij centrifugeren' in the listing), or are free because they 'need a small repair'. Small repairs on washing machines are often bearings, and that is not small. On vindje.com you can describe what you need, like a Bosch or Miele wasmachine under seven years old, 8 kg, under 250 euro and within 15 km, and skip the defect ones.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| Basic washing machine, 6-10 years old | EUR 50-100 |
| Bosch or Siemens, 3-6 years old | EUR 150-280 |
| Miele, 10 years or older, working | EUR 100-200 |
| Miele W1, 3-8 years old | EUR 250-450 |
| Washer-dryer combination | EUR 100-250 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Bosch or Miele washing machine, 8 kg, less than 7 years old, with transport bolts, under 250 euro, within 15 km of UtrechtSearch Marktplaats like this
Many budget machines last around 8-10 years; Miele designs for a longer life. Use and maintenance matter more than the age on paper.
Lift the drum up and down and spin it by hand. Noticeable play, clunking or a grinding sound means worn bearings.
It's risky, because the drum can swing and damage the suspension. Use the original bolts if possible or buy universal ones.
Often yes. Miele machines are built to last longer and parts are easier to get, so a used Miele in good shape usually outlives a cheaper newer machine.