You upgraded your refrigerator, replaced the washer and dryer, or finally splurged on a new range. Now the old appliances are sitting in your garage, basement, or side yard: too valuable to throw out, too inconvenient to deal with.
So you do what most people do: snap a few photos, post them on Facebook Marketplace, and wait.
And wait.
Then comes the parade of “is this still available?” messages from people who vanish the moment you reply. Then the buyer who haggles you down, agrees on a pickup time, and never shows up. Then someone who needs “just a few more days” to arrange a truck. Meanwhile, your old refrigerator is still plugged in, running up your electric bill, taking up space you need.
Selling used appliances privately is harder than most people expect. They’re heavy, often require two people to move safely, and the pool of local buyers who want your specific item, can afford it, and have a way to actually transport it is smaller than it seems. On platforms like Facebook Marketplace, you’re responsible for all of it: fielding messages, negotiating, coordinating a pickup, and somehow getting a 250-pound refrigerator out of your kitchen without scratching the floors.
There’s a better way. Here’s an honest look at your options.
Your Options for Selling Used Appliances
Facebook Marketplace and local classifieds. The default choice for most sellers. Listing is free, and the user base is large. But you manage every conversation yourself, there’s no inspection process, and logistics are entirely the buyer’s problem, which often becomes your problem when they show up unprepared. It works for some sellers, but it’s time-consuming and inconsistent.
Craigslist. Similar to Facebook Marketplace in terms of reach and friction. The audience skews toward deal-hunters, which can mean more lowball offers and a longer wait for a fair price.
OfferUp. A cleaner interface than Craigslist, but the same core challenges: local-only reach, no logistics support, and buyer reliability varies widely.
Appliance dealers and buyback programs. Some retailers and appliance dealers will buy used equipment, but they typically offer well below market value. It’s fast, but you leave money on the table.
Managed resale platforms like Commonplace. A newer category that handles the end-to-end process: listing, buyer communication, logistics, and payment. More on this below.
What Is Commonplace?
Commonplace is a managed resale marketplace built for bulky, high-value items that are difficult to sell through conventional channels. Appliances are a natural fit.
Commonplace operates nationwide, from New York to Los Angeles, Alabama to Montana. The model is straightforward: sellers list their item, and Commonplace manages everything that follows, including buyer inquiries, pickup logistics, and payment.
Sellers never deal directly with buyers. All communication goes through Commonplace’s team, whether an inquiry comes through the Commonplace marketplace or through one of the platforms they cross-list to. For sellers who want broader exposure, there’s an optional promotion for 2% of the listing price that distributes the listing across Google, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp, reaching buyers up to 1,000 miles away.
Listing is free. There’s no commitment until an offer is accepted.
How the Process Works
The setup is minimal. You create a listing with a phone number, a few photos, and a description of the appliance. Once it’s live, you can add the optional cross-platform promotion. From that point, Commonplace handles all incoming inquiries.
When a buyer makes an offer, Commonplace contacts you. If you accept, a pickup is scheduled. A professional two-person team comes to your location, handles disconnection and removal, and takes the appliance out of your home. You get paid in full at pickup, not after delivery to the buyer, not after a waiting period.
The buyer experience is just as seamless. Commonplace’s team delivers the appliance and handles full installation, so the buyer never has to scramble to find a separate installer for a washer, dryer, refrigerator, or anything else. That end-to-end service makes Commonplace listings more attractive to buyers, which helps items sell faster.
One thing that genuinely sets Commonplace apart: if you need the appliance out of your space, you can simply schedule a pickup. No waiting for a buyer to come through first. You pay a one-time pickup fee plus the first month of storage, and a crew arrives within 48 hours. The appliance goes into a Commonplace warehouse and is listed with a “Same-Day Delivery Available” badge, which appeals to buyers who want quick delivery. Monthly storage is billed until the item sells, at which point billing stops and you receive payment. The ability to schedule an immediate pickup on your timeline, before a buyer is even lined up, is something no other resale platform offers.
How Commonplace Compares to Facebook Marketplace
For appliances specifically, the differences between selling privately and using a managed platform come down to a few practical realities.
On Facebook Marketplace, you manage every message. That includes fielding inquiries from people who aren’t serious, negotiating price with buyers who may lowball aggressively, and trying to coordinate a pickup with someone who may or may not show up with the right equipment. There’s no vetting on either side. You’re trusting your description; the buyer is trusting that your 10-year-old dishwasher actually works as described.
Logistics are where most private appliance sales fall apart. Appliances need to be disconnected carefully. A refrigerator requires defrosting and sometimes water line disconnection. A gas range involves shutting off a gas supply. And when the appliance finally arrives at the buyer’s home, they still need to figure out installation on their own. When you sell privately, all of that becomes the buyer’s challenge, and many deals collapse at this stage.
Payment carries its own uncertainty. Cash and peer-to-peer apps offer little protection if something goes sideways. And if you’ve held the item for one buyer who doesn’t follow through, you’re starting over.
With Commonplace, your involvement after listing is minimal. Buyer communication is handled by the team. Pickup is handled by a professional crew. Delivery to the buyer includes full installation. Payment comes at pickup. The tradeoff is a marketplace fee and, if you want the wider promotion, 2% of the list price. Whether that’s worth it depends on how much you value your time.
Commonplace also uses a 30-point inspection checklist, which reduces post-sale disputes by giving buyers a clearer, verified picture of the item’s condition.
Here’s a side-by-side summary:
| Facebook Marketplace | Commonplace | |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Local area only | Optional 2% promotion reaches buyers up to 1,000 miles away via Google, Craigslist, Facebook, and OfferUp |
| Buyer communication | Direct messages from strangers | Commonplace handles all inquiries |
| Inspection standard | Informal, buyer-led | 30-point checklist |
| Logistics | Buyer arranges transport and installation | Professional team handles pickup, delivery, and installation |
| Safety | Strangers in your home | No direct buyer interaction |
| Payment | Cash or peer-to-peer apps, no protection | Paid in full at pickup |
| Need it gone fast? | Depends on the buyer | Schedule a pickup on your timeline within 48 hours |
What Types of Appliances Does Commonplace Accept?
Commonplace handles the full range of major home appliances: refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, ranges, ovens, and more. Both standard and high-end brands are accepted, including Sub-Zero, Viking, Wolf, Miele, and all major manufacturers like Whirlpool, GE, LG, and Samsung.
If you’re also clearing out other large items, whether fitness equipment, furniture, or other bulky pieces, the same process applies. Commonplace is built for large, high-value items generally, not just appliances.
Seller Experiences
Sellers who’ve used Commonplace for large appliances tend to highlight a few consistent themes.
Payment security stands out. One seller noted she was paid before her equipment left her home, which removed the anxiety that comes with handing something valuable over to a stranger. Process simplicity is another common theme. Multiple sellers have described the experience as seamless, with no step feeling complicated or stressful.
One seller had a refrigerator sitting in their garage for months after an upgrade. After finding private sale platforms more cumbersome than expected, they found Commonplace significantly easier to work with. Another described the process as smooth from listing to pickup to payment, and said they would use the platform again for future sales.
Results vary depending on location and demand, but the pattern across reviews is consistent: sellers tend to find Commonplace significantly less stressful than managing a sale themselves.
Is Commonplace the Right Choice for You?
Commonplace makes the most sense if you’re dealing with a high-value appliance that requires careful handling, if you’ve had frustrating experiences with private sales in the past, or if you simply don’t have the time or patience to manage the process yourself.
It’s also a practical option if you’re renovating, moving, or upgrading multiple appliances at once and need to clear space on a timeline. The ability to schedule a pickup before a buyer is even lined up is genuinely unusual in this space, and it solves a real problem for sellers who are up against a deadline.
The free listing works well if you’re not in a hurry and want to wait for the right offer. The Store to Sell option makes sense if you need the item out of your space now.
The main thing to weigh: Commonplace takes a marketplace fee, and the logistics convenience comes at a cost. If you have the time and patience to manage a private sale, you may net a bit more. If you’d rather trade some of that margin for a smoother process, Commonplace is worth considering.
Getting Started
Listing is free and takes a few minutes. You’ll need a phone number, a few photos, and a description of the appliance, including make, model, age, and condition. There’s no obligation until an offer is accepted.
The optional promotion and Store to Sell upgrade can both be added at the time of listing. Commonplace handles everything from there.
If you’re looking for a lower-friction way to sell your used appliances, it’s worth trying.
Sell your appliance on Commonplace
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