System 18: Second-hand and repair
Buy it used, mend it first, keep it alive longer: what to buy second-hand, what to check, and the repair-or-replace question in the right order.
The system guide
Working guides in this system
Second-hand and repair Appliance Repairs Worth Doing Yourself, and the Limits Filters, seals, hoses, descaling and the repairs that are genuinely safe at home, and the firm line where the professional takes over: gas, mains and sealed systems. Second-hand and repair Checking Second-Hand Goods Before You Pay A pocket inspection routine for used goods: structure, function, completeness and seller, plus the walk-away signs that no discount can fix. Second-hand and repair Furniture Rescue: Clean, Repair, Restain The order that saves most furniture: deep clean first, structure second, surface last, and why half of rescues end at step one with a cloth and patience. Second-hand and repair Repair Cafes and Community Fixes Free community repair sessions, tool libraries, cobblers and menders: where to find help for broken things, what to bring, and how the visit usually goes. Second-hand and repair Repair or Replace? The Question in the Right Order Age, cost, parts, efficiency and attachment, asked in sequence: a calm framework for the breakdown moment, including when replacement honestly wins. Second-hand and repair Selling What You No Longer Use, Without It Becoming a Job Pricing, photographs, listings and a strict time box, so the spare bike and the spare chair turn back into money instead of a second occupation. Second-hand and repair Sewing, Mending and the Ten-Minute Repair Buttons, hems, seams, glue, tape and tightening: the small repairs that save the most clothes and kit, with a basic mending box and the ten-minute rule. Second-hand and repair Spare Parts and Manuals: Keeping Things Alive Longer The model number is the key to everything: finding manuals, ordering the right parts, and keeping a small household parts and paperwork shelf. Second-hand and repair Swap Events and Community Exchanges Clothing swaps, toy exchanges, book swaps and give-away networks: how they run, what to bring, and how to start a small one on your own street. Second-hand and repair What Not to Buy Second-Hand (and Why) The short no-list: safety gear with an invisible history, hygiene items, worn-out running shoes and software-locked electronics, and the reasoning that sorts any item. Second-hand and repair What to Buy Second-Hand Without Worry Furniture, tools, books, bikes and solid kitchen kit: the categories where used is usually as good as new, and why they hold their value in use.