An alternative to the repair café
Repair café or a technician at your home: which is the better fix for your broken appliance?
Repaired at home
Repair café or repair at home?
You would rather have a broken appliance repaired than throw it away, and that is a great choice.
A repair café is a wonderful initiative, and we welcome every repair. On this page you can read what a repair café is good at, when a professional repair service at home is a better fit, and what that costs with us.
How it works, in 3 steps
Prices
How much does a home repair cost?
One fixed price for every appliance and every brand. No hourly rate, no surprises afterwards.
A technician finds the cause of the fault at your home. If you then decide not to go ahead with the repair, you only pay for the diagnosis.
If the technician can repair it, you pay €110. No time limit: even if it takes long or a second visit is needed.
Spare parts are not included. The technician tells you in advance if a part is needed and what it costs.
Chrono surcharge for a visit in the evening, at the weekend or just a few hours after your request.
Second appliance during the same visit? The technician can check and repair it too for €80.
Maintenance as well? The technician can also clean and check your appliance thoroughly, for €50 per appliance on top of the diagnosis and repair.
Prefer remote help first? A video repair costs €49. See all our prices →
What is a repair café?
At a repair café, volunteers get together to repair things for people from the neighbourhood, free of charge or for a voluntary contribution. It is friendly, you learn something and it is good for reducing waste.
A repair café is a great choice for:
- clothes with a tear or a missing button;
- small wooden furniture or toys;
- a bike with a flat tyre;
- small, portable appliances such as a kettle, toaster or desk lamp.
You bring the item to the venue yourself. Sessions often take place only once a month, and the volunteers usually repair without a warranty.
Finding a repair café near you
Is it a small repair on something you can carry, and are you in no hurry? Then we are happy to recommend a repair café near you. New initiatives start up regularly. The most up-to-date calendar is on Repair Connects and on the Repair & Share network. For Brussels and Wallonia, see Repair Together.
When is a repair at home the better choice?
What if your appliance is too heavy to carry?
You can’t just take a washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer or fridge to a community centre. Our technician comes to you and repairs the appliance where it stands.
What if you can’t wait for the next repair café?
A broken washing machine or fridge doesn’t like to wait a month. We work by appointment, often as soon as the next working day. When you book, you see straight away which slots are free.
What if a specific part is needed?
Large appliances often need a particular pump, circuit board or valve that fits your brand and model. As a professional repair service, we can order those parts quickly. They are delivered straight to the technician’s home.
Do you want a warranty on the repair?
Every repair we carry out comes with a 3-month warranty. If the same fault comes back within that period, we return at no extra cost.
Repair café and Repairdoctors side by side
| Repair café | Repairdoctors | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | At a fixed venue, you bring the appliance | At your home |
| When | At set times, often once a month | By appointment, often the next working day |
| Who repairs | Volunteers | A technician from our repair service |
| Cost | Free or a voluntary contribution | Diagnosis €69, repair at most €179 in total, parts extra |
| Warranty | Usually not | 3 months on the repair |
| Suited for | Small, portable items | Large appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, fridges and ovens |
Both have their place. For a toaster or a broken zip, a repair café is ideal. For large appliances you can't move, we come to you.
Getting a coffee machine repaired
We repair freestanding espresso machines of all brands, such as De’Longhi, Jura, Philips, Saeco, Miele and Siemens, in our workshop in Vilvoorde. A repair, and especially a thorough service, of an espresso machine takes time, which is why we do it in the workshop and not at your home. You drop off your machine during office hours (8.30 am to 5 pm) and collect it a few days later.
We repair built-in coffee machines at home in Brussels and Liège. You can find more information on our coffee machine repair page.
Which appliances do we repair at home?
We repair large household appliances of all brands. Is your appliance still under the manufacturer's warranty? Then we refer you to the manufacturer or the shop.
Where do we operate?
Our technicians work in Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region, East Flanders, West Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Limburg, Liège, Namur, Hainaut and Walloon Brabant.
Do your technicians have to travel from Vilvoorde every morning?
No. Our technicians live all over Belgium and set off every morning from their own municipality. The parts they need are delivered straight to their homes. That way we get to you quickly, without long drives and often as soon as the next working day.
Frequently asked questions about repair cafés and repairs at home
Usually not. Repair cafés are meant for items you can bring yourself. A washing machine, dishwasher or tumble dryer is too heavy and too big. For those, our technician comes to your home.
Usually, yes. Volunteers repair free of charge or for a voluntary contribution. You generally pay for any parts yourself.
The diagnosis at home costs €69. If you choose the repair, you pay at most €179 in total, parts extra. If you decide not to repair after the diagnosis, you only pay €69.
For some problems, a technician can help you through a video repair. That costs €49.
For small, portable appliances such as a kettle or toaster, a repair café is a good first step. For large appliances you can’t move, or if you don’t want to wait, a repair at home is more practical.
We give a 3-month warranty on every repair we carry out. If the same fault comes back within that period, we return at no extra cost.
Use the button on this page to choose a day and time slot yourself. You can also call 02 615 45 20. Mention the appliance, the brand and any error code when you book.