Appliance Delivery: Getting White Goods There in Working Order

Cookers, dishwashers, tumble dryers and range cookers are heavy, boxy and unforgiving of rough handling. Smart Taurus connects you with verified couriers who move white goods for a living, with competing quotes instead of a single take-it-or-leave-it price.

In short: Appliance delivery covers the transport of white goods — cookers, ovens, dishwashers, tumble dryers, range cookers, fridges and washers — between homes, shops and buyers. On Smart Taurus, customers post the appliance job free with photos and access details, verified transporters send competing quotes, and the booking is tracked and paid securely in the app. Couriers handle the physical move; gas connections and hard-wired electrics remain work for qualified engineers.

White goods sit in an awkward middle ground: too heavy for parcel networks, too routine for specialist crating firms. Most appliance jobs on Smart Taurus fall into three buckets — a new or second-hand purchase heading home, an appliance following its owner in a move, or a replaced unit going off for disposal. Each has its own wrinkles, covered below.

Which appliances can a courier deliver?

Anything that fits in a van and can be moved on a sack truck or by a two-person carry — which is nearly the whole white-goods category. Common jobs include:

Cookers and ovens — freestanding electric and gas cookers, plus built-in ovens once uninstalled
Range cookers — the heavyweight of the category, frequently 100 kg or more and always a multi-person lift
Dishwashers — light by white-goods standards but must be drained and, if integrated, released from the cabinetry first
Tumble dryers and washer-dryers — including heat-pump models, which some manufacturers advise keeping upright, so check your manual
Fridges, freezers and washing machines — both have transport quirks of their own, covered on our dedicated fridge freezer delivery and washing machine delivery pages

Who disconnects and reconnects the appliance?

This is the boundary that causes the most confusion, so set expectations early. A courier's job is transport; some will unplug an electric appliance or pop a cold-water hose off a valve if asked, but anything beyond that is trade work:

Gas cookers, hobs and gas dryers must be disconnected and reconnected by a qualified gas engineer — in the UK that means Gas Safe registered. No courier should touch a live gas connection, and you should decline if one offers.
Hard-wired electric cookers (wired into a cooker circuit rather than plugged in) need an electrician at both ends.
Plumbed appliances — dishwashers and washers — are simpler, but hoses must be off and drained before the crew arrives, or you risk a wet van and a soaked staircase.

Book the engineer visits either side of the delivery date, and tell transporters in the job post that the appliance will already be disconnected. It removes their biggest unknown and sharpens every quote.

Can the courier take the old appliance away?

Often, yes — takeaway of the outgoing unit is a popular add-on, because the van and the muscle are already on site. Ask for it explicitly when posting: "deliver replacement dryer and remove old one for disposal" is a single job with one quote, and far cheaper than arranging a separate collection later. Be aware that disposal itself is regulated in most markets (WEEE rules in the UK and EU), so responsible transporters take old units to licensed recycling points or resellers rather than fly-tipping — a courier who is vague about where the appliance ends up is a red flag worth acting on.

Will it fit? Measure before anyone lifts anything

The most preventable appliance-delivery failure is an item that reaches the property and stops at the door frame. Before booking, measure the appliance's height, width and depth — then measure every doorway, hallway pinch point and stair turn on the route to its final position, remembering that handles, dials and protruding hoses add centimetres. Range cookers and American-style units are the usual culprits; some only enter a kitchen with doors removed from hinges or worktops notched. Put all measurements in the job post so couriers can flag a problem while it is still theoretical. If the appliance also needs carrying upstairs, say so — that usually means a two-person crew, which our two man delivery page explains.

How is appliance delivery priced?

By the factors that consume a courier's time and van space rather than by a fixed tariff. Expect quotes to reflect distance (and whether your route lines up with a journey the driver already has), the appliance's weight class — a dishwasher and a range cooker are different jobs entirely — floors and access at both addresses, crew size, and add-ons like old-unit takeaway or unpacking. Second-hand purchases collected from private sellers, including appliances bought through eBay and Facebook Marketplace, price the same way, with the seller's availability as one more variable to state up front.

How does white goods delivery work on Smart Taurus?

Post the appliance free — model or type, dimensions, photos, whether it is disconnected, and the floor it starts and finishes on.
Compare quotes from verified transporters, checking reviews for previous white-goods work and asking questions in the app chat.
Book, track and pay in-app — follow the van in real time and pay securely through Stripe when the job is done.

Tip: photograph the rating plate (the sticker with model and serial number) and add it to your job post — it lets couriers confirm exact weight and dimensions from the manufacturer's specs without a single follow-up question.

Frequently asked questions

Can a courier move a range cooker?

Yes, but treat it as a heavy-lift job: range cookers commonly weigh 100 kg or more and need at least two people, a sack truck rated for the load, and sometimes ramps. Post the exact model so crews can check the manufacturer's weight before quoting.

Does a dishwasher need draining before transport?

Yes. Run a short empty cycle or drain programme, disconnect the inlet and waste hoses, and tip it slightly to empty the sump — residual water in a dishwasher will find its way out in the van. Tape the hoses and cable to the body so nothing drags.

Can a tumble dryer travel on its side?

Vented dryers usually can, but condenser and heat-pump models are best kept upright because of the refrigerant circuit and water reservoir — the same logic as a fridge. Check your manual, and if in doubt tell the courier to transport it standing.

Who reconnects a gas cooker at the new address?

A qualified gas engineer — Gas Safe registered in the UK — and only them. Couriers deliver the cooker; connecting it to the gas supply is legally controlled work. Book the engineer for after the delivery slot so the cooker is not sitting disconnected for long.

Can integrated appliances be delivered too?

Yes, once they are out of the cabinetry. Integrated dishwashers and fridges are screwed to surrounding units and fitted with furniture doors, so have them uninstalled before collection day — couriers transport them happily but generally will not dismantle your kitchen.

Will the courier dispose of my old appliance?

Many offer takeaway as an add-on if you request it in the job post. Old units should go to licensed recycling or reuse channels under WEEE rules, so ask where it will end up — a clear answer is a good sign of a professional operator.

Can I stack other items in the van with an appliance?

Usually, and combining items into one job is cheaper than two separate deliveries. Just list everything when posting so the transporter brings the right van and load restraints — appliances must be strapped upright and cannot have boxes piled against their doors or dials.

Is it safe to buy a used appliance online and have it couriered?

Yes, and it is a very common job type. Ask the seller to confirm the appliance is disconnected and drained before collection, and ask your courier to photograph it at pickup so you can see the condition it left in.

Do appliance couriers unpack and level the new machine?

Some will unbox and position it in place as an add-on; levelling feet and final positioning under a worktop are usually quick extras worth requesting up front. Actual connection to water, electricity or gas belongs to a fitter or engineer, not the delivery crew.