A used sauna for sale can be a genuine bargain, because saunas depreciate hard, they are difficult to move and people sell them when they move house rather than when they are worn out. They are also the kind of purchase where one unseen fault costs more than the saving, and the faults are predictable.
The heater is most of the value
Check the heater's age, that it powers up and reaches temperature, that the stones are not crumbled to dust, and that the element housing is not rusted through. A cabin with a dead heater is worth the timber. Ask for the model number and check that replacement elements are still available before you agree a price.
Water damage and the barrier
Look at the floor, the bottom of the cladding and around the door frame for dark staining, soft timber or a musty smell, all of which suggest the cabin has been damp for a long time. On an outdoor cabin check the roof and the underside of the bearers. A vapour barrier failure is invisible and is the fault that cannot be fixed without stripping the walls.
Dismantling and moving it
A prefab cabin comes apart into panels if the fixings are accessible and nobody has caulked the joints. A built room does not come apart at all. Budget a day, two people and a van, and agree before money changes hands who is dismantling it. This is where used saunas turn out to be more expensive than they looked.
When used is a false economy
If the heater needs replacing, if the interior timber is grey and soft rather than merely weathered, if it is a built room rather than a cabin, or if it has sat unheated and damp for a season. In any of those cases the saving disappears into the repair, and a new small cabin with a warranty is usually the better purchase.
Questions people ask about used sauna for Sale
What matters most on a used sauna?
The heater. Check it powers up and reaches temperature, that elements are still available for the model, and that the stones are not dust.
How hard is one to move?
A prefab cabin is a day, two people and a van, if the fixings are accessible. A built room does not come apart at all.
How do I spot water damage?
Dark staining or soft timber at the floor, cladding bottoms and door frame, and a musty smell that does not clear.