'Refurbishment' ('restoration') is the
process of major
maintenance or minor
repair of an item, either
aesthetically or
mechanically.
Often,
antiques such as
furniture are refurbished to bring back their original
luster by applying new
paint or
wood stain, fixing loose
joints with
glue or
nails, and
cleaning or replacing
hardware such as
drawer pulls.
Toys such as
model trains are also refurbished, especially if they are considered classics. In some cases, even
paper items such as valuable
comic books can be refurbished by replacing rusty staples, removing page stains with chemicals, etc.
If a
building is refurbished, it usually becomes a
renovation.
Antique,
classic and
muscle cars are frequently restored, both cosmetically and mechanically. In most jurisdictions, restored cars that pass an inspection can be registered for legal use on the road. Many classic car owners enjoy taking their rare restored vehicles to
car shows or out for recreational driving.
Computers and laptops that are refurbished usually means that it did not initially pass quality standards of the manufacturer. They then fix or recertify the unit and sell it at a discount price (Up to 30% off). Most of them carry a 30 day store warranty and 90 days with manufacturer.
Open-box, returned and/or repaired electronics of all kinds are frequently sold as refurbished, almost always with a guarantee of functionality and at a small
discount. Refurbishment is especially common with more expensive types of electronics such as
video game consoles and computer
monitors, likely because these items have relatively high return rates (attributed to a combination of
buyer's remorse and the fact that categories of electronics have a direct cost-to-complexity relationship; complex gadgets are more likely than simpler ones to have one or two defective components) and benefit more, sales-wise, from price-proportional discounts than cheaper items.
See also
★
Fabric Restoration
★
Remanufacturing