Repair Shop or professional repair: what is the best choice for your device?
You are considering having a broken device repaired instead of taking it straight to the recycling centre. Fantastic! At We.repair, we wholeheartedly support that sustainable mentality.
If you search online for repair options, you will likely soon come across a local Repair Café. That is a wonderful initiative, but is it also the right place for your specific problem? In this article, we explain the difference between the volunteers at the Repair Café and a professional repair service like We.repair. This way, you will know exactly where to go.
The charm and strength of a Repair Shop💚
A Repair Shop (or Repair Café they often call it in Belgium) is a community initiative where volunteers come together to repair items from local residents for free (or for a voluntary contribution). It is friendly, educational, and great for reducing waste. A Repair Café is the perfect choice for: Clothing with a tear or missing button. Wooden furniture or toys that need a makeover. Bicycles with a flat tyre. Small, easily portable electronics such as a kettle, toaster, or desk lamp. The downside? You have to bring the broken item to the location yourself, and the sessions often only take place once a month. Moreover, the volunteers carry out the repairs without a guarantee.
Overview: Well-known Repair Cafés in your region
Are you looking for a Repair Café nearby for a small repair? There are countless local initiatives where enthusiastic volunteers are happy to help you. Below you will find a comprehensive overview of some established and well-known locations spread across the country.
📍 Province of Antwerp
Repair Café Zuidrand (Mortsel)
Address: Neerhoevelaan 50 (Fort 4 domain), 2640 Mortsel
Website: repaircafezuidrand.be
Repair Café Posthof (Berchem)
Address: Patriottenstraat 62, 2600 Berchem
Website: posthofvzw.be
Repair Café Wilrijk (De Kern)
Address: Community Centre De Kern, Bist 1, 2610 Wilrijk
Website: schouwburgdekern.be
EcoHuis Antwerp
Address: Turnhoutsebaan 139, 2140 Borgerhout
Website: antwerpen.be/ecohuis
📍 Province of East Flanders
Repair Café Clemenspoort (Ghent)
Address: Overwale 3, 9000 Ghent
Website: clemenspoort.be
Repair Café Toreken (Ghent)
Address: Eetcafé Toreken, Vlotstraat 22, 9000 Ghent
Website: ivago.be/repair-cafe
Repair Café De Kluts (Rooigem / Ghent)
Address: Linnenstraat 27, 9000 Ghent
Website: ivago.be/repair-cafe
📍 Province of Flemish Brabant
Makeable Leuven (Various locations, including Wijgmaal)
Address: Ursulinenstraat 1, 3018 Wijgmaal (Primary School de Twijg)
Website: maakbaarleuven.be
Repair Café Hoeilaart
Address: GC Felix Sohie, Gemeenteplein 39, 1560 Hoeilaart
Website: felixsohie.be
📍Province Limburg
Repair Café Hasselt (De Serre)
Address: Dokter Willemsstraat 34, 3500 Hasselt
Website: deserrehasselt.be
Repair Café Hasselt (Banneuxwijk)
Address:Community Centre de Hazelaar, Merellaan 17, 3500 Hasselt
Website: hasselt.be/repair-cafe
Student Repair Café (Villa Basta)
Address:Vissersstraat 2E, 3500 Hasselt
Website: hasselt.be/repair-cafe
Repair Café Lummen
Address:Zesseptemberstraat 26, 3560 Lummen
Website: lummen.be
Find all Repair Cafés in Belgium: Is your municipality not listed? As new initiatives and pop-up locations are added weekly, you can consult the most complete and up-to-date calendar via Repair Connects or the network of Repair & Share.
📍 Brussels-Capital Region
Repair Café Laken (Maison de la Création)
Address: MC Gare, Kerkeveldstraat 2, 1020 Laken
Website: maisondelacreation.org
Repair Café KVS
Address: KVS BOX & KVS CAFÉ, Arduinkaai 9, 1000 Brussels
Website: kvs.be
The Social Recycler (Sint-Gillis)
Address: Coenraetsstraat 72, 1060 Sint-Gillis
Website: cpas1060.be
Repair Café Ixelles / Elsene (Elzenhof)
Address: Kroonlaan 12, 1050 Elsene
Website: repairtogether.be
Repair Café Schaarbeek
Address: Rue Pierre Theunis 1, 1030 Schaarbeek
Website: repairtogether.be
Repair Café 100% Audio (Make it Sound)
Address: Graystraat 262, 1050 Ixelles
Website: facebook.com/makeitsoundbxl
📍 Province of Walloon Brabant
Repair Café Braine-l'Alleud (Eigenbrakel)
Address: Rue Rombaut 5, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud
Website: braine-lalleud.be
Repair Café Chaumont-Gistoux
Address: Pôle social, Rue Zaine 9, 1325 Chaumont-Gistoux
Website: chaumont-gistoux.be
Repair Café Rixensart / Genval
Address: Fond Tasnier 24/1, 1332 Genval
Website: repairtogether.be
📍 Province of Liège
Repair Café ULiège (Sart Tilman)
Address: Campus du Sart Tilman (B8 - L'Agora 1), 4000 Liège
Website: repairtogether.be
Repair Café Jupille
Address: Rue Chafnay 2, 4020 Jupille-sur-Meuse
Website: visitezliege.be
Repair Café Chaudfontaine
Address: Avenue des Thermes 114, 4050 Chaudfontaine
Website: repairtogether.be
Find all Repair Cafés in Brussels and Wallonia:For a complete overview of all Walloon and Brussels Repair Cafés, you can visit the platform ofRepair Together.
No Repair Café nearby or do you have e large electrical appliance?
A Repair Café is fantastic for a malfunctioning toaster, a slow laptop, or a broken zip. But what if your faulty appliance is too heavy to transport, such as a washing machine, tumble dryer, oven, or dishwasher? Or what if you can't wait until the next monthly meeting?
That's where We.repair comes in. As the alternative or the perfect complement to Repair Cafés, we offer a professional repair service at home.
Convenience: No hauling heavy appliances; we come to you.
Speed: You don't have to wait for a specific Saturday afternoon, we work by appointment.
Expertise & Parts: Our technicians have the right tools and spare parts on hand for both large and small appliances.
Choose certainty and convenience. Book your home repair today and give your appliance a quick second life!
When is it better to choose a professional tradesman? 👨🔧
As nice as a Repair Café is, for some appliances you need the expertise, the parts, and the convenience of a professional. Think of heavy household appliances or complex technology.
Here are the main reasons to choose a professional like We.repair:
No lugging heavy white goods: You can't just take an 80-kilo broken washing machine, dishwasher, or fridge on your bike to a community centre. We.repair offers white goods repairat home. We come to you, saving you a lot of hassle and back pain.
Safety with complex coffee machines: Built-in or advanced coffee machines work with electronics, water, and very high pressure. This requires specific technical knowledge and professional measuring equipment. In our own workshop, we have everything needed to resolve this safely and thoroughly.
Direct access to the right spare parts: Volunteers rarely have the specific pump, circuit board, or the right valve for your brand on hand. As a professional repair service, we have quick access to the right (and original) parts to get your appliance up and running again quickly.
Certainty and warranty: With a professional, you get a warranty on the repair carried out and the replaced parts. This way, you won't be faced with surprises later.
🚀 Your next step: how can we help you?
Are you looking for help with a small, easily portable repair and are in no rush? Then we are happy to recommend that you search for a location in your area through the Repair Café network.
Has your washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, or coffee machine given up the ghost?
Then the technicians from We.repair are ready for you. Schedule your appointment today, and we will ensure that your device works perfectly again soon!
Repairing espresso machines in Vilvoorde
We repair espresso machines of all brands (such as De'Longhi, Jura, Philips, Saeco, Miele, and Siemens) in our workshop in Vilvoorde.
You can drop off your machine during office hours (8:30 AM - 5:00 PM) and pick it up a few days later.
Because a repair, and especially a thorough maintenance of an espresso machine, takes a long time, we repair these machines in our workshop and not at your home.
Make an appointment for a repair at your home right away
If you cannot solve the problem yourself, you can book an appointment immediately, so that a professional technician from We.repair comes to repair your device at home.