A seller-side guide to the documentation that closes a used respiratory equipment sale, current as of September 2026. It is not medical, legal or tax advice, and it makes no promise about sale outcome or price.

Respiratory equipment attracts a particular kind of buyer scrutiny, because the equipment either supports breathing or delivers a gas mixture, and both functions make buyers cautious. In practice, listings that carry evidence tend to attract fewer questions and shorter negotiations than listings that carry adjectives. This guide is about assembling that evidence before you write the listing, so that the questions buyers ask have already been answered in the advert.

Why respiratory equipment gets extra scrutiny

Three characteristics separate this category from general equipment. Many units are gas-handling devices, so installation and connection details matter to the buyer. Many are subject to performance expectations that buyers want evidence for, whether that is oxygen concentration, flow accuracy or alarm behaviour. And many have consumable or accessory ecosystems that determine whether the unit is usable at all.

Buyers who have been through a bad purchase learn to ask for the same things every time. Sellers who prepare those things in advance avoid the two outcomes that cost the most: a long negotiation and a returned unit.

The documents a buyer will ask for

If a record does not exist, say so in the listing rather than leaving it ambiguous. Buyers interpret silence as a problem, and the cost of that interpretation is usually larger than the cost of the missing document.

Photographing condition and identity

Photographs do a specific job in a listing: they establish identity and condition, not aesthetics. Take them with that purpose in mind.

• The nameplate with model and serial legible in the frame.
• The unit from three angles, in light that shows the actual surface rather than hiding it.
• Any defect, photographed close enough to show its extent.
• The connector or inlet, so the buyer can compare it with their installation.
• The accessories laid out together, so the buyer can count what is included.
• Any documentation being supplied, fanned so the pages are visible.

Pricing a unit you are selling

Price against evidence, not against optimism. The practical method is to find what comparable units have actually sold for, then adjust for the condition findings and for what your unit includes that the comparables did not ¡ª a full accessory set, a recent service, a documented calibration. Where your unit lacks records, the honest adjustment is downward, because the buyer will price that gap into their offer anyway.

Two pricing habits help. State clearly what the price includes and excludes, so the buyer is not comparing your unit plus accessories against another listing’s bare unit. And decide in advance which items you will not separate, because a unit sold without its essential cable or accessory often returns as a dispute.

Writing a listing that survives questions

A good listing answers the questions a buyer would otherwise have to ask. Structure it around four blocks: what the unit is (model, serial, date, configuration), what has been done to it (service, tests, repairs, with dates), what is included (the accessory list), and what the buyer should know (defects, missing items, and any condition that affects use).

Then add the practical details buyers always ask for: whether the unit has been in use until now, whether it has been stored, and what documentation will ship with it. That last point is worth stating explicitly, because it is the difference between a listing that generates a serious inquiry and one that generates a questionnaire.

Handling inquiries and viewings

Once a listing generates interest, the same preparation pays again. Expect requests for additional photographs, the serial number, and confirmation of what is included; have those ready rather than assembling them per inquiry. Where a buyer asks to inspect the unit, agree in advance what will be demonstrated and what will not: a powered self-test and a visual inspection are reasonable, while anything requiring the unit to be connected to a patient system is not. Record what was shown, so that a later question about condition has an answer.

Decide too how you will handle an offer that is conditional on the buyer’s own verification. A conditional offer is normal for documented equipment and should not be treated as an insult; the useful response is to agree the sequence ¡ª payment terms, inspection window and remedy ¡ª so that both sides know what happens if the verification finds something.

Questions sellers ask

What if I do not have the service history?

State that in the listing and price accordingly. You can also reduce the gap with a current performance check performed by a qualified service provider before sale; that record carries more weight than an old history anyway.

Should I clean the unit before photographing it?

Clean it and photograph honestly. Cleaning is expected; photographs that hide defects are not, and a defect discovered after delivery costs more than the discount it would have taken to disclose it.

Do I need to include the accessories?

List exactly what is included and what is not. If an essential cable or accessory is missing, say so ¡ª the buyer’s alternative is to discover it after the money has moved.

Prepare the file, photograph the truth, and write the listing around the buyer’s questions. If you are selling respiratory equipment and want to reach buyers who are looking for documented units, send HHG the unit details and documentation, or see how comparable listings are presented. Related reading: what hospital buyers look for in refurbished respiratory equipment.