Car valuation guide

10/10/08

Our advice on how to value your car before selling privately.Selling a car, but don’t know how much to ask for it? Working out a car’s value is simple. First, scan motors.co.uk and take a close look at what other sellers are asking for models just like yours.

If you’re selling privately, don’t charge as much as dealers do, because their cars will have been valeted before sale, perhaps given a service and may also carry a warranty that they’ve had to pay for. Use the dealer’s price as an indication of the most your car may fetch, but focus more on what other private sellers ask.

If you want a quick sale, price yours a little cheaper than the others you’ve seen. If you can afford to wait, ask a few hundreds of pounds more. You can always drop the price later.

Remember that, even if your car is in exceptionally good condition, it won’t be worth much more than the going rate for that model. It will, however, be easier to sell.

Whatever figure you decide upon, include a margin for haggling. But always be clear about how much you think the car should sell for, and don’t let the sniff of a sale persuade you to let it go too cheaply.

For more hints and tips, check out the advice section on motors.co.uk