Things you didn’t know about selling your car

19/10/11

People are often daunted by selling their car, meaning they may continue paying over the odds in petrol, insurance and road tax costs. Parents whose children have flown the nest, for example, may cling on to the people carrier, despite the fact that they could get by very easily in a little run-around.

Switching car should be a simple task (and we like to think we help you along the way), but there are a few factors worth bearing in mind that you may not initially have thought of. Let us take you through a few things you didn’t know.

The time and cost of valuing the car
You may well have a good idea of how much your car is worth, but much like a house, you need to get a valuation. This can be as simple as a text message service (see ours here [link]), or if not, have a browse through our listings to find similar cars with similar mileage levels. The key thing to remember is that when showing someone your car, you’ll be able to reassure them that the price you’re offering is independently verified.

Advertising costs to sell the vehicle
As with any sales service, the people helping you to sell your motor will take a small chunk of the profits, in some form. Here at Motors.co.uk, we do like to help you keep this to a minimum though, and have recently launched our free private seller service, allowing individuals to list their car without charge. Check it out here.

Offering test drives? Check your insurance
The lovely people interested in buying your car will most probably want to give it a quick spin around the block, so you’d be well advised to make sure they are insured to do so. Your buyer will also need to be insured when they come to collect the car, so to avoid any complicated situations (car sales and criminal records shouldn’t go hand-in-hand), have a look at driveaway insurance.

Get it valeted
Showing someone a car that’s covered in crumbs and McDonald’s wrappers probably won’t create quite the right impression. Professional valet services can be found in most towns and cost very little. A shiny clean car will sell much more quickly – think about it, would you buy some new shoes that were dirty? If you’re really looking to impress, get a steam clean of the engine as well; this is definitely worth doing if you’re selling a performance car to a scrupulous buyer.

Will you need a bus pass?
You’d be surprised how often people find themselves without a car for a few days; it’s impossible to predict when your final buyer will come around the corner, and things can move pretty quickly once you’ve agreed a price. Make sure you think ahead to whatever public transport costs you and your family might incur during the intervening period.