If you feel that you are ready for a change of vehicle during 2022, then our team at Stourbridge Automotive have put some important aspects to help you sell your existing car. Buying and selling a vehicle can be stressful as there is a lot to consider. Often, vehicles are worth a lot of money and so it’s important that as a seller, you have aspects in place, so as not to make the wrong decision, which you might regret or ultimately end up losing a lot of money for.
Selling your existing car
Give it a health check – By servicing and MOT testing your vehicle prior to selling could give it a positive selling aspect. Respective buyers will be pleased that the existing car is in good working order and won’t necessarily have to spend any extra money on it following the purchase.
Wash the car inside and out – You want to sell the vehicle in the best possible condition that it can be seen and admired in as this will help to influence its value and the sale.
Take as many photos as possible – It’s not always possible but taking photos of the car in the best light and on a sunny day will help to entice viewers to review further. Take photos of as many different angles both inside and out. Include photos of the mileage and the dash and any other useful info which you think would help to sell the car.
Get a clear value of the car – Research the worth of your existing car against other makes, models and mileage so that you can sell for a price that you are happy with and be prepared within the price for a little financial haggling.
Be honest – If something isn’t right with the vehicle then be honest with the buyer so that they are completely clear as to what they are buying and if they will need to fix anything further down the line. This will also give you, the seller, a clear conscious and prevent any further consequences. Show the buyer the vehicle service history and proof of MOT Test, which will demonstrate how well the car has been looked after.
Finances – These days most transactions are made via bacs. Once a sale price has been agreed, send the buyer your account details and ask them to make a small £1 deposit to your account. This will confirm that you both have the correct bank account details and will prevent vast sums of money from being misplaced. Once the small transaction has cleared, the larger transaction for the full payment can be made. Sometimes much larger transactions can take longer to process so ask the buyer to screen photo the transaction and send it to you, so that you have proof that the payment has been made.
Create a Receipt – Write out a receipt for both yourself and the buyer, stating the words “sold as seen”. Date the receipt and put the full value paid including the make and model of the car and the number plate. Make sure that both seller and buyer sign both copies and keep one each. This will give you both proof and extra satisfaction of the processed transaction.
DVLA & V5C logbook – It is also extremely important that you fill out the V5C slip in the logbook and hand it to the buyer so that they can sign and post to inform the DVLA that they are now the new legal owner and that they wish for ownership to be transferred. For further processing, you will then need to post your copy of the logbook to the DVLA, for which they will post out a receipt to confirm that the transfer of ownership is completed. Find out more at: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/content/advice/how-do-i-transfer-ownership-and-tax-for-a-used-car-i-ve-bought
Vehicle TAX – For Tax purposes you will also need to notify the DVLA that you have sold the car through their online portal – https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle. Follow the guidelines through the link to complete the process and terminate your tax payment.
Finally, here at Stourbridge Automotive, we service and MOT Test Audi, BMW, MINI, Mercedes Jaguar, Land Rover or Range Rover vehicles. By carrying out these regular checks, we are often able to detect ‘up and coming’ problems before they become serious issues. We also supply a full-service history through online or our generic paper-based vehicle service book at a cost of £6.00 in VAT, for vehicles that have long standing service history with our business. For more information on preparing your existing car for a sale please speak to our team at Stourbridge Automotive or see our website for more details.