How to sell your car
Selling your car can be tricky, but following these simple guidelines will help you make a deal as hassle free as possible:
- Get your car valued to make sure your asking price is right. There are plenty of web sites that give you free estimates for the make, model and year of your car.
- Organise the paperwork (new window) - get the registration documents in order.
- Figure out how you are going to sell the car. Talk to friends who have sold their cars privately and decide which option suits you best, online in the classifieds or in specialist car sites, in the paper or by putting a sign in your car window.
- Clean your car inside and out and give it a polish. If you don't want to clean the car yourself then have it professionally cleaned. You could also get the engine cleaned.
- Protect yourself when selling your car:
- Don't let someone steal your car under the pretext of test driving it.
- Go with the person when they are test-driving and consider taking a family member or friend with you.
- Don't hand over the keys or papers until any bank drafts or cheques have cleared.
- Keep a note of the buyer's name and address in a safe place.
- Tell the DVLA you have sold the car so you are no longer liable for road tax (new window). You will need to obtain forms for this and you can get them.
