Selling or Part-Exchanging Your Car: How to Get a Fair Price

Most people leave money on the table when they sell a car, and it’s rarely the big things. It’s a missing service book, a second key in a drawer somewhere, or an online quote that gets cut on the day.

We buy cars all the time, so here’s what actually moves the price, from the buyer’s side of the desk.

What decides the price

Make, model, age and mileage set the starting point. After that it comes down to condition, history and how much demand there is for that car right now.

Service history is the one you have most control over. A full, documented history makes a car easier to sell, and buyers will pay more for it.

Get these ready before you ask for a price

• The V5C logbook, in your name
• The service book and any invoices
• Both keys, as a missing key can cost more than you’d think
• A settlement figure, if there’s still finance owing
• The locking wheel nut key

The more you can tell a buyer up front, the more accurate their price will be.

Worth doing, and not worth doing

Give it a proper clean inside and out. It costs very little and first impressions count, even with trade buyers.

Small things like a blown bulb are worth sorting if it’s cheap. Bigger repairs usually aren’t. You rarely get back what you spend on bodywork or new tyres just before selling.

Be upfront about faults. They’ll be found at inspection anyway, and a price agreed knowing about them is a price that doesn’t change.

How online buyers work

The big instant-valuation sites give you a figure quickly, but it’s a starting point. The car is inspected when it’s collected, and the price can be reduced for anything they find. Many of those cars are then sold on through trade auctions, and the cost of that is built into what you’re offered.

That doesn’t make them a bad option, but compare it with an offer from someone who’ll stick to the price they give you.

Selling privately or to a dealer

Selling privately usually gets you the most money, but you’re dealing with viewings, test drives and people who don’t turn up. If you do sell privately, only hand over the car and keys once the money is cleared in your account.

Selling to a dealer or part-exchanging is quicker and simpler. If you’re buying your next car from the same place, a part-exchange makes the whole thing one transaction.

How we do it at GT

A real person values your car, not a database. We come back the same working day with a genuine price, and once it’s agreed that’s what you get, with no auction fees taken off and no surprise drop on the day. You can sell to us outright or part-exchange against one of our cars, and payment is quick once everything’s agreed.

Know someone else who’s selling? Send them our way and we’ll give you £50 once they complete a sale with us.