How to sell your car privately

If you’re looking to sell your car, there are a number of options. The right selling solution may depend on how much time and effort you want to put into selling your car.

If you’re about to sell your car or are struggling to find a buyer at the price you want, check out Tempcover’s guide on how to sell your car privately. It’s full of all the useful information you need, top tips and things to watch out for when getting rid of your old car.

What is the best way to sell a car?

If, like most people looking to get rid of their old car, the price is the most important factor, you’re more than likely to get the best price if you sell your car privately.  It may take up some more of your time but it will save the extra costs that come with selling your car to a dealer or with an online middleman.

Unfortunately, despite the prospect of more money for your car, many sellers are put off selling their cars privately, mainly because of a lack of knowledge or experience in doing so. Selling your car privately is potentially far easier than you might imagine. You don’t need to be a wheeler-dealer or even a car expert to make a sale quickly and for a fair price.

Getting your car ready for sale

This is probably the most important step in the selling process because if your car isn’t up to scratch, you’re unlikely to find a buyer.

Even if you do manage to lure someone in to take a look, if your car isn’t roadworthy when you sell it or isn’t as you’ve described it, you could end up in trouble. There’s good reason the infamous ‘buyer beware’ mantra has become associated with buying a car privately.

To ensure you avoid any trouble, you should be open and honest when it comes to describing your car and any problems it currently has. Make this easier for yourself by making sure you fix any minor problems the car has when you’re trying to sell it.

You can, of course, get an MoT on the car before selling it – this will help make your car more attractive to potential buyers but of course comes with additional costs.

Make your car presentable

If you’re confident that your car is in decent shape, and doesn’t need any major work needed, you can always increase your chances of making a sale by simply giving it a good clean, inside and out.

Most car buyers will pay more attention to the cleanliness of the car than what’s going on under the bonnet so a clean, scratch- and dent-free exterior can do wonders for your car’s chances of being sold.

Deciding on a sale price for your car

Once you’ve got your car ready for sale inside and out, you need to start thinking about how much you want to ask for. The number you have in your head and the amount your old car is actually worth is probably further apart than you’d probably hoped, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get a fair price.

Do some research to find out what price similar makes and models are being sold for. This will likely vary depending on the age and condition of the car, but you should get a rough idea of what you can expect to get.

For a more specific idea, you can use free car valuation tools on sites like AutoTrader and Parkers.

You can expect that any potential buyers will try to haggle with you, so you should think of the lowest possible price you’d be willing to sell for, as well as your asking price. You’ve got your car and you know what you want to get for it, now it’s time to start advertising.

Where’s the best place to advertise your car for sale?

There are a number of options when it comes to getting your car advertisement out to thousands of potential buyers. You can try authorised online sales sites like AutoTrader or Gumtree but you may have to pay to place your advert.

If you don’t want to pay to advertise online, you could try social media sites like Facebook Marketplace or Facebook’s various buying and selling groups or even those dedicated car club and enthusiasts pages. You could also search for hashtags or accounts on X, but be wary when selling on social media for time-wasters and scammers.

Another more traditional and still effective way to advertise is by putting an advert in the local newspaper or in the window of a local shop or newsagents. This advertising normally comes with a small cost.

You can also stick ‘for sale’ signs up in your car with a contact number so buyers can see it while it’s parked up. You may need to ask your local council if you can do this as on some roads it is considered illegal.

You can also get the word out by telling your friends, family or colleagues that you’re selling your car – you never know, someone you know may be looking to buy.

Writing your car advert

When it comes to writing your car listing or advert, you want to be as honest as possible while at the same time selling your car in the best possible way. You should only include relevant information that you think will help sell it and be sure to highlight any special features your car has so you can set it apart from others on the market.

You’ll probably be working with a limited space or a character limit so here’s the most important information you should include first:

• Make & model
• Engine size
• Engine type
• Mileage
• Age
• Condition

Be sure to also mention the car’s most recent MoT date – especially if you’ve had it done specifically for the sale.

Next, it’s time to move on to the photos. This is an incredibly important part of the advert as it gives your potential buyers that first glimpse of your car and hopefully will attract them straight away.

• Make sure that the photos are well-lit, so it doesn’t look like you’re trying to hide anything, and you can show off that newly-cleaned sheen.
• Include multiple shots of the cars from various angles, include images of the boot, under the bonnet and the interior.
• If there are major dents or scratches that are so prominent that you had to mention them in your advert, be sure to include a close-up picture of it, that way buyers will know what to expect and will save you having to waste your or the buyers time.

Now you’ve got your advert sorted and placed in various places, it’s time to start preparing for any viewings…

What to do during a viewing

You’ll probably want to have the viewing at your house as you’ll be more comfortable there. It also saves you having to drive your old car around every time someone wants to come and see it.

If, however, you are uncomfortable with having strangers coming to your home you could arrange to meet in a neutral location like a supermarket car park. If you are meeting away from your home, be sure to tell someone where you are going and also have a lift home arranged in case all goes well.

Wherever you’re having the viewing, give the buyer some time alone with the car before you start the engine and take it for a spin. People don’t tend to like pushy or overbearing salespeople, so just be relaxed and ready to answer any questions they have about the car.

Once they’re happy with what they’ve seen and assuming they’re happy to continue with the viewing, start up the engine, let them check under the bonnet and offer to let them take it for a test drive.

Going for a test drive

A test drive is usually pretty simple and straightforward: Let the buyer get a feel for the car over a 20- to 30-minute drive across different road types.

It’s not so easy when selling your car privately. As they will be driving on public roads, you’ll need to make sure that the buyer is insured to drive your car. If they don’t have the correct insurance, both you and the person driving your car could face a range of fines and penalties.

If the buyer does already have insurance, it’s unlikely the buyer will want to adjust their existing insurance to cover a car they may or may not buy. Unless their annual insurance has the Driving Other Cars clause (something that’s not as widely available now), they’ll need to find another insurance option: temporary car insurance.

Tempcover’s temporary car insurance is ideal for test drives when you’re trying to sell your car. It’s fast, flexible and affordable temporary cover that lasts from 1 hour to 28 days, depending on your needs.

For test drives, temporary car insurance can allow the buyer to be insured to drive your car without impacting on any existing insurance policies you or they have. Tempcover’s short-term cover will also protect your no claims discount should there be an accident on the test drive.

• You can get the duration you need without having to pay for more cover than you want. You can get a quote at any time and it takes just a couple of minutes.
• Cover is available instantly on mobile, tablet and desktop, so wherever you are, you can quickly arrange cover for your test drive.
• Once the policy has expired, that’s it. You’re not tied into anything and you can get a policy for each test drive you do.

Once they have completed the test drive, and assuming all goes well, it’s time to get down to business.

Completing the sale

If they’re happy with the car and you’re happy with them, you should now start discussing the price. While you have given them an idea of the price you want for the car, they will probably try and haggle with you to get a better price.

Remember the lowest possible price you thought about earlier and don’t go below it. You can always haggle back and hopefully between the two of you, you can come to a price that works. If you can’t agree on a fair price, try and end the conversation on friendly terms and allow them to walk away. They may come back in a day or two with the price you’re after.

When you’ve agreed on the price, you can complete the sale.

Arranging payment for your car

• The ideal payment method is a bank transfer, or in some cases cash, but make sure you’ve counted all the notes multiple times and that they all look legit.
• Bank transfers are incredibly quick and easy with online banking.
• Avoid any unusual payment methods they suggest as this could be a sign of a scam.
• Whichever way you agree to get paid, make sure the right amount of cash is in your hand or money has cleared and is in your bank before handing over the keys.

What paperwork is needed for a private car sale?

Try and have all the paperwork ready to go before they arrive, this will save time now and avoid that awkward wait while you run around gathering documents.

The AA states you should hand over the following documentation:

• The green slip from your V5C Registration Certificate (you can either send the form – completed with the new owner’s details – to the DVLA or fill this in online very quickly)
• MOT Certificates
• Service History
• History Checks
• Dealer Warranty

You’ll also want to write two copies of a receipt. It should include:

• Date
• Price
• Registration number
• Make and model
• Yours and your buyer’s names and addresses.

Make sure that the receipt clearly shows that the car is ‘sold as seen, tried and approved without guarantee’. While this won’t stop the buyer returning the car if you’ve mis-sold it or wrongly described it, it will cover you against the possibility that the car may be unroadworthy in some respect either.

The final step is to notify the DVLA that you no longer own the vehicle. You can do this quickly and easily online. You’ll get any outstanding vehicle tax back and then you’re all done.

We hope this guide has given you some pointers on how to sell a car privately. Just remember to be fair, clear and not misleading and to ensure anyone that drives the car has the right insurance. This is where Tempcover’s temporary car insurance could help when it comes to test driving and selling your car quickly.

Useful links:

https://www.gov.uk/responsibilities-selling-vehicle

https://www.theaa.com/cars/advice/guides/car-documents-to-sell-a-car