Best place to sell
We are not going to tell you private sale is always wrong. It usually does get the highest price. It just costs you time, hassle and a stranger on your driveway — and for plenty of people that trade is not worth it.
Your registration is all we need to start.
Free · No obligation · No pressure to accept anything
| Private sale | Part exchange | Single online buyer | Compare Car Offers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | Highest | Lowest | Middle | Strongest we can confirm |
| Time and effort | Weeks, adverts, viewings | None | Low | Low |
| Strangers at your home | Yes, test drives | No | No | No |
| Price certainty | Haggling on the day | Bundled into the new car deal | Can move at inspection | Terms stated before you accept |
| Finance handled | You arrange it | Usually | Usually | Settled with your lender directly |
| What it costs you | Advert fees, your weekends | A weaker price for convenience | Possible admin fees | Free to compare |
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If your car is desirable, under about £15,000, in good condition with full history, and you have the patience for viewings and time-wasters, a private sale will usually beat any trade buyer. That is simply how the maths works — you are capturing the margin a dealer would otherwise take.
It stops making sense when the car is worth a lot (few private buyers carry that kind of money), when it has an issue that needs explaining, when there is outstanding finance to unwind, or when you need it gone this week.
If you are buying another car anyway and the dealer is competitive on the new one, part exchange is the least effort available and can be worth accepting a slightly weaker number for. We compare the two properly in part exchange versus selling separately.
The trap is that the two figures are negotiated together. A generous part-exchange price often accompanies a less generous discount on the car you are buying. Get a separate valuation before you walk in, so you know which side of the deal is doing the work.
We are useful when you want a strong price without running the process yourself, and when you want to know the terms before you commit rather than discover them on collection day.
We are not the right answer for everyone. If you have three weekends spare and a tidy Golf, sell it privately and keep the difference.
Questions
A private sale, in most cases, if you have the time and the car suits it. Every other route trades some money for speed and certainty.
Not inherently. They pay trade money for convenience, which is a fair exchange when stated up front. The problem arises when a headline price is quoted to win the click and then reduced at collection.
Usually not. Trade repair costs less than retail, so a buyer can absorb it more cheaply than you can pay for it. Declare it accurately instead — that is what protects your price.
If it is due within a couple of months, often yes. A long MOT removes an immediate cost from the buyer and widens the pool of people who will take the car.
Tell us about it once. We check the market and come back with the strongest price we can confirm.
Takes a couple of minutes.
Free · No obligation · No pressure to accept anything