Selling your car

You want to sell your car. But did you know that there is a lot involved in selling your car? From determining the asking price to closing the deal and transferring your car. In this article, we will give you advice and tips for every phase of the sales process. This way, you can be sure that your car changes owner quickly and under the right conditions.

Determine asking price of car

First of all, you need to determine the value of your car and your asking price. Online you can find all kinds of handy calculators that can help you calculate the current value and the trade-in value of your car. We recommend the tool on the Bovag websiteYou can also look at the asking price of comparable cars that are offered online, for example on Marktplaats.

The current value is an indication of the price you can ask for your car when selling it privately. The trade-in value is an approximation of the price a car company will offer you for your car.

The guide price that you are presented with is calculated based on the model, version, year of manufacture and mileage of your car. Furthermore, the maintenance history and the current condition of the car also influence the value and the price that a buyer is willing to pay for your car.

Tip: make sure you can demonstrate with your car's maintenance booklet that the car has been properly maintained and ensure it has a new MOT.

Offer your car

You can trade in your car at the dealer or sell it to a car dealer or private individual. Each method of selling has its advantages and disadvantages.

Trading in at the dealer is quick and easy, but won't get you the highest price. Selling to a dealer won't either. Because they also want to make some money on your car. But a dealer is more willing to buy a car with defects from you than a private individual. Private sales will probably earn you the most money, but will also cost you the most effort.

There is a lot to consider when selling to a private individual. The competition on websites such as Autoscout24, AutoTrack and Marktplaats is fierce, so you will have to do something to stand out.

Be as complete as possible when listing the features and particularities (unique selling points) of your car. Also be honest about any drawbacks, such as scratches in the paint and damage to the interior. Do not try to hide these. An interested party will find out during the viewing anyway. Apart from the fact that honesty lasts the longest, as a seller you are legally obliged to list known defects.

One way to make your car stand out is through photography. Instead of taking photos of a city car or SUV in its “natural” environment, why not do it in your driveway? Post as many photos of the interior and exterior of your car as possible, and take photos under the hood. Take detailed photos of any scratches or blemishes. Finally, resist the urge to retouch or apply filters to your photos.

Tip: look at the pictures car manufacturers post of their new models and how they advertise them. Don't just mention the features, but also mention the driving characteristics, for example. 'Spicy three-cylinder' sounds more appealing than '3 cylinders'.

Test drive

If a potential buyer is interested in your car, he will want to come and see it and possibly test it out himself during a test drive.

Give your car an extra polish before an interested party comes to take a look. Does that person want to take a test drive? Then be aware of the risks that come with this. After all, something can always go wrong during a test drive. Think of damage from a collision. Who will pay for the damage? In any case, go along on a test drive. Are you letting someone else drive? Then always check whether the driver has a valid driver's license and fill in a so-called test drive declaration, which you can find online.

The price negotiations

If someone is seriously interested in your car after viewing it and taking it for a test drive, they will probably want to negotiate the selling price, or in other words, they will want to haggle down your asking price. Usually, the buyer and seller meet somewhere in the middle of the opening bid and the original asking price for the car. If there are multiple interested parties, you as the seller have a stronger negotiating position when selling your car. Don't accept the first bid you see and dare to say 'no'.

The sale and transfer

Have you agreed on the price with the buyer? Then a handshake is in principle sufficient to seal the deal. Such a verbal purchase agreement is legally valid, but to avoid misunderstandings, it is wiser to record the sale in a written purchase agreement. In this, all agreements between buyer and seller are clearly recorded.

Once the purchase has been completed, the car still needs to be formally transferred. This is done by transferring the license plate to the buyer's name (registration). This transfer must be done at the post office - at least when selling to private individuals. When trading in and selling to a garage, this can often be done on the spot. As a seller, you can go with the buyer to the post office and immediately receive the certificate of indemnity.

With the certificate of indemnity, you as the seller are exempted from all responsibility for your old car. From now on, the new owner must ensure a valid MOT, car insurance and payment of road tax.

Do you have any questions about selling your car? We are happy to answer them! We may be interested in buying your car ourselves. Please contact us for this. contact us.