Selling a car privately

We'll walk you through what to do when selling your car privately, your legal responsibilities as a seller, and what you need to do once you've found a buyer.

Published - 14 Dec 2022

Top tips to help you sell your car yourself

Fancy becoming your very own car salesperson? If you’re ready to pass your old car on to a new owner, then selling your car privately is a great way to get the best price.

How to prepare for selling a car privately

Putting in the groundwork before you sell your car privately is essential if you want to sell it quickly and get the best possible price. Getting ready to sell takes a bit of time, but your efforts will pay off in the long run.

Make sure your car’s in a fit state to be sold

First things first, make sure everything’s working mechanically. It could be worth having a full service and an MOT, getting any major faults repaired in the process, so that potential buyers can be confident that everything is in good working order.

Give it a good clean

There’s little more off putting for potential buyers than a car littered with empty plastic bottles, crumpled crisp wrappers and dried mud. Dispose of any rubbish, get out the hoover and glass cleaner and get to work making your car look as appealing as possible inside and out.

You could even go one step further and repair any cosmetic faults. Cracked lights, broken mirrors and scuffs and scratches can all be repaired fairly cheaply.

Get your documents ready

Getting all the right paperwork in order before you start arranging viewings will instil confidence in buyers, and save you time later down the line. Must-have documents include your car’s V5C (also known as a log book), MOT certificates and a service book or maintenance receipts. If you can’t find any of these documents, you’ll need to get them replaced.

Work out a fair asking price

It can be tricky to know exactly how much to sell your car for, but you can start by looking at similar cars advertised online to see how much they’re listed for. Factors like age, specification, condition and mileage will affect the value of your car and how much someone is willing to pay for it.

Take photos

Once your car is looking its best, use your camera or smartphone to take photos of it. Take them in daylight, ideally on a day when the weather is nice, making sure you photograph both the exterior and the interior from a variety of angles to give buyers a good idea of the vehicle’s condition.

Get advertising

Photos ready? Now you can start advertising. Most people will search for used cars online, on sites like AutoTrader, Gumtree and eBay. Include some general information about the car’s condition and its history, and upload your photos as part of the ad. It pays to be honest about any faults so that buyers know exactly what to expect if they come for a viewing and test drive.

If you’d rather advertise offline, you could list your car in a local publication or stick a notice in your newsagent’s window.

Are there any laws on selling a car privately in the UK?

When it comes to private car sales, as the seller you are legally responsible for accurately describing the vehicle. If the buyer feels you’ve misled them by not disclosing any issues, and the car is in fact unroadworthy, they may take you to court for misrepresentation.

It’s not against the law to sell an unroadworthy car, as some buyers may want to purchase it for repairs or spare parts. But if the car is unroadworthy, you’ll need to make this very clear in the initial advert.

Can a potential buyer test drive a car?

Before you let someone test drive your car, you should make sure they have a valid license and are insured to drive it. They may have Driving Other Cars (DOC) cover, or you may be able to include test drivers under your own insurance. Make sure you accompany a would-be buyer on any test drives, and don’t leave them in the car with the keys to prevent the risk of theft.

What to do after you’ve sold your car

You’ve found a buyer – congratulations! Before you hand over the keys and let them drive off in your car, there are a few precautionary measures to take:

Take payment before you hand the car over

Don’t let anyone drive your car away until you’ve been paid in full, either in cash or by online bank transfer.

Draw up some paperwork

Provide a 'sold as seen, tried and approved without guarantee' receipt and draw up a seller’s contract to keep things clear for both parties. Print two copies of the contract (one for you and one for the buyer) and get the buyer to add their dated signature next to yours on both copies. The V5C/2 subsection of the logbook needs to be filled in, torn off, and handed to the car’s new owner as proof of purchase.

Notify the DVLA

Once that’s all done, the only thing left to do is to tell the DVLA that you’ve sold the car and are no longer responsible for it.

How to sell a car for scrap

If your old car has reached the end of its life, you can sell it for scrap. To do so, you’ll need to take it to a scrapyard or Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) that's licensed by the Environment Agency.

You’ll need to give the ATF your V5C but keep the yellow ‘sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade’ section from it.

Make sure you tell the DVLA if you've scrapped your car. If not, you could be fined £1,000.

Selling your old car and buying a new one? Find out about transferring your car insurance to your new vehicle, or get a new car insurance quote today.

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