How to value your car

So, you need to value your car for sale, insurance purposes or just out of interest, but you do not know where to start from. This article will give you a brief guide about what to consider, where to look, who to speak to and what to be careful of. The important thing is to be realistic as over-estimating a vehicle valuation helps nobody.

Before you start

Make, model, mileage and condition Well, the place to start is to inspect the car's make, model, mileage and condition. Walk around your vehicle and make an assessment of the car's worth, based on how well looked after it is, how good it looks, its service history etc. Write down as much information as you can and move on to the next step.

From the comfort of your armchair

The Internet is a wonderful resource for car buyers and sellers.
Purchase from websites Websites, such as Webuyanycar.com and Cash 4 cars.co.uk, will provide you with a free valuation in just minutes (beware, however, that their purpose is to buy your vehicle and profit from it, so the price offered may be quite low). Others, like Parker's Guide give free values on cars from 2002 onwards, and for a small fee will do the same on vehicles from 1989-2001.
Owner's clubs and websites
Many brands have dedicated owners clubs and their associated websites often have guides for current market prices. Searches for similar makes and models on auction sites, like eBay will also prove helpful in ascertaining value.

Do the leg-work

Signs for car deals If you prefer a more face-to-face experience, then you can take a drive around your local used car dealerships. Look out for signs like "We buy used cars" and "Cash for cars". Stop and have a chat with the dealer and ask him to price your car and see what he has to offer. Getting a professional opinion The benefit of this is that you are getting a professional opinion, based on the actual vehicle, as opposed to a computerised estimate. However, you must bear in mind, though, that car trade-ins will always be lower than private sales, so you will need to add a percentage if you decide to advertise it yourself.

Where to now?

Used car check For the sale of car or estimation for insurance, its better to take time and follow all the instructions. You can also do a used car check. Average of the prices You must take an average of all the prices as they can reflect market value nicely. Car prices in the UK do fluctuate considerably over a short time. So, you will need to keep a record on this if your car doesn't sell immediately.