Selling your car: the order that saves money

Before you write anything, gather everything that belongs with the car. What is missing lowers the price — by more than replacing it would cost. A service book produced at the sale is worth several hundred; one that is to follow later is not.

Find five to ten comparable cars: same model, year plus or minus one, mileage plus or minus twenty thousand. Take the middle price of that group as your starting point and adjust up or down for what makes yours better or worse.

The most common mistake is a large negotiating cushion. It does not help, because buyers filter by price limits: someone whose ceiling is ten thousand never sees a car listed at 10,500. Five per cent of cushion is enough.

Eight to fifteen photos in daylight: all round the outside, inside, the boot and the odometer. Photograph the flaws too — it sounds counterproductive but brings more serious enquiries and saves the argument at the viewing.

In the text, hard facts first, then equipment, then condition. Anyone who praises their car for three sentences before naming the mileage gets scrolled past.

Daylight, a public place, and the papers to hand. For a test drive, ask to see the licence and go along. Check beforehand whether your insurance covers a third party driving — many policies do, but not all.

A written contract in two copies with chassis number, mileage, date, time and the clause “sold as seen, all warranty excluded”. Known defects belong in it individually — the exclusion does not cover what you knew and did not say.

Money before keys, without exception. Have cash counted and checked at the bank, or wait for the credit to land. A payment receipt on the buyer's phone is not money.

Finally: deregister the car or hand over the plates, tell your insurer, and keep your copy of the contract. While the car is registered to you, the new driver's fines are yours too.