Advice - taking my car off the road

Dare2dream

I'm planning on taking my car off the road at the end of this month when tax, MOT due to be renewed. I know that I have to complete SORN but I'm unsure what I do about insurance. I'm taking the car off the road because we can't afford to run 2 cars at the moment and don't really have the money for the tax & getting MOT done. We paid the insurance as an annual payment last year and again don't have the money to renew it this way again. I want to make sure that the car is protected whilst it sits in the drive so should I be arranging 3rd party cover for it?

If our finances don't improve we will probably have to sell it. This is probably an obvious question but if we are selling it I presume we would need to get MOT & tax done?

TadleyBaggie

Dare2dream wrote: »

I want to make sure that the car is protected whilst it sits in the drive so should I be arranging 3rd party cover for it?

You might find that TPFT cover is no cheaper than fully comp.

lesalanos

you can sell without tax and MOT. tax wont affect price too much but no MOT will put a lot of people off and therefore drive down the price. It would be worth getting it MOT ed and would probably have more chance of passing now if used regularly than if left for a number of months for things to start seizing. For the sake of £30 it might be worth getting it tested if due now. Its then up to you if its worth carrying out the repairs.

marlot

Dare2dream wrote: »

I want to make sure that the car is protected whilst it sits in the drive so should I be arranging 3rd party cover for it?

As its not being driven, 'laid up' insurance would be good enough, if you can find someone who will cover it on the drive (most want it to be garaged). You'll probably need to use an insurance broker to find something suitable.

colino

If your not particularly car minded it would be worthwhile putting it through an MOT at a trusted local independent now. Then you can assess if its worthwhile selling as is or keeping under a tarpaulin. If you don't have it checked over, your cheap insurance might be to no avail if you come to re-use the car in a few months time and find out you've just been saving an expensive paperweight.

Quentin

Dare2dream wrote: »

I want to make sure that the car is protected whilst it sits in the drive so should I be arranging 3rd party cover for it?...

Whatever policy you now have, it will have 3rd party cover.

If you want your car to remain covered against damage/fire/theft, whilst on your drive, then you need to keep your current policy going. (Damage will only be covered if it's a fully comp. policy)

Downgrading to a "laid up" policy would require it to be in a locked garage.

s_b

colino wrote: »

If your not particularly car minded it would be worthwhile putting it through an MOT at a trusted local independent now. Then you can assess if its worthwhile selling as is or keeping under a tarpaulin. If you don't have it checked over, your cheap insurance might be to no avail if you come to re-use the car in a few months time and find out you've just been saving an expensive paperweight.

this is definitely the way to go and proper moneysaving advice

Dare2dream

Thanks everyone for your help. I will get the MOT done in the meantime and make a decision after that as to whether I can afford to keep it or not.

Road_Hog

Dare2dream wrote: »

I want to make sure that the car is protected whilst it sits in the drive so should I be arranging 3rd party cover for it?

3rd party would only cover you against any accident you had against another vehicle and needed to pay out to them. It doesn't cover you vehicle. You need at least fire & theft.

If you car isn't worth a shedload of money, then y adice is just to remove the battery (good advice anyway if the car is left standing). Most would be thieves don't walk around with a battery and have time to get the bonnet open and wire up their spare battery.