Selling a car privately - MOT, Servicing, Insurance

Fernendo321

Hi all

I have a car to sell.   It's worth about £1600.  It currently has no MOT or insurance.   I think it may be able to pass an MOT as I'm not aware of any issues except maybe new tyres needed.

Here are my options are I see it

1) Sell car as is with no MOT or Insurance (might be hard to get a good price like this?)

2) Pay for MOT only and assuming it passes sell it with full MOT

3) I can get full service and MOT for just £150 so I could pay extra for a full service if it's likely to help with resale value

Which of these 3 options do you think would allow me to get the maximum price for the car when I sell?  Obviously there are unknown factors here but what would you recommend? 

In regards to test driving I guess this will be impossible right due to the SORN?   They can drive it on my small driveway but that's all.   Maybe a full service will make up for lack of test drive?

Perhaps I could sell the car on the basis they will test drive it right after purchase.  They can insure and tax on the spot and get a refund if they don't like the test drive?   But then they have spent money on tax so that's a little complicated I guess.

Thanks 

Herzlos

Without an MOT no-one is going to give you more than scrap for it.

So you're best trying to get it an MOT. A local friendly garage may be able to do you a pre-MOT check to see how much it'd cost to get it through the MOT, if you're worried.

You'll also get on better selling it if it's taxed, because then there can be a test drive before money is spent. Without it you're just going to get chancers offering you scrap value.

baser999

At that sort of price I wouldn’t personally think getting mot, service etc would greatly affect the price. Have you tried selling ‘sold as seen’? 

Grey_Critic

*** I can get full service and MOT for just £150 so I could pay extra for a full service if it's likely to help with resale value***

The correct procedure should be MOT before service. The logic is that if a service and other work is carried out before the MOT and it then fails miserably who pays.

Has a service - couple of tires brake reline and such then fails MOT who is going to pay if the MOT fail comes up with major expenditure required - possibly more than the car is actually worth.

 I did see a case years ago just like that and the customer simply refused to pay

HillStreetBlues

I would put an MOT on if you haven't any reason to think it will fail.

My personal view is if no MOT then the seller doen't think it will pass.

prowla

I'd get it MOT'd.

My son had an MOT+service deal done on his car and when it failed that garage couldn't do the repair and it turned out to be cheaper to get an independent to do the fix and do another MOT.

As per other comments, it's a good idea to do the MOT to find out what needs doing before spending money on a service.

If it's tyres or lights, they're an easy fix and free re-test (I did have one garage insist on re-doing the whole MOT again when it failed on tyres and I went back with new ones fitted!).

The insurance part isn't relevant to the sale of the car.

CliveOfIndia

prowla said:

The insurance part isn't relevant to the sale of the car.

It's perhaps relevant insofar as it allows the car to be taxed, and therefore the buyer can test drive it.  It may not make a huge difference I guess, depending on who the potential buyer is, but I personally would never buy a car without a thorough test-drive.

Grumpy_chap

If selling the car as SORN, no MOT, no test drive (because of SORN / no insurance), then you are really selling it for scrap / spares-and-repairs / a lucky punt.

If you get the MOT the car value will be a lot higher.  I (and I think many prospective purchasers) would be wary of a car that they cannot test drive nor be driven around the block in by the owner.  Putting tax and short-term insurance may repay itself in the sales value and also ease / speed of sale.

Alfrescodave

When you say the car is worth about £1600, is that an expectation? a mates guess or have you looked on car valuation sites?  This figure is obviously with an MOT

As others have said, without an MOT its only scrap value.

Fernendo321

Alfrescodave said:

When you say the car is worth about £1600, is that an expectation? a mates guess or have you looked on car valuation sites?  This figure is obviously with an MOT

As others have said, without an MOT its only scrap value.

Thanks for your reply it's based on one of these Valuation websites

Fernendo321

Thanks all for your replies.  I guess I will try to pass MOT only then assuming I can get it to pass list it for free on Facebook marketplace and see what happens.