Place an advert on Auto Trader
3 simple steps to your advert online
Free, instant online valuation
Advertise to millions
Dedicated support team
Create your advert
Get an instant offer
Tell us more about your car to get an instant offer, valid for 7 days
Sell your car quickly for cash
Home collection
No haggling on your price
Get your offer
Join thousands of happy sellers
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4.7/5Score is based on 88,751 reviewsAuto Trader Classified AdvertAuto TraderClassified advert listing on Auto Trader
4.7588,751
With Auto Trader, it's simple
51
millionThe number of cross-platform visits to our website each month*
Advertise to millions
With the UK's largest audience of car buyers, it's highly likely someone is currently searching our website for the car that's sat on your driveway. If you have a popular model, it can sell within 24 hours!
Free online valuation
Our powerful valuation tool helps you to price your car competitively so you can make sure you're getting a fair price. We'll guide you through creating your advert and give helpful tips to make it stand out.
How to sell your car, fast
Take great photos
It may sound obvious - but taking good-quality photos can have a huge impact on the time it takes to sell your car. Buyers expect to see 20 images on an advert
Keep it snappy
Keep your vehicle description short and simple. Call out optional extras that other similar cars may not have. And don't forget to mention full-service history if you have it.
Be honest
It's important that your vehicle description is accurate. If your car has a small scratch on it - be honest about it. It'll save time with needless viewings if buyers are aware of any faults from the get-go.
Guides to selling your car
Preparing your car
From keeping it clean to sorting repairs, here's how to get your car ready for sale.
Creating your advert
Good-quality adverts lead to a fast sale. Read our tips to create an effective advert.
Taking payment
Cash, bank transfer, cheque? Learn the best way to accept payment and keep yourself secure.
Avoiding scams
Learn how to stay safe online and protect yourself from fraud.
Your questions answered
With Auto Trader, you’re twice as likely to sell your car within a week. We also have more options than anywhere else to sell your car, so you are in control:
1.Instant Cash offer – The fastest way to sell your car. Get cash directly from AutoTrader and have the car picked up from your driveway within 48hrs2.Part Exchange – The easy way to part exchange your old car for new one3.Create an advert – You are in full control with your own sale. You can create and upload your advert in just three steps, and the size of our audience means you’ll get your car in front of more buyers than on any other site.
When you sell your car, you’ll need to hand over the car’s handbook, the service logbook (plus receipts) and, if the car is over three years old, the MOT certificate. Buyers may also appreciate older MOT certificates and maintenance receipts.
After you’ve sold the car, you’ll need a receipt with the date, price, registration number, make and model featured. You’ll also need your (and the buyer’s) name and address.
You’ll need to tell the DVLA the car has been sold. If your car has a V5C (registration document) then fill in the bottom and send this to the DVLA. You’ll need to give the top part to the buyer alongside other paperwork.
There are plenty of places to sell your old car.
You could sell it directly to a dealership or auction house, or you can sell it online. If you’ve got the time to wait for the right buyer, selling your car privately on a site like Auto Trader can earn you more money.
If you’re looking for someone to buy your car for cash, Instant Offer is a great option and one of the fastest ways to sell your car.
There are also options like part-exchange and, sometimes, a scrappage scheme is the right choice for older cars.
Learn more about your options in our guide to selling a car.
If you’ve sold a car before, you’ll know you can get wildly different quotes from competing sites and dealerships.
Auto Trader’s free car valuation tool gives you the right guide price. We combine data from thousands of live adverts and dealer websites, plus values from car auctions, and ex-fleet and leasing vehicles.
As our guide price represents the entire market and our data is updated daily, your quote is fair, priced to sell, and accurate.
We’ll also give you a part-exchange price, an instant offer and a private sale price, so you can decide how you want to sell your car.
You can learn more about our car valuations, and the steps we take to ensure you get a fair and accurate price each time, here.
A car valuation will tell you exactly how much you can sell your car for.
To get the best price for your car, make sure it’s clean and in good working order. Scuffs and scratches can knock the price down, so be realistic about the car’s condition and see whether it’s worth paying for repairs. A full-service history (where you’ve had a service every year, or within its set mileage) can fetch a higher price too.
Other factors can affect a car’s price. Some make models are more desirable than others, and a car’s age and mileage will also affect the final offer. Older cars with higher mileage tend to sell for less, though remember the depreciation curve of new cars means they lose most of their value in the first few years.
Another factor is the number of previous owners (the fewer the better, usually). You can find this in the V5C document.
One trick is to sell your car at the right time of year – convertibles are more popular in summer, so make sure you’re ready to meet demand! We’ve got more tips in our guide to the best time to sell your car.
The fastest way to sell your car on Auto Trader is with Instant Offer. We’ll give you a cash offer in minutes and can arrange to collect your car in under 48 hours.
If you want to sell your car privately, selling it through Auto Trader puts it in front of the UK’s largest car-buying audience. We recommend you accurately and fairly price it and follow these tips on creating an eye-catching car advert.
Part-exchanging your car online is easy nowadays.
Once you’ve found a car you like on our site, simply use our part exchange tool to get an instant valuation on your current car. We’ll only need your reg plate and current mileage to give you your quote. If you’re happy, you can then get in touch with the dealer to arrange trading your car in.
Part-exchange is a great way to swap your old car for a new one and find some of the cash for a deposit as you go.
No, it is illegal to sell a car with outstanding finance. Until you’ve finished paying for the car and the finance is settled, the car is still owned by the finance company so it’s not yours to sell.
If you want to sell the car, you’ll have to settle the finance. There are several ways to do this –usually, you’ll have to pay a settlement figure and any associated fees. Learn more about selling a car with outstanding finance.
We help millions sell their cars every year, and our platform makes it easy for you to list your car and find the right buyer for it. To sell your car, simply follow these steps:
- Prep your car for sale, giving it a clean and fixing it up if needed.
- Price it fairly, using a car valuation.
- Make sure you have the right paperwork.
- Create an eye-catching advert for your car.
- Arrange to meet a potential buyer.
- Arrange a test drive.
- Get paid!
We’ve plenty more advice on creating an advert, what to do in a test drive, and how to get paid safely online – check it out here.
Helping people sell cars since 1977
From humble beginnings as a local classified magazine, to the UK’s largest digital automotive marketplace – we’ve helped millions of people sell their car with ease.
Auto Trader Trustpilot rating: Excellent
4.7/5Score is based on 88,751 reviewsAuto Trader Classified AdvertAuto TraderClassified advert listing on Auto Trader
4.7588,751
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
Auto Trader is a popular online platform for buying and selling cars in the UK. It offers a range of services to help individuals sell their cars quickly and easily. Here are some key concepts related to the article:
Advertise on Auto Trader
Auto Trader provides a simple and straightforward process for placing an advert on their platform. The process involves three steps: creating your advert, getting an instant offer, and selling your car quickly for cash. By advertising on Auto Trader, you can reach millions of potential buyers [[1]].
Free Online Valuation
Auto Trader offers a free online valuation tool that helps you determine the fair price for your car. This tool takes into account various factors such as the make, model, age, mileage, and condition of the vehicle. By pricing your car competitively, you can attract more potential buyers [[1]].
Tips for Selling Your Car
Auto Trader provides helpful tips for selling your car quickly. These tips include taking good-quality photos of your vehicle, keeping the vehicle description short and simple, and being honest about any faults or imperfections. By following these tips, you can increase the chances of selling your car faster [[1]].
Different Selling Options
Auto Trader offers multiple selling options to cater to different needs. These options include:
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Instant Cash Offer: This is the fastest way to sell your car. Auto Trader provides a cash offer and arranges for the car to be picked up from your driveway within 48 hours [[1]].
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Part Exchange: This option allows you to trade in your old car for a new one. Auto Trader provides a part-exchange tool that gives you an instant valuation for your current car. You can then get in touch with a dealer to arrange the trade-in [[1]].
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Create an Advert: With this option, you have full control over the sale of your car. You can create and upload your advert in just three steps. Auto Trader's large audience increases the chances of getting your car in front of more potential buyers [[1]].
Paperwork and DVLA Notification
After selling your car, there are certain paperwork requirements to fulfill. You will need to provide the car's handbook, service logbook (plus receipts), and MOT certificate if the car is over three years old. It is also important to issue a receipt with the relevant details, including the date, price, registration number, make, and model of the car. Additionally, you will need to inform the DVLA about the sale of the car [[1]].
Car Valuation
Auto Trader offers a free car valuation tool that provides a guide price for your car. This valuation takes into account various factors such as market data from live adverts, dealer websites, car auctions, and ex-fleet and leasing vehicles. The valuation is updated daily to ensure accuracy [[1]].
Factors Affecting Car Price
Several factors can affect the price of a car. These include the car's condition, age, mileage, make, model, and the number of previous owners. Having a full-service history and selling the car at the right time of year can also impact the price [[1]].
Selling Process on Auto Trader
To sell your car on Auto Trader, you need to follow a few steps. These include preparing your car for sale, pricing it fairly using the car valuation tool, gathering the necessary paperwork, creating an eye-catching advert, arranging meetings and test drives with potential buyers, and finally, completing the transaction and getting paid [[1]].
Auto Trader's History
Auto Trader has been helping people sell cars since 1977. It started as a local classified magazine and has evolved into the UK's largest digital automotive marketplace. With millions of satisfied customers, Auto Trader has become a trusted platform for buying and selling cars [[1]].
Please note that the information provided above is based on search results and snippets and does not include a list of sources or a bibliography.