In the UK, cars are regarded as material items. This means that regardless of how much they cost when they were new, every car eventually gets old and becomes a banger. If you have an old car that is clearly approaching its final days, then how should you go about getting rid of it?
There are many options for getting rid of an old banger. The more you know about it, the more money you can make when you part with it. Below we’ll show you some of the quickest and best ways to get rid of your old junk car.
Place an advert in the local paper
Despite the advent of the internet, the good old local rag is still a great resource when it comes to buying and selling items – especially old bangers. Not everyone is tech-savvy, so you may be surprised about how many people get in touch when you list your old car in the local paper the old fashioned way. In order to place an advert in your local newspaper you just need to include the details of the car as well as your contact number, and pay a nominal fee. Then sit back and wait for the calls to come in.
Join internet forums
Back into today’s age, internet forums are a great place to sell cars. There is an internet forum for virtually any topic you can think of, and there are thousands devoted to petrol heads and cars. After a 5 minute sign up you can post your ad where it will be seen by many car enthusiasts. If you manage to find a forum that specialises in the make (or model) of car that you have for sale, then you’ll get a lot more genuine interest. Usually it’s free to advertise on such forums, but the general etiquette is to donate a small percentage of the sale proceeds to the running of the forum.
Use social media
Social media is a fairly new concept but it has already become one of the most powerful marketing tools in the world. Within just a few seconds your post can reach hundreds, thousands or even millions of people in your local area – so an interested person is bound to find your ad. Facebook is great for buying and selling cars. To reach out to people who are genuinely interested be sure to join a lot of local car buying and selling groups.
Auctions
Auctions are still one of the best ways to sell an old car. You only have to do a small amount of research and you will probably find that there is an auction house near to your town. Contact the auction house to find out about fees, procedures and policies before proceeding. For most auction houses you will need to deliver the car yourself so that it can be assessed and catalogued before being auctioned off.
Gumtree
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, then you would probably already have heard of (or even used) Gumtree. Gumtree is a buying and selling website that deals with all kinds of things ranging from second-hand clothes to furniture as well as cars. Although you’ll probably have to make your ad stand out a bit in order for it to get noticed, it’s well worth spending a few extra pounds on listing enhancements if it increases the likelihood of an interested party stumbling upon your advertisement.
Any Car Buyers
If you’ve driven past a layby in a busy area before then you will probably have noticed the old junk car parked in it with an advertisement for a vehicle recycling company. These companies will buy virtually any car, even if it doesn’t run or has an expired MOT. Typically, they come to you and pay cash for your car before taking it away. The only requirement is usually that it has four wheels and the log book is in your name. Though you may receive less money using these services than any other method, it’s probably the quickest and most hassle-free way of getting rid of an old car.
Friends or Family
Another great way to sell a car is to reach out to your friends and family. More often or not, someone knows someone who is in need of a car. Even if it’s an old banger, you will probably find that there is a 17 year old who has recently passes their driving test, or someone looking for a cheap run-around. You’ll be surprised who may be interested if the price is right.