how do you sell your car?

bandit

bandit

bandit

Soldato
Joined
6 Nov 2002
Posts
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Location
Brum, Brum, Brum, Brum....
so looking to sell my E61 525D.

a perfect storm of events has conspired against me leaving me no choice but to get rid. bascially my wife passed her test, so i bought her a Yaris, then 3 months later she gets pregnant and we find we are expecting twins :D

so basically i need to get a bigger car that she can drive for the twins and my 3 year old daughter :D whilst she is off on maternity. of course that means I inherit the yaris :o

now looking at pistonheads and autotrader, i think i can get around 12K for the car mainly due to a pretty decent specification and low mileage (specs below. if anyone thinks this price is too high or low, let me know :)

however i've never sold a car of this value before so looking to understand how others sell their cars when their over 10K?

my worry is that of course they want a test drive, and i'm happy for them to do that, but in terms of insurance, payment etc, whats the advice?

how long should i let them test drive, should i check they have at least 3rd party, or should i ask for 1 day insurance?

if i take anything that needs to be cleared (e.g. cheque) should i drive the car in the interim or leave it parked outside?

any advice gratefully received!

the spec is here - what do people think, 12K? i've not advertised it yet though.

66K Miles (very low!)
Auto
Full Leather
sliding armrest with phone preperation
Bluetooth
Professional Satnav (with traffic Alerts)
visual PDC system (has bars for green/amber/red)
2 keys plus wallet key (each key can be programmed for seats, radio stations etc)
fully adjustable Memory seats (even the headrest is electric!)
Panoramic Sunroof
Hi Gloss exterior finish
Platinum Grey
built in Child Blinds (rear)
BMW Mats
ipod connector (i also have the CD changer as well)
auto headlights, wipers
split tailgate (window opens separate)
dual zone climate control with separate aircon controls for the back seats
cruise control
heated wing mirrors
idrive
soft close tailgate
full BMWSH
12 months MOT (testing this May)
11 months Warranty Direct Cover (transferable to new owner)
last service 64K miles (so only just done)
 
bandit said:
so looking to sell my E61 525D.
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They can get 1 day insurance and can get banker's draft in your name. Basically like cash to you so it will clear but useless to everyone else unless the person who steals the cheque happens to have the same name.
 
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1 day insurance is fine, or i believe if they have fully comprehensive on their own insurance, it may cover all vehicles (not sure though) mine did, i had drive any vehicle incorperated on my insurance.

Is 12k what you want from a buyer? or is 12k your starting price? Remember buyers will try to bait you down regardless of spec. So with that in mind, set your desired price, and DO NOT move from it. Not only will you have potential public buyers, you might also have tradesmen come to view your vehicle. If you want 12k then i would advertise the vehicle for 12.5k OVNO. It lets the buyer(s) know that you wont be moved on the price of the vehicle so easily :)

Maximum lenght in terms of time for a test drive of the vehicle would be 20 mins, that would cover quite a few miles and various different traffic/driving situations.

When i sold my Focus ST3 and Escort Cosworth (at seperate times) i was greeted by different pay methods.

For the ST3 the guy had 4k cash, and a bankers draft. However i had to wait 7 days for the cheque to clear, which i personally didnt like at all, its that, not knowing if the cheque will actually bounce or not, i know a lot of people say it wont, but at the back of your mind, that thought is always there. I just didnt like the thought that somebody had purchased my car, and i was still waiting for the cheque to clear. Quite an unsettling feeling.

With the Escort Cosworth, i made sure that it was a straight cash deal. Only downside with that is, if the buyer comes after the banks are closed, there is a lot of counting to do LOL I also bought a little gadget which made sure the notes were correct ;) (just in case)

Regards
 
[TW]Fox;19270244 said:
How about an E61 525d?



Is it an LCI? What year is it?



66k is not 'very low' mileage.
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the car is pre-LCI, 55 plate, 66K may not be very low, but most if not all the 55 plates i have seen have over 80K

the issue with the 525 is the insurance, her skillsz (shes only just passed and has already kerbed hers and bumped into a wall and given her diminutive size getting 2 baby seats plus a larger child seat in the back, with space for my daughter to squeeze past.

so i need something we can get the kids all in, with the buggy etc in there, plus with some decent drivers height and cheap insurance.

i have a few in mind, i think i might get something £2-3K, leave it a year or two then look at something better when shes had some experience
 
Women should learn to drive in massive barges and estates.

Sick of hearing about how women can't park and can't drive this because it's too big etc.

If they learn to drive in the biggest cars going then they'll be comfortable driving anything!
 
oh dont worry, not loking to get something small, afterall it will need to seat 5 comfortably,
thanks for the advice fox, i'll put it up on piston heads (no cost!) and see how it goes.

theres nothing on there at the moment compariable, so hopefully it will be a good buy for someone
 
You realise that to have something that will fit 3 kids in the back (2 big seats and a booster) as well as a boot big enough to fit double buggy system and whatever else you need, will need to be a big car of some sorts?

the 5 series might not have the best boot opening for the buggy, but in terms of size it's probably about right. You will be looking for a large family hatch no doubt, so get her used to driving the 5 now tbh.
 
Morba said:
You realise that to have something that will fit 3 kids in the back (2 big seats and a booster) as well as a boot big enough to fit double buggy system and whatever else you need, will need to be a big car of some sorts?

the 5 series might not have the best boot opening for the buggy, but in terms of size it's probably about right. You will be looking for a large family hatch no doubt, so get her used to driving the 5 now tbh.
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looking at a picasso sized MPV tbh (although not the picasso!). it will be easier for her with the better viewing position with her size.

i may come back to a 5 series, maybe the F series in 2-3 years, but at the moment we need something high up, and with plenty of room.
 
Hehe - I've never sold a car - only dismantled them on the driveway to harvest spares and the shell gets picked up by the scrappy :-)
 
Westyfield2 said:
This thread makes me sad.

A car "for the twins and my 3 year old daughter"... E61 is a pretty good candidate!
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lol, if you met my wife and saw her in the drivers seat, and the state the yaris is in already you would understand :)

Ant84 said:
I've probably missed something, but why doesn't she sell the Yaris to fund the MPV?
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good point. the reason is i want somethingn decent, and the yaris is only worth £500, so i wont be able to ind much else. given the requirements we have the most sensible option for us is to sell the E61, get something else, and in a few years move back up. in the meantime i can take some of the cash from the sale of the E61 and tradein the yaris to get something more suitable.
 
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