Wonder_lander's car sale, your input is required!

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 09:40

OK I'm in a position now to sell my first car, for the past 15 years I've had company cars or given my cars away when I've got a new one.

This will be the first car I sell so I'm kinda lost and so I've started this thread to cronicle my process, hopefully to a sale!

First question I have is what I should do to the car before sale! It's a 2002 1.8T Passat SE in black. The car has done 98,700 miles and I add a 100 miles per day to this total driving up and down the m6.

The car is booked in for a service tomorrow, is taxed until the end of december and the MOT runs out in January.

The car has been keyed on the boot and down 3 panels on the left hand side and I'm getting a quote from the garage tomorrow as to the cost of fixing them.

I don't mind spending 500 fixing the scratches if I'm going to get the 500 back, that's just a ball park figure plucked from the air, I have no idea of the real cost!

I'm going to give the car a good clean, polish and wax and give the internals a good going over!

So the intial questions I have are:

1) Should I re-mot?
2) Should I tax?
3) Should I get the scratches fixed?
4) How much do you think the car is worth in it's current state? (Be realistic, I want to sell this!)
5) How much would it be worth if I sorted the scratches?
6) How should I sell it? Sticker in window, ebay, auto trader? What's the most cost effective or likely to suceed?
7) Any other advice?

Once the car has been serviced tomorrow I'll try and get some pictures of the scratches and let you all know the costs.

jamoor · 13 Nov 2006 at 09:44

Which car is it

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 09:47

jamoor said:
Which car is it

It's the one in my opening post

Passat 1.8T SE 2002

jamoor · 13 Nov 2006 at 09:58

wonder_lander said:
It's the one in my opening post

Passat 1.8T SE 2002

Clearly I need more coffee.

Hate · 13 Nov 2006 at 10:05

wonder_lander said:
1) Should I re-mot?
2) Should I tax?
3) Should I get the scratches fixed?
4) How much do you think the car is worth in it's current state? (Be realistic, I want to sell this!)
5) How much would it be worth if I sorted the scratches?
6) How should I sell it? Sticker in window, ebay, auto trader? What's the most cost effective or likely to suceed?
7) Any other advice?

1) Yes, otherwise the buyer will wonder why you haven't re MOT'd it... will it pass?
2) Offer to throw tax in if the buyer will pay your asking price, if they haggle too low the you can remove that perk
3) Depends, it would be worth going over the car maybe do the meguiars polish and wax treatment, that would get rid of the little ones
4) No idea, someone will thou

5) A little more, people usually want a fair whack off asking price. Put yourself in their shoes, if you saw a scratched car then it would kinda take the shine off the "New" car feeling
6) As many ways as possible, sticker in the window is free of course - nip round local newsagents and pop cards in the window. More exposure = better
7) Yeah, be wary of nigerians

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 10:12

Hate said:
1) Yes, otherwise the buyer will wonder why you haven't re MOT'd it... will it pass?
2) Offer to throw tax in if the buyer will pay your asking price, if they haggle too low the you can remove that perk
3) Depends, it would be worth going over the car maybe do the meguiars polish and wax treatment, that would get rid of the little ones
4) No idea, someone will thou
5) A little more, people usually want a fair whack off asking price. Put yourself in their shoes, if you saw a scratched car then it would kinda take the shine off the "New" car feeling
6) As many ways as possible, sticker in the window is free of course - nip round local newsagents and pop cards in the window. More exposure = better
7) Yeah, be wary of nigerians

1) Thanks hate, it will pass the MOT but the reason I haven't done it is because it's still got 2 months to run!
2) 6 months tax or 12 months?
3) Was going to give the car the megs treatment as black looks good when all waxed up!

5) Will look at the cost of getting them done.

Other points noted, thanks for your response!

ajgoodfellow · 13 Nov 2006 at 11:40

wonder_lander said:
So the intial questions I have are:

1) Should I re-mot?
2) Should I tax?
3) Should I get the scratches fixed?
4) How much do you think the car is worth in it's current state? (Be realistic, I want to sell this!)
5) How much would it be worth if I sorted the scratches?
6) How should I sell it? Sticker in window, ebay, auto trader? What's the most cost effective or likely to suceed?
7) Any other advice?

1) Yes. Yes it's got two months left but it might look like you're trying to get rid of it before the MOT ends. If it'll pass then it's definitely worth the £50 or so and it'll increase the saleability of the car
2) I would otherwise you'd be knocked down by a similar amount, perhaps more as they'll have to get tax. 6 months would be plenty
3) How bad are they? If a T-Cut and a decent wax/polish will get most of them out then I'd do that. It'll make it easier to sell but it's unlikely you'll get the amount it cost you back
4) I'd say about £3,500 private
5) Perhaps a few hundred more? Not sure
6) I'd stick a sticker in the window and then put it on Autotrader
7) Give the car a good clean inside and out before you sell it and advertise it for more than you want. I'd also check that you have all of the necessary paperwork, eg the log book

Third Opinion · 13 Nov 2006 at 11:42

wonder_lander said:
7) Any other advice?

Don't worry about scratch repairs just allow a bit off the price.

Do the money hand over in your bank if possible. Then you can pay in any cash or bankers drafts immediatley. Dodgy bankers drafts are rife at the moment so hopefully the bank will spot any fraudalant examples, they same goes for counterfiet notes.

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 11:44

The scratches are really noticeable, and won't polish out. I either get them done properly or leave them and discount accordingly!

Any idea what I might get for trade in value?

ajgoodfellow · 13 Nov 2006 at 11:48

wonder_lander said:
Any idea what I might get for trade in value?

I'd say about £3k

newbiejim · 13 Nov 2006 at 13:04

**** Dealer Priv P/X Trade

02/02 5650 5020 4790 4600

02/52 6100 5430 5130 4990

BUT adjusted for mileage, subtract £1710 for 90k or £1995 for 100k, eek

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 13:33

newbiejim said:
**** Dealer Priv P/X Trade

02/02 5650 5020 4790 4600

02/52 6100 5430 5130 4990

BUT adjusted for mileage, subtract £1710 for 90k or £1995 for 100k, eek

So about £3025 if I sell privately and £2605 as a trade in figure, less than I though but hey ho!

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 13:42

I've just done a parkers valuation and that suggests for 100k

Volkswagen Passat Saloon (00-04)
1.8T 20V SE 4d 2002/02
Mileage 100,000 miles CHANGE

Original Price £17,590

Franchised Dealer £4,685
Independent Dealer £4,420

Private Good £3,995
Private Poor £3,255

Part Exchange £3,730

newbiejim · 13 Nov 2006 at 13:49

the data I quoted came from A N Other source (booklet as oppose to online), you could say if you used this same source you would be a Wisebuyer

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 21:23

newbiejim said:
the data I quoted came from A N Other source (booklet as oppose to online), you could say if you used this same source you would be a Wisebuyer

I have no idea what that means but it's very cryptic!

I have good on road advertising opportunities at both my home and work so will set that up there once the service is done.

wonder_lander · 13 Nov 2006 at 21:30

OK I've got the replacement car sorted so it's not going to be traded in.

What value so I put it up for and what detail should I place on the window? £3500, £3600, £3750, this is before I get the scartch done to gauge interest!

I was thinking of Large price, then on a seperate sheet the more detailed stuff?

ajgoodfellow · 14 Nov 2006 at 18:33

wonder_lander said:
OK I've got the replacement car sorted so it's not going to be traded in.

What value so I put it up for and what detail should I place on the window? £3500, £3600, £3750, this is before I get the scartch done to gauge interest!

I was thinking of Large price, then on a seperate sheet the more detailed stuff?

That sounds good to me

As for price, something like £3800 or £3900

newbiejim · 14 Nov 2006 at 19:10

wonder_lander said:
I have no idea what that means but it's very cryptic!

I have good on road advertising opportunities at both my home and work so will set that up there once the service is done.

lol, sorry to be cryptic look here thats the site associated with the printed booklet, dunno if they are any good/accurate tho

wonder_lander · 15 Nov 2006 at 09:08

OK car came back from it's 100k service and one point that was picked up was a fault code about low secondary air flow. They replaced the air cleaner box and re-attached ths hoses, if the fault code re-appears then it's a new pump required which seem to be £79 off ebay (New) + fitting.

The quote for the spraying came in at £475 + VAT and will take a week, that's almost the whole left hand side of the car, the bonnet (3 stone chips) and the boot!

I've attached pics of the scratches, do you think these would be a deal breaker if I didn't do them? Anyone know of a cheaper alternative in staffordshire or near warrington?

Left Hand Side (Also carries on a little to the drivers door!

Boot

Bri · 15 Nov 2006 at 09:28

I wouldn't buy a car with scratches like that personally. They're nasty