How to sell your car privately
Selling privately usually gets you more than a part-exchange or an instant-buy website, often a lot more, in return for some work. Done in the right order it is straightforward, and the paperwork protects you as much as the buyer.
Updated 14 October 2026
1. Work out what it is worth
Look at similar cars for sale (same model, age, mileage and condition) and price slightly above where you are happy to settle. Mileage, service history and the number of owners move the price most.
2. Prepare the car and the paperwork
Clean it inside and out; it is the cheapest value you can add. Gather the V5C, the service history, MOT certificates, receipts for recent work and both keys.
Buyers trust what they can verify. A complete, organised history is the strongest argument for your asking price. Odomint’s Sale Pack builds a summary of the car’s MOT record, service history and mileage you can share with buyers.
3. Show it safely
Show the car at your address, ideally in daylight with someone else around. Go with the buyer on the test drive, check they are insured to drive it, and never hand over keys while they are alone in the car.
4. Get paid properly
A bank transfer that has cleared into your account is the safest option: confirm it in your own banking app, not on a screenshot the buyer shows you. Be cautious with large amounts of cash and wary of anyone offering more than the asking price or asking for a refund of an "overpayment".
5. Tell the DVLA
Give the buyer the V5C/2 new keeper slip and tell the DVLA you have sold the car: online is quickest. You will get a refund of any full months of tax automatically and stop being responsible for the car, including any fines it collects. Cancel your insurance or move it to your next car.
Common scams to watch for
The "overpayment": a buyer sends more than the asking price and asks you to refund the difference, then the original payment bounces. The "courier collection": a buyer who cannot view the car in person offers to send a courier with payment. The fake banking screenshot: a buyer shows a "sent" payment on their phone that never arrives.
The defence is the same for all of them: do not release the car or the keys until the full amount has cleared in your own account, checked in your own banking app. A genuine buyer will understand. Anyone who pressures you to skip that step is telling you something about the sale.
Common questions
What paperwork do I need to sell my car?
The V5C logbook, service history, MOT certificates and receipts for any recent work. Give the buyer the V5C/2 slip and tell the DVLA online.
Do I get my car tax back when I sell?
Yes. The DVLA automatically refunds any full calendar months of tax remaining once you tell them the car has been sold.
What is the safest way to be paid for a car?
A bank transfer confirmed as cleared in your own banking app before the buyer takes the car.
Check any car before you buy it
MOT history, every advisory and the full mileage record are free for any UK registration. An Odomint Check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, stolen markers and salvage history, with a £10,000 data guarantee.