If you’re wondering how to get a better car valuation from a car-buying website, you should ensure you do a few things.
Guide to Getting More for Your Car: Start with a Clean Slate
It may sound basic, but cleaning your car is the first and most crucial step on how to get a better car valuation
Dealers will pay more for a clean and shiny car.
Consider this: every car we purchase is cleaned before it’s handed off to a dealer, and those going to major auctions also receive a thorough cleaning. This underscores the importance of presentation.
We’re not suggesting elaborate detailing, but a simple wash and thorough vacuuming can make a significant difference. It shows potential buyers that you have maintained your car well. Even if regular cleanings haven’t been your practice, giving your car a good clean before selling can significantly enhance its appeal and increase its value.
Photographs
Take this onboard, and you will get a better car valuation
Dealers often offer more for cars that are presented with high-quality photographs. You don’t need to be a professional; simply using your phone to take photos will suffice.
Opt for either landscape or portrait orientation. Ensure your car is positioned far enough away so that you can capture the entire frame, including the front, side, rear, and interior.
This shows the model badge for clarity
This photo captures the car perfectly
Front seats
How to get a better car valuation 41
Clean your car boot
Show the current mileage
Point out any wheel scuffs
Painted wheels are cheapest to refurb
How to get a better car valuation 42
How to get a better car valuation 43
If you don’t have tyre gauge us a £1 coin not a 20p piece
Showing the seats and the pan roof in one photo
Give a honest description
Point out any marks
Highlight a feature
Also, make sure to highlight any special features through your photos. Don’t assume dealers can get all the information they need from a data check. Often, these are incomplete or just plain wrong.
Choose the location
Choosing the right location for these photos can also make a significant difference. If your residence lacks a suitable backdrop, such as an estate with crowded parking, consider driving to a more scenic or quieter corner to improve the setting. This small effort can dramatically enhance the appeal of your photos and, thus, the perceived value of your car.
Maximise Value by Sharing Your Car’s Service History
A comprehensive service history can significantly boost your car’s value. Dealers are willing to give a better car valuation for vehicles with well-documented maintenance records. However, due to GDPR, many franchise dealers and businesses like Halfords might not share details of your car’s service history. Occasionally, records may not be logged online, or if serviced by an independent dealer, logging may not be possible.
It’s crucial to be ready to provide this information yourself. Dealers aren’t searching for reasons to lower their offers; they must remain competitive. They seek assurance that they can confidently bid to their maximum without fearing unexpected maintenance issues. Presenting a complete and transparent service history gives them the confidence to make a solid offer.
We can check online service records for the following car makes.
- Jaguar
- Land Rover
- BMW
- Mercedes-Benz
- Volkswagen
- Audi
- Range Rover
- Ford
But please always keep paperwork. This ensures you have the documentation to back up your car’s maintenance history, even if online logs are incorrect or incomplete.
Keep non-franchise invoices handy
If you don’t use a main dealer this is what we see
A good independent can log services with the manufacturer,
A reputable independent service centre can log your service history on the manufacturer’s website. It’s worth noting that places like Kwik Fit and Halfords do not have a strong reputation within the trade for servicing prestige cars.
When selecting a service provider for a high-end vehicle, choosing one that maintains proper records and understands the intricacies of prestige car maintenance is crucial.
You’re now ready to sell your prestige car. See if it’s in our car’s wanted list in the menu, or submit the details here.
Photos
You can Text, WhatsApp Or Email. No complicated app is needed.
The Auction
All offers are guaranteed, no third-party intro or price drop
The Handover
Only our staff attend, confirm payment, and handle the V5 transfer. That’s it—you’ve sold your car!
Upfront, honest and very helpful, I have no hesitation in recommending Phil. More dealers and business men like him would make UK a better place!
Dealing with Phil and the team at WeBuySupercars was a breeze. Great communication throughout, I dealt with a human rather than a machine, didn’t get spammed with anxiety inducing chase up emails giving me deadlines for accepting their offer, never felt that I was being taken for a ride, and, there was no hidden charges (as I was honest about the state of my car upfront). I would highly recommend them to anyone when compared to other “mass market” providers out there.
Great to deal with. Got me more than Webuyanycar and carwow. Paid off my loan as soon as car was collected. Would use them again.
I wholeheartedly recommend WeBuySupercars to anyone considering selling their vehicle. While a smaller business, their process, service, and especially their pricing are exceptional. My initial phone call with Phil lasted about five minutes, followed by submitting my car’s details and photos. Their offer was among the highest I received from automated pricing services, and crucially, they paid the agreed-upon price without any deductions. I will certainly recommend Phil and his team to my family and friends. Their service was truly five-star from start to finish.
A very simple process which was well explained by nice people.
Started as a sceptic, but would happily recommend and use again!!
Sold my Porsche Taycan. Very professional, efficient and easy to deal with. Highly recommend. 👍🏼
Was thinking of selling my car and not looking to trade ‘up’. Stumbled on WeBuySupercars and made contact. They were very quick to respond, easy to deal with, and offered what I thought was a fair price. The transaction was completed very smoothly when the car was collected with no quibbles or attempts to adjust the price. Very happy and very comfortable in recommending them.
Phil , Jasmine and Alex have been amazing. My partner sold a car to them in January 2024 and so I approached them to buy my Mini Clubman JCW. The offer was much better than the Mini main dealer. I sent photos and was totally open about the bits that might need attention. The handover was perfect Jasmine collected the car and Phil made sure funds were sorted. There was one repair which was needed and that was a new windscreen as there was a chip that had been repaired but the buyer required a brand new screen . It was challenging with the windscreen company ( not mentioning names here) letting us down several items and making it difficult but we worked together and it all came out in the end. Highly recommended
Thank you Phil and Alexandra for providing a great service when we sold our Porsche through you. And Phil I especially appreciate the time you personally took to come up to Inverness to collect the car and including suffering missed train connections en route! It is great to see that some companies such as you still go the extra mile, or hundred, for the customer. Thank you.
Would definitely recommend them. Made selling my car so easy. Friendly and trustworthy and gave me the price they quoted based on my photos
See All Our Reviews
Other FAQ about our car buying service.
Why Should I Use Your Service?
There’s no risk when dealing with us. Accept a dealer’s offer, and we pay you, settle your finances, and handle the car collection ourselves. Unlike competitors like Motorway or Carwow, we don’t hand you off to a third party. We’re with you from start to finish, whether you’re selling a Fiat or a Ferrari.
Why Dont You Automate Your Prices
I appreciate your patience! Accurately valuing a car requires a personal touch, not automated estimates. Many companies inflate offers to grab attention, but we prioritize honesty. We hope this explains why we do things our way: to provide a fair offer based on a thorough assessment of your vehicle.
Who’s buying my car?
When you sell your car to us, we buy it on behalf of the dealer who places the highest bid in our auction. Since we handle the payment and collection, your contract is directly with us, not the dealer. This means that even if the dealer decides to withdraw or cannot complete the sale, your agreement with us remains unaffected. We take care of any issues on our end, so you can rest assured that your sale is secure. That’s why so many of our customers are happy—they know we never disappoint them.
What happens once you’ve agreed to the price?
We will send you a purchase agreement showing the agreed-upon price, any money owed to your finance company, and a car description.
How Do I Get Paid?
Our driver will call as soon as he is with the car. We transfer funds electronically to both you and the finance company. We expect you to hand over the keys and documentation once you have the funds.
When will my car be collected?
We always collect as soon as possible, but usually within 36 hours of you agreeing to sell. This can be flexible if you still need the car’s use, and on a case-by-case basis, we may be able to hold off collection for a maximum of 7 days.
What paperwork do I need to provide?
Please send us a copy of the current V5 registration document and an official finance company settlement letter. We will also need proof of service history.
What if I have a private plate?
As soon as you agree to sell the car, we ask you to remove your private plate online; we can do this for you if you like.
What will you be looking for when you collect? What will make you lower the price?
By the time we collect, we will already have asked all the questions we need, so please look at your car carefully and describe it fairly. We always pay what we quote as long as you accurately describe your vehicle.
Deductions for Kerbed Alloys
If you’ve previously informed us about kerbed alloys, there will be no additional deductions since we’ve already accounted for them in our valuation. However, we’ll overlook the first instance ( one wheel) if this wasn’t disclosed beforehand. After that, deductions are applied as follows: £60 for single-colour painted wheels and between £80-£120 for diamond-cut or uniquely finished wheels.
What Happens If I Chip My Windscreen?
It depends on the location of the chip. If they are minor, out of the driver’s zone, and not likely to cause cracks, then it costs us £70 to professionally repair a chip. If the windscreen is cracked or has a bullseye, the fairest way to deal with it is to put a glass claim on your insurance. We can still pay for and collect your car and deal with Autoglass for you.
What’s Classed As A Bald Tyre?
The minimum acceptable tread depth for a dealer to sell a car is 4mm across the tread. The recommendation is that tyres be replaced at 3mm of tread depth, ensuring the car remains safe for the new owner. The 4mm rule allows the dealer to provide a fair and reliable vehicle, giving peace of mind to the buyer regarding tyre safety.
How Do You Sell My Car?
Our platform employs a competitive bidding system where dealers vie to offer the highest price for your car, similar to what you might find on Carwow and Motorway. However, the key difference is that we manage the entire process internally without involving third parties. We present your car directly to a vast network of dealers, encouraging them to submit competitive bids. This approach guarantees a more personalized and dedicated experience throughout the selling process while avoiding the drawbacks commonly associated with other platforms.
What Do You Knock off For Tyres Under 4mm?
We work with the dealer to determine the most affordable tyre replacement that meets their standards. For most cars, this means using the lowest-cost mainstream brands, but for performance and specialist vehicles, we price according to the recommended tyre type. We base our tyre prices on the rates provided by Blackcircles.
What About Chips And Scrapes?
We work with the dealer to find the lowest-cost solution, often a compromise based on trade-price body shop and, where acceptable, smart repairs.
What Happens If You Reject My Car?
We will only reject your car if you have misdescribed its condition or there’s some undisclosed mechanical issue. In the last eight years, we’ve only turned down two cars. One was for £30k worth of accident repairs, and another was an unrecorded write-off.
See our full reviews page here. Why This Car Buying Service Gets The Best Reviews | WeBuySuperCars.Com