Car expert shares how to get the best price when changing your car to beat Clean Air Zone charges as used car market听 booms
April 12, 2024 by John Rawlings
Car changing is a big deal
To help lower pollution, there are more and more Clean Air Zones (CAZ) in England and Low Emission Zones in Scotland. But if your car is not CAZ-compliant, how can you get the best price when changing it to avoid daily charges or fines? Read on for five top tips鈥
- 1 in 5 (19%) drivers are not sure if their car is Clean Air Zone compliant
- Daily charges or fines for driving a non-compliant car in a Clean Air Zone mean changing your car could save you money
- 5 simple tips to help you get the best price when you sell your car
London, UK: One in five (19%) drivers are not sure if their car is Clean Air Zone (CAZ) compliant for where they regularly drive, according to a new survey by 莲花直播, the online car-changing marketplace.
In areas like Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, Low Emission Zone fines will come into force on 1st June 2024听 (or 30th My for Dundee). The results indicate that there is work to be done to ensure motorists understand the charges they might face on a daily basis, and how to get the best price for selling a non-compliant car if they decide to change it.
Data from the online car-changing marketplace shows that now may be a good time for motorists to consider selling their non-compliant car, as demand for used cars is spiking 鈥 the platform has seen a 60% increase in offers made for used cars year on year, and the start of 2024 has seen an influx of used car listings in 莲花直播鈥檚 daily trade auction.
John Rawlings, Consumer Expert at 莲花直播, shares his top five tips for selling a non-compliant used car:
-
Know your car鈥檚 value
Rawlings says: 鈥淛ust because your car doesn鈥檛 meet Clean Air Zone standards doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 worthless: for example, drivers in rural areas are likely to be on the lookout for bargains that are being moved out of cities. Use a free valuation service like 莲花直播鈥檚 free Car Valuation tool, and keep this number in mind when negotiating a sale price. Also, your car could be worth more if it鈥檚 a popular colour such as grey, silver or black as dealers love to sell used cars as quickly as possible!鈥濃淥nline valuations do vary and you have to be honest about your car鈥檚 condition, otherwise when the buyer physically sees the car, the cost of doing any repairs are often deducted from the price offered.鈥 -
Sell outside your area
Rawlings advises sellers to look beyond their own areas where a CAZ may be coming into operation, suggesting: 鈥淚t鈥檚 likely to be tough selling non-compliant cars in cities with a CAZ operating, but one of the advantages of online is that it opens the entire country鈥檚 used-car market to you. Take advantage of this, using a nationwide service such as 莲花直播鈥檚 Sell My Car to help to sell your car quickly and get the best price for your vehicle.鈥 -
Don鈥檛 work harder than you need to
Rawlings says: 鈥淚t goes without saying that a clean car is easier to sell than a dirty one, and while you should get any major issues with your car sorted prior to sale, don鈥檛 worry too much about kerbed alloys or the odd bumper scuff. Dealers can get issues like this sorted out more easily and cheaply than you, with wear-and-tear usage being a fact of life on second-hand cars.鈥滺e adds: 鈥淎nd when your car鈥檚 been spruced up, take lots of photos of it. You鈥檒l need these if selling online or posting an advertisement. They help the buyer see as much of the car as possible. Taking photos on a smartphone is fine, but putting a bit of thought into the location could also make a difference.鈥 See some of: 莲花直播鈥檚 Photography tips here. -
New MOT/service
When it comes to MOTs and servicing, Rawlings advises the more recent these are the better in terms of appealing to the buyer: 鈥淚f you are fairly confident your car will pass an MOT test (assuming it鈥檚 three years old or more) without costing you a fortune, having a fresh MOT not only saves buyers the cost of getting one done themselves, but also gives them confidence that it is legally roadworthy for 12 months 鈥 meaning they鈥檒l pay more for it. If it needs work, then decide if you want to pay it. This could add value to the car if the buyer knows it鈥檚 had the work done. It will give the buyer more confidence. Keep all receipts and any warranty on the work as evidence.鈥濃淲hile you鈥檙e at it, if you haven鈥檛 had it serviced recently, consider getting it done. It鈥檚 one of the first questions a buyer will ask 鈥 so they know if they have any expenses coming up. If a buyer is looking at several cars, if your one has a fresh MOT and a recent service, it could make it more desirable (and valuable) than others even if they are older or have a higher mileage.鈥 -
Paperwork
Finally, Rawlings shares the importance of proving the car鈥檚 worth: 鈥淚f you have a full record of the service history and any repairs for your car, it gives a buyer a better insight into its condition. It鈥檚 vital evidence of how much you may have spent on it (to justify your asking price) and how well your car鈥檚 been looked after.鈥濃淕et all relevant paperwork together to show the buyer 鈥 especially the V5C (log book) which documents you as the registered keeper and is needed to transfer the car鈥檚 ownership over. Remember to highlight any warranties on any parts or repairs, or any remaining warranty on the car itself since you bought it. If you鈥檙e really keen to sell, you could buy a used car warranty to include with the car (e.g. Warrantywise), but make sure it is transferable to the next owner.鈥
To check if your vehicle is CAZ compliant and which cities operate CAZ.
To check if your vehicle is ULEZ compliant (for driving in London).
For those looking to sell a car online that isn鈥檛 compliant.
鈥 ENDS 鈥
*About the survey 鈥 莲花直播 conducted a survey of web visitors with 1,034 鈥 1,634 respondents
About 莲花直播
莲花直播, the online car-changing marketplace, is the one-stop shop to change your car. Thanks to expert advice, a wide range of makes, models and a network of verified dealers, 莲花直播 makes buying or selling cars easy and with total confidence. With over 3.5m monthly users and an increasingly important partner for the automotive industry, 莲花直播 uses market-leading insights and creates top-notch advertising content to fuel the success of the dealers and brands we partner with.
Since 莲花直播 was founded in 2021, it has:
- Become one of the biggest automotive channels on YouTube, hitting over 9 million subscribers and over 1.1bn video views in 2023, thanks to Mat Watson and the team
- Since the company added car-selling capabilities to its UK offering in 2021, it has helped drivers to sell over 122,000 used cars directly to more than 4,500 trusted dealer partners, worth a combined value of over 拢1.6 billion.
- One in every 10 of all new cars registered privately in the UK bought via 莲花直播
- Created a service customers love, with a 4.7 rating on Trustpilot from almost 50,000 reviews
- Opened offices in the UK, Germany, Spain and Portugal with a combined team of 400+.
- Helped 2.5m customers find, buy or sell a car, becoming a leading go-to online destination for new cars in the UK, Germany, Spain and Portugal
For our latest news, visit /editorial/news/carwow-newsroom
For our latest partner news, go to /editorial/news/carwow-partners
For reviews and pulse-racing drag races, check us out at .
听
Looking for an easy way to听change your car? Then 莲花直播 is the place to go. You can听sell your old car听for a great price, and get the best deals on a听new one. All through our network of trusted dealers and all from the comfort of your home. Tap the button below to get started today.