5 best ways you can sell your car

What’s the best way to sell your car?

Selling a car is personal, and different people value different things. Here’s how five popular options compare:

High means stronger, Medium in the middle, and Low weaker. These ratings are our own assessment, conducted on 20 October 2026.

How we rated each option

Speed

• Selling to webuyanycar can take less than an hour from quote to sale, if you book immediately after your valuation, with appointments averaging under 25 minutes.

• Part-exchanges often require arranging an appointment around a dealership’s schedule. With webuyanycar, you can book online at a time that suits you.

• A private sale typically takes around two weeks but could take longer if there’s limited demand for your car or if a sale falls through.

• Our analysis shows that the entire selling process with a dealer-auction platform such as Motorway can take 2-3 weeks, accounting for 2-7 days for an accepted offer, and a 7-10 working day collection timeframe.

Ease

• There are no listings or viewings with webuyanycar, a dealership, or a scrapyard.

• With webuyanycar, you just book an appointment online at a time that suits you and turn up.

• Dealer-auction platforms need photos and details of your car, and the dealer collects it.

• Private sellers handle everything themselves, from adverts to viewings and test drives.

Certainty

• webuyanycar and scrapyards give you an answer in one visit, while a part-exchange depends on buying from that dealer.

• Every buyer checks a car before paying, us included. With webuyanycar, the check happens before you agree to sell, so you decide there and then with the final offer in front of you.

• Some dealers won’t take certain cars. If it’s not a brand or model they want on their forecourt, they might offer you less for a part-exchange, or refuse to buy it altogether.

• With a dealer-auction platform, your car is listed for dealers to bid on, so the price isn’t known until the auction ends. The car can go unsold, and an accepted bid can be revised at inspection.

• With a private sale, you can’t be sure who will turn up, whether they’ll haggle, how they’ll want to pay, whether it’s secure, and how long the process will take.

Security

• When you sell to webuyanycar, the buyer will meet you at your local branch.

• Dealers will usually meet you in their showroom, while a scrapyard operates from an authorised treatment facility (ATF).

• Dealer-auction platforms vet their dealers, and the highest bidder visits your home, which could be daunting for some sellers.

• If you sell privately, you’ll meet strangers, hand over your keys for test drives, and check payment yourself, all while trusting a buyer you don’t know, who isn’t backed by a business or professional body.

Price

• If you want the most for your car, selling privately is usually the way to get it.

• Other routes may trade some of that price for speed, convenience, or certainty.

• After scrapping, which only pays your car’s scrap value, part-exchange tends to work out lowest overall, because you lose the bargaining power of being a cash buyer on your next car.

What’s right for you?

• Speed and convenience matter most: Selling to webuyanycar is probably the best fit.

• Price comes first, and you have time: Selling privately could be the right choice.

• You’ve got your heart set on a car on a dealer’s forecourt: Part-exchanging may suit you, but you could get more cash towards the new car by selling separately first.

• You’d rather the buyer came to you: A dealer-auction platform may suit you, with the winning dealer collecting your car from home, but this happens on their schedule.

• Your car has reached the end of the road: Scrapping at an ATF is straightforward, but you’ll only be paid its scrap value.

Not sure yet? A webuyanycar valuation takes under 30 seconds, it’s free, and there’s no obligation to sell, so it’s an easy way to see where you stand.

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1. Sell to webuyanycar

Selling to webuyanycar keeps things simple. We buy your car directly, so there’s no listing to create, no waiting for bids, no obligation to sell, and no pushy sales tactics.

We’ve bought cars from over 5 million customers since 2006, and we’re rated ’Excellent’ on Trustpilot from over 350,000 reviews. 99% of our customers found the process easy or very easy.

Here’s how it works

1. Get your free valuation: Enter your reg and mileage into our free car valuation tool to get a quote in under 30 seconds. Your valuation is valid for four days and protected from market changes.

2. Book your appointment: Pick a date and time at any of our 550 branches. Your nearest one is an average 11-minute drive away.

3. Sell your car: Our buyer inspects your car and makes a final offer. Happy to go ahead? We’ll complete the sale and set up your payment.

Your valuation and your final offer

This works a little differently from an auction. The amount we pay will match your online valuation, as long as you’ve described your car accurately, so it’s worth adding details like your service history, number of owners, and any damage.

You don’t have to, though. If anything differs, your final offer may change, and the buyer will talk you through everything before you decide.

Why sellers choose us

• Sell with certainty: We buy any car, from prestige, performance, and electric cars to damaged cars, non-runners, cars with no MOT, salvaged cars, and UK-registered imports, removing any worries over whether your car will sell.

• Your time is valuable: We make selling quick and easy, so you can get on with your day instead of worrying about adverts, viewings, and enquiries.

• No surprises: We explain how your valuation works and talk you through your final offer before you decide. 91% of our customers say they got the price they wanted, or better.

• Outstanding finance, sorted: Still paying it off? We’ll still buy it. Our buyer can settle your finance, and if your car is worth more than the settlement figure, the difference is yours. Just bring an in-date settlement letter.

• Free to buy anywhere: Sell to us first and you’ll walk into any showroom as a cash buyer. Skipping the part-exchange deal could help you negotiate a bigger discount on your next car.

What does it cost?

• Your valuation and appointment are free. A transaction fee applies based on your car’s value, from £49.99 up to £124.99 for cars valued at £20,000 or more, with no fee under £150. You’ll always see your fee before you sell.

• Standard payment reaches your bank within four working days at no extra cost.

• Next working day payment costs £24.75, and Immediate Payment, available to selected customers, typically arrives within 15 minutes for £29.75.

• Both are free if we buy your car for under £500.

See our FAQs for the latest details.

Worth knowing

We don’t offer a collection service, so if your car can’t be driven, a local vehicle transport service can bring it to your appointment.

2. Sell privately

Sites like Autotrader, eBay Motors, and Facebook Marketplace let you advertise your car to private buyers, setting the price and handling the sale yourself.

The upside

• The chance of a higher price, since there’s no trade margin to account for.

• Full control over the timings, viewings, and who you sell to.

The challenges

• It takes time. A survey of 1,700 UK drivers who’d sold a car privately, carried out by OnePoll for Tempcover, found sales took 13.5 days on average after advertising, with close to six hours spent on listings, messages, viewings, and haggling.

• You may settle for less. In the same survey, 39% accepted less than their asking price, £908 less on average.

• There’s more risk. From fake payment confirmations to buyers who don’t turn up, private sellers can face scams and time-wasters, so it pays to know the warning signs.

• Still paying off your car? If it’s on hire purchase (HP) or personal contract purchase (PCP), you’ll need to clear the finance before you can sell it privately. With webuyanycar, our buyer can settle any outstanding finance; simply bring an in-date settlement letter from the lender.

• It can cost you. Some classified sites charge listing fees. Our Autotrader alternatives guide has a breakdown.

What payment should you accept when selling a car?

Bank transfer is the safest option. Never share your card details, and don’t hand over the keys until the money is in your account. Our guide to selling your car safely covers viewings and test drives too.

Value your time? Skip the viewings and sell to webuyanycar

We don’t browse, we buy. No photos to take or viewings to host, just one appointment and a guaranteed sale.

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3. Sell to a dealership or part-exchange

Part-exchanging can feel like the easy option: one visit, one deal, and you drive away in something new.

The upside

• Quick and convenient, especially if you’re buying at the same time.

• The dealer handles the paperwork and can usually settle any outstanding finance.

The challenges

• You’re tied to one forecourt. A part-exchange only works if you like what that dealer has in stock.

• Two deals in one can blur the figures. With your old and new car priced together, it can be hard to see what you’re being offered for each.

Planning to buy your next car?

Sell to webuyanycar first, and you can shop anywhere as a cash buyer, with the two deals kept separate.

4. Sell at auction or through a dealer-auction platform

Traditional and specialist auctions

For rare, classic, or collectable cars, a specialist auction can attract enthusiasts who’ll pay a premium.

• Fees add up. Some auction houses charge an entry fee, and most take commission on the sale price. One UK auction house, for example, charges 7% plus VAT, with a minimum fee.

• There’s no guarantee. If bidding doesn’t reach your reserve, your car may go unsold, and some auction houses charge storage or further fees if it stays on site or is re-offered.

• It can be unfamiliar. Entry forms, reserves, and auction-day logistics can feel daunting if you’ve never sold this way before.

Dealer-auction platforms

Dealer-auction platforms such as Motorway and Carwow put your car in front of dealers who bid to buy it. Motorway also vets the dealers in its network, and it’s rated 4.4 on Trustpilot from over 112,000 reviews (October 2026).

There are more steps, though:

• You’ll build a photo profile first. Both platforms ask for photos of your car inside and out, and of any damage.

• A winning bid isn’t a completed sale. The dealer inspects your car at collection, and Motorway says the dealer may need to adjust the final price for undeclared wear and tear. Some seller reviews describe price reductions at collection.

• It can take longer than it looks. Motorway says getting to an accepted offer generally takes two to seven days, and most collections take place within three to seven working days after that. Some seller reviews describe dealers rearranging or not turning up for collection.

• Not every car qualifies. Neither platform’s dealers buy insurance write-offs or former service vehicles, so a repaired Category S car or an ex-taxi, for example, would need to go elsewhere. You can’t sell imports through Motorway either. There’s no such exclusion for Carwow, but selling depends on finding a suitable buyer through the platform.

Here at webuyanycar, we buy salvaged cars and former private hire and emergency vehicles, as long as they’re UK-registered, so you know where you stand.

We’re not matchmaking, we’re buying. With webuyanycar, there’s no photo profile or wait for bids, and it can take less than an hour from quote to sale when you book immediately.

Get my free car valuation

5. Sell for scrap

Scrapping at an authorised treatment facility (ATF) suits cars that have reached the end of their life.

Will a scrapyard take any car?

Usually, yes. Most ATFs will take any car, running or not, if you can prove you have the right to scrap it. The catch is that scrap value is based mainly on weight, scrap metal prices, and condition, not on what your car is worth as a used car.

Before you scrap your car

• It’s illegal to scrap a car anywhere other than an ATF. Use GOV.UK’s Find a vehicle scrapyard tool to check a scrapyard is authorised.

• If your car is scrapped in England or Wales, it’s illegal to be paid in cash.

• The ATF must give you a certificate of destruction within 7 days. Keep it safe, as without it you could still be liable for traffic penalties and vehicle tax.

• Tell the DVLA when you’ve taken your car to an ATF. Our guide to the DVLA and selling cars explains how.

Please note: This article is intended as a general guide only. Rules and regulations are subject to change. Always check the latest guidance on GOV.UK or contact the relevant authority before taking action.

Don’t settle for less

If your car still runs or could be repaired, it’s worth getting a valuation first. We buy cars in any condition, including those that would typically go to a scrapyard, and our valuations are based on current market data.

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More value, more to protect

The more your car is worth, the more there is to lose. With a prestige or performance car, few owners want:

• Strangers test driving it.

• A deal that falls through at the last minute.

• A large payment to check themselves.

How the routes compare:

• Private sale: All three are yours to manage.

• Dealer-auction platforms: Motorway vets its dealers, but an independent dealer visits your home, and the price isn’t settled until their inspection.

• webuyanycar: One trained buyer checks your car at a branch and confirms your final offer face to face. If anything’s different from your online details, they’ll explain why, and you’re free to say no. Payment goes straight to your bank.

Whether it’s £30,000 or £130,000, every car gets the care it deserves.

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