Five ways Motorway makes it easy to become an expert in your car’s value

Car depreciation does not move in the straight line most people would assume. Image - supplied

A surprising majority of people in the UK only value their car when they’re ready to sell it – and, as a result, people are losing out on hundreds and thousands of pounds of value.

Selling a car in a rush, whether your buyer is professional (a dealer) or private (an individual, either known to you or not) makes people much more likely to accept an offer they know is below value, simply because protracted negotiations are so off-putting.

When you sell your car on Motorway’s online daily sale though, you really can accept a quick offer that doesn’t sell you, or your car, short. That’s because Motorway’s network of verified dealers compete to give car owners their best price every single day of the week.

Car Value Tracker helps you stay on top of your vehicle’s pricing so you can choose the best time to sell. Image - supplied

It’s free, easy and you can do the whole thing on your phone, from your initial valuation through to accepting your best offer from a verified dealer. You’ll even enjoy free home collection, and having any outstanding finance cleared directly by your buyer.

1. Anytime, instant valuations

It’s always free to value your car on Motorway. Just enter your reg and mileage on the home page and create a free account to see what your vehicle could fetch in the online daily sale.

Your valuation will be based on live sales data from the sales platform, including all the offers placed by Motorway’s 5,000 in-network dealers, for cars just like yours. This is the first step if you’re completely unsure of your value, or if you’re thinking of selling very soon.

Make sure you’ve decluttered your car and take photos on a clear day. Image - supplied

With so many people making incorrect assumptions about what their car may be worth, or relying on the ‘guaranteed future value’ as documented in their car financing contract, it’s imperative to check your valuation at regular intervals.

For most people, cars represent the most or second-most valuable financial asset, and checking what they are worth is the best way to look after thousands of pounds of value.

2. Track the ongoing value of your vehicle

Even better, you can follow your ongoing value over time to understand exactly how it’s changing within the used-car market.

Once the sale has concluded, Motorway will send you your best offer for confirmation. Image - supplied

More than half of the UK’s car owners believe that their value goes down steadily every year – and while depreciation is a reality, car value changes on a much more individual level than most people would assume.

You can’t change your car’s age, or demand in the market, but you can look after its mileage and condition, and look out for times when it’s most attractive to buyers. And, even better, you can do all of this by simply entering your reg in another of Motorway’s free tools.

Car Value Tracker shows the past monthly valuations for your vehicle on a graph over the last two years, and updates you each month. You can see the rate of change in your car’s value, and also spot when it’s increasing, holding or decreasing.

In other words, Car Value Tracker can show you the exact best time to sell your car or van, using insights from Motorway’s online daily sale.

3. Profile your vehicle in just a few minutes

Once it’s the perfect time to sell, you can profile your vehicle in just a few taps on Motorway’s free iPhone and Android app.

You don’t have to write out a lengthy advertisement; just confirm details about the spec and condition of your car or van, and upload photos using the in-app AI assistant that helps you take professional-grade pictures.

Uploading as much service history as possible will help secure great value, since you can prove you’ve maintained your car. With your key info and documents in place, you can enter your car into Motorway’s next online daily sale – and potentially have a sale agreed within 24 hours.

4. The easy way to get your best price

Once your car is in Motorway’s online daily sale, dealers will have the opportunity to compete to give you their best price.

And, unlike when using classifieds or social media marketplaces, it’s not down to you to respond to queries and offers, and set up multiple viewings. Motorway takes care of fielding all your offers while the sale runs, and you can get on with your day.

5. Enjoy free collection, nationwide

A huge benefit of selling your car or van on Motorway’s online platform within their nationwide network of dealers is that you’ll get your vehicle collected from home (or work, depending on what address you provide) for free.

This final step of selling your car is just as easy as getting your first valuation; simply book a date and time that you’re available for your buyer to carry out a short inspection and test drive of your vehicle, and see your best price paid to you as your car leaves the driveway for the last time.

If you have outstanding finance with a lender, your dealer will clear it with the proceeds of your sale, and then pay any surplus straight into your account.

And that’s it – easy! Selling your car made simple by Motorway.