Knowing what your car is actually worth — not what you paid for it, not what you feel it should be worth — is the single most important factor in how quickly you sell it and how much you get. Here's how to get an accurate valuation before you list.
RedBook: The Australian Benchmark
RedBook (redbook.com.au) is Australia's most widely used vehicle valuation tool. It produces a private sale price range for your specific make, model, year, badge, and kilometre range. It's the first stop for any Australian seller.
- Enter your exact badge and series: Australian cars often have multiple badge variants within the same model year — the difference in value between a base and a top-spec variant can be $5,000 or more.
- Select the right kilometre range: Every additional 10,000 km over the average affects value. RedBook will adjust your range accordingly.
- Note the private sale vs trade-in range: RedBook shows both. The private sale figure is what you can realistically expect. The trade-in figure is what dealers will offer.
- Use it as a starting point, not a final answer: RedBook uses national data. Local market dynamics — particularly in regional areas — can vary from the national average.
Cross-Reference with Carsales
After RedBook, go to carsales.com.au and search for your exact make, model, year, badge, and kilometre range. Filter by your state or within 300 km. What you see is what buyers are comparing you against — this is the most relevant pricing signal you have.
- Sort by lowest price to understand where the floor of the market sits.
- Compare cars in similar or better condition to yours — if all the low-priced listings have noticeably higher kilometres or worse condition, you can price at the higher end.
- Pay attention to how long cars have been listed. Carsales shows listing age on many results. A car listed for 90+ days at a certain price is telling you the market has rejected that price.
Adjust for Condition and History
- Full service history: A complete log book from a franchised dealer adds tangible value — especially for vehicles under 100,000 km. Buyers in Australia are increasingly asking for it upfront.
- PPSR clear: A clear PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) check at ppsr.gov.au ($2) confirms no encumbrances. Sellers who provide this upfront can typically hold a higher asking price.
- RWC / Safety Certificate: In states where this is required (QLD, VIC), providing it eliminates a common buyer objection and can justify a higher asking price.
- One-owner cars: Single-owner vehicles in good condition with consistent service history typically command a premium over the RedBook midpoint.
- Known defects: Deduct realistically — buyers will discover issues on inspection and renegotiate anyway. Price the car honestly.
Glass's Guide and Other Tools
Glass's Guide is used primarily by dealers and finance companies — you won't have direct access, but your bank or insurer may reference it for a replacement valuation. If you are insuring or financing a car, Glass's is likely the benchmark being used behind the scenes. For private sellers, RedBook plus Carsales live data is more useful.
How to Set Your Asking Price
- Start with the RedBook private sale midpoint for your km range.
- Adjust up or down based on condition, service history, and whether you have a clear PPSR and RWC.
- Check current Carsales listings to make sure you are competitive within your state.
- Add a negotiation buffer of 5–8% above your true floor. Most buyers will make an offer below asking — you want room to come down without going below your minimum.
- If you receive no enquiries in 7–10 days, your price is likely too high. A 5–8% reduction typically restarts interest.
