Car Guides

Everything you need to buy, sell, or grow your automotive business

Free, practical guides from the Car Spot team

Covering personal car sales, dealer listings, garage management, and everything in between.

Side by side comparison of online car listings
7 min readPersonal

Auto Trader vs Private Sale: Which Pays More?

Compare Auto Trader's £35–£70 fees vs Facebook/Gumtree free listings, and when selling to a dealer (10–20% less) beats both. UK price scenarios included.

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UK car dealership forecourt with stock lined up — illustrating the dealer inventory that AutoTrader and its alternatives compete to advertise
10 min readDealer

AutoTrader Alternatives for Car Dealers

AutoTrader packages can run £1,500+ per month for UK dealers. Compare Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, CarGurus, and modern platforms on lead quality and cost.

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Laptop screen showing car listings online
8 min readPersonal

Best Place to Sell a Car in the UK

Auto Trader (£10–£35) vs Gumtree, Facebook (free), and car-spot (free 30 days): which UK site sells fastest and nets you the most after fees? Side-by-side breakdown.

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Car for sale on a bright UK spring day
9 min readPersonal

Best Time to Sell a Car UK

The right timing can add 10–15% to your UK sale price. Month-by-month guide for convertibles, 4x4s, EVs, and family cars — when each peaks.

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Car on a country road in different seasons
6 min readPersonal

Best Time to Sell: Winter vs Summer

Sell a 4x4 in October to add 10–15%; sell a convertible in April for a 5–8% premium. UK winter vs summer pricing data — and which season suits each body type.

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Premium used car ready for private sale
8 min readPersonal

Car Depreciation UK: Best Resale Value Cars

A new UK car loses 20% in year one and ~60% by year five. Which models defy this — and how to protect resale value before you sell.

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Independent UK garage exterior with signage, viewed by a customer on a mobile phone
9 min readGarage

Do I Need a Garage Website?

A full UK garage website costs £1,500–£5,000 + £30/month. A Google Business Profile + one landing page gets you 80% of the result for £0–£50/month.

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Car paperwork and documents for private sale
7 min readPersonal

Documents Needed to Sell a Car UK

From the V5C logbook to service history and MOT certificates, this checklist covers every document you need to sell your car quickly and for a better price.

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Car keys ready for handover at private sale
6 min readPersonal

DVLA Process for Selling a Car

Notify the DVLA online in 5 minutes — or face up to £1,000 in fines for missed parking tickets. Step-by-step UK transfer of ownership, V5C, and refunds.

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Three browser tabs showing eBay, Gumtree and Facebook listings
8 min readPersonal

eBay vs Gumtree vs Facebook for Car Sales

Facebook 7–14 days, Gumtree 10–30, eBay Motors auctions 7-day fixed window. UK free-platform comparison on speed, fees, and audience quality.

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Person using Facebook Marketplace to sell a car on a smartphone
8 min readPersonal

Facebook Marketplace Car Sales: Tips and Safety

Facebook reaches 50M+ UK users — but expect 30–50 messages per listing and 2–4% conversion. UK seller playbook: pricing, photos, scam-spotting.

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Private car sale handover moment
8 min readPersonal

Fake Buyer Scams: A Seller's Guide

UK car-selling scams cost private sellers £41M+ a year. The 5 most common fake-buyer playbooks and how to spot each in under 60 seconds.

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