Despite the UK economy being on a long road back to recovery, there’s good news for vehicle owners who are about to sell the car they’ve driven since before the time bank defaults, recession and austerity cuts began.

According to latest car industry news, there may never be a better time for selling the car and getting a great price as just at this present moment, quality used cars over three years old are in short supply! 

The news coincides with the industry analysts forecasting that, “ the demand for used cars is set to grow from 2013 following five years of decline and stagnation”. Just under seven million used cars were sold in 2011 and this is expected to rise to just over seven and a quarter million by 2017.

Inevitably, there has been a knock-on effect from the reduction in new car sales. It’s certainly true that companies are likely to extend the working life of their fleets and an increasing number of owners may also hold on to their cars for longer.

While city runarounds are still likely to retain their ‘sell-by’ date with their owners, it’s not unusual to see vehicles such as executive models and 4 x 4s between five to six years old.

Naturally, fewer used cars mean car values have been at a premium. Especially, among the more desirable marques such as used Lexus cars, Mercedes cars or Peugeot cars.  A few moments taken to quickly value your car online will quickly show if your particular car make and model will return a great quote.

Used car values can also alter according to geographical location and local availability. A key feature of an online car buyer site such as SellTheCar is that a vehicle can be collected from wherever the car owner is based and be sold on by the dealer.

It’s yet another key benefit to be added to all the usual, essential information such as a car’s make, model, age, condition and mileage.

Most vehicle owners will be aware that there are any number of factors that can influence the outcome at the time when they sell the car on to a car buyer site.

The most obvious considerations that the general public will mostly know has an affect on a price quote can be age, mileage, condition and particular model. Incorrect information supplied when going online to quickly value the car they want to sell can have a bearing on a selling price.

Undoubtedly, the “one careful owner” and well looked-after car with average mileage on the clock and fully documented service history will always help, but market conditions can play their part according to regional variations, and the number of same makes currently advertised or available impacting upon the supply/ demand ratio.

But this is not the end of the story! It’s useful to know that while cars are generally built to last longer and between service schedules, the actual average age of nearly seven and a half million cars, i.e. the majority on UK roads in 2011 was around seven years. The figure drops to just over six million for cars less than three years old, falling to 5.77 million for those over nine years old and there are slightly less than 5 million cars aged over 12 years.

One aspect of a car’s desirability and a selling factor that is often mentioned and can’t be ignored when selling a car on is its colour! Ten years ago the number one hue seen on the road was the colour blue (6.7 million) followed closely by red ( 6.5m), silver  (3.1m), white and green ( 2.9 m).

A decade on, and silver is the most seen colour at 7.9 million, beating blue into second place at 7.08 million and black (5.0m) pushing red into fourth place with its numbers reduced by nearly a half to 3.7m. Green is no longer in the top five having been replaced by grey ( 2.9 m).

So the price of a quote may hinge upon all manner of unexpected factors. And we haven’t yet talked about wheel trims …!

So – you’re a vehicle owner who is carefully scouring the web and trying to differentiate between a trustworthy online care dealer to sell the car to and those who claim they will buy any car - and at an unbeatable price. So which one is best? There’s only one way to find out …

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT,) sales of used cars in the last quarter of 2011 were 1,518,689. Undoubtedly, a significant number of car sellers will have opted for a smooth and trouble-free transaction without any hidden conditions or last minute surprises rather than being seduced by unreal promises relating to price quotes.

The world of the online car buyer is an easier and quicker space to sell a car than traditional methods of advertising. You simply enter your vehicle details to value a car and a price is quoted. Yet, it’s still important that a sense of trust and  ample evidence of customer service comes into play with every customer enquiry.

Especially online, where a customer is unlikely to meet face to face with the car dealer until meeting the driver at the point of car collection. A professional car buyer, such as Sell The Car, will always recognise the importance of supplying the best customer service possible, which means providing factual information and prices relating to the reality of current market conditions when providing a car quote.

It means good service is undertaken even when it may risk upsetting  the potential car seller with a quote that might show their car is worth less than they first thought. On the other hand, car buyers are very much reliant on the car vehicle data supplied at the time.

Consequently, emailing, speaking on the telephone and touching base between car buyer and car seller is vital to developing trust and reassurance. It should go hand in hand with taking time to first checking out the website. The reality is that the peace of mind imparted by a helpful informed professional is as important to the transaction process as is the pricing.

Good news for all those looking to sell the car they currently own as car markets report that "despite the ongoing challenging economic conditions … year-on-year average used car prices are up 4.3%”. Key reasons cited are falling new car sales, which mean fewer used cars returning to the market plus companies retaining their fleets for longer.

While industry experts are concerned over the general shortage of good quality used cars, which has affected price levels in the last six months, drivers should take the opportunity right now to value a car they wish to sell, especially if they own a quality make and model, such as a Mercedes, BMW or Audi.

For a specialist online car buyer, such as ourselves, dealing in a quality car marketplace can only be a good thing for overall reputation, trust and value with our customers even though we will buy any car in good condition! 

Cars in need of attention or even repair are sure to affect the price!  So it’s worth remembering that used cars, whether a Ford Focus or Alfa Romeo, always need to be in a good condition to get the best price! Even more so in the current economic climate.

Whatever the make or model, if you want to sell a car as quickly and easily as possible with no hassle and get a great price, then undoubtedly, going online is the route to take! But, when it comes to finally pitching up with the vehicle, our driver who comes to collect from wherever you are does prefer not to be presented with any nasty surprises!

As professional car buyers, Sell The Car always considers the different elements involved in an individual transaction. Factors such as car type, model, specification, condition and  history as well as the rarity and external market forces, all affect the final price.

These days, when it’s time to sell the car you don’t want to be hanging around too long for buyers! Undoubtedly, going online is now the accepted way to sell just about anything quickly and easily and selling your car should be no different. You simply want to get the best price possible in the shortest time, with the least hassle.

However, it’s worthwhile knowing  about how some makes and models are generally performing on the used car market …

Of the seven million used models sold in the UK last year, affordable, smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles continued to be the most appealing, contributing to the success of the likes of the supermini. While the Mazda MX-5 outsold the Audi TT to become 2010’s best-selling used sports car and the Toyota Prius was the best selling duel fuel model, the Nissan Qashqai was named best used car in 2011 for the second year running!

All the key ingredients that the great British car driving public love are there:  economy, handling, strong build quality and reliability. In addition, the ability to retain more of its original value after three years or 60,000 miles than the overall market average.  According to some market sources, over the last couple of years, the Ford Fiesta overtook the Vauxhall Corsa to become the nation’s favourite used car with the Renault Clio and Ford Mondeo still in the top ten of most popular used cars.

Of course, some makes and models are becoming evergreens, like the Ford Focus, the Mercedes S-Class, Volkswagen Golf GTI MkV, Land Rover Freelander, Audi A4 and the BMW 3 Series.

A reputable online car buyer requires just a few basic details about the vehicle in order to provide a free valuation! You get an instant, informed quote, which is more truly reflective of current trading conditions by car make, model, age, mileage and region.

If the overall condition is sound and service history up to date, then your chances of obtaining a very good final price are excellent and the entire deal can be completed  faster than any other selling method!