Selling your car yourself usually gets you more than a trade-in. It takes a little more work, though. This guide walks you through it, from getting the car ready to handing over the keys.
1. Get your paperwork together
Buyers will ask to see these, so have them ready before you advertise:
- Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC), sometimes called the logbook. You'll need it to transfer ownership, and the name and address on it should be yours.
- NCT certificate, if the car is old enough to need one.
- Service history: the service book, receipts and any recent repair invoices.
- Both sets of keys, and the owner's manual if you have it.
If there's finance on the car, you can't sell it until it's paid off. With hire purchase (HP) or PCP, the finance company owns the car until the last payment. Contact your lender for a settlement figure before you list it. Buyers often run a history check, and outstanding finance will show up.
2. Get the car ready
- Clean it inside and out. A tidy car looks looked-after.
- Fix small, cheap things like bulbs, wipers and low fluids.
- Take out personal items, and anything in the glovebox you don't want to hand over.
3. Set a fair price
Look at similar cars for sale: same make, model, year, engine and roughly the same mileage. Browse the Cars category on Adify.ie and other Irish sites, then price realistically. Leave a little room to negotiate if you're happy to. For more pricing tips, see our guide to pricing second-hand items.
4. Write an ad that sells
- Title: make, model, year and engine, like "2016 Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI Highline".
- Key facts: mileage, fuel type, gearbox, number of owners, NCT expiry and service history.
- Honest condition: mention any marks, faults or work it needs. Buyers will find them anyway, and honesty builds trust.
- Photos: in daylight, from all four corners, plus the interior, dashboard (showing the mileage), boot and tyres. See our tips on taking photos that sell.
On Adify.ie, you can post a free ad with up to 3 photos. A boost lets you add more.
5. Handle enquiries and viewings safely
- Keep the conversation in your Adify.ie inbox until you're happy the buyer is genuine.
- Arrange viewings in daylight, at your home or a busy public place, and have someone with you if you can.
- Test drives: check the buyer's driving licence and that they're insured to drive your car. Always go along, and keep the keys when you swap seats.
- Be wary of anyone who wants to buy without seeing the car, especially if they're "abroad" and want to send a courier or an agent.
6. Get paid safely
- Bank transfer: wait until the money is actually in your account, not just a screenshot or a "pending" email, before you hand over the car or the VRC.
- Bank draft: drafts can be forged. Call the issuing bank on a number you look up yourself, not one printed on the draft, to confirm it's genuine.
- Cash: fine for smaller amounts. For larger sums, meeting at the buyer's bank lets you lodge it on the spot.
- Never refund an "overpayment". It's a well-known scam.
Write a simple receipt for both of you to sign: date, price, registration, mileage, both names and addresses, and "sold as seen" if that's what you agreed.
7. Transfer ownership
When you sell privately, you and the buyer both complete and sign the change of ownership section of the VRC, and it's your job as the seller to notify the Department of Transport. You can do it:
- online, at motortax.ie, for cars registered from 1993 on; or
- by post, sending the signed VRC to the address printed on it.
The new owner gets a VRC in their name by post. They can only tax the car once the change of ownership has gone through.
Selling to a dealer works differently: you complete form RF105 with them instead. See gov.ie: Change of vehicle ownership for the current steps.
8. Tidy up afterwards
- Tell your insurer that you've sold the car.
- If the car was on a toll account (like an eFlow tag or video account), remove it so you aren't charged for the new owner's trips.
- Mark your ad as sold on Adify.ie so buyers stop messaging you.
Ready to sell? Post a free ad. Buying instead? Read our guide to buying safely.