Selling a car before moving overseas

Selling a car before moving overseas requires planning. You’re likely to need your car until the very moment that you leave unless you have other transport options available. If you do want to keep your car until you actually move, you’ll need to work this into the deal you make with the buyer. You may want to get started about three weeks before your move, but whether this is the ideal time or not depends on your car and the price you're hoping to get. 

If you try to sell very close to your departure date, you may feel the need to accept a lower price.  Make sure that you’re ready with the necessary documents before you put the vehicle up for sale. To help with selling a car before moving abroad, you could consider selling it to a dealer who handles all the nitty gritty. But the price may not be as good as a private sale. If you have some time to spare, it could be worth exploring both options, selling your car through a private sale or a dealership, before selecting the best course of action for you. 

There are a few options available when you’re trying to sell a car before moving overseas. You can try to sell your car privately to the highest bidder by placing an ad in your local newspaper or motoring magazine, or a car sales website or similar. 

If you choose to sell it privately, you need to put some time and effort into this, but you can interact directly with potential buyers and ask for the price you want. You’ll need to make sure you have time to coordinate with prospective buyers, offer test drives, and handle negotiations. You may get lucky and strike the perfect deal.

Dealerships that purchase used cars may be interested in buying your vehicle. If it’s relatively new and in good condition, that will help them find another buyer easily. Most dealers offer a fixed price, or their offer may not be what you’re expecting. You must also be ready to pay their service charges.

While selling a car before moving overseas may be your preference, you may want to know about other options. If the car is almost at the end of its life, you may consider auto recycling. An auto-cycling dealer will take your car in any condition and pay you quickly.

You can also consider putting the car in storage while moving overseas instead of selling it. You'll have to factor in storage fees for the entire time you’re away, so this will only suit someone who has a fixed date for return. The car will also continue to depreciate. There will be some deterioration due to lack of maintenance unless you have someone willing to take it for regular drives and services on your behalf. 

To finalise the sale, there are a few steps you need to take, these include:

• Giving the buyer a receipt once you receive the deposit or full purchase amount.
• Filling out your details and signing the registration transfer and notice of disposal on the reverse of the registration certificate for both you and the buyer.
• Keeping the notice of disposition slip and providing the transfer of registration to the buyer.
• Giving the new owner copies of any paperwork attached to the car, such as warranty details if the car is still covered by a manufacturer or dealer warranty.
• Don't forget to hand over any extra keys, accessories, the owner's manual, and the logbook or service booklet.