Top tips for maximising used car profits – SVA
Shoreham Vehicle Auctions (SVA) has published top tips on how fleets and dealers can boost used car profits at auction.
The list is based on real life examples the SVA team has experienced during 2024 and the first six months of 2025 where fleet and dealer vendors continue to compromise speed of sale and values.
Alex Wright, SVA managing director, said: “Many of the items that compromise a car’s saleability and price can be easily fixed by the vendor or their auction provider.
“Our job is to work with vendors to optimise the speed of sale and the price a buyer is willing to pay for a vehicle. We see the same challenges each year which has inspired us to share this best practice advice.”
Top tips
SVA’s top tips for maximising profits from the sale of used cars at auction include:
Spare keys – these typically cost around £600 to replace. It is best for the vendor to replace the key before a car going under the hammer to ensure bids aren’t compromised.
Service history – missing a service, particularly on high value prestige vehicles can reduce a car’s value by a few thousand pounds.
Roadworthiness – SVA will carry out general checks on the car in addition to any post contract inspection to make sure the engine is running well, and all the gears can be selected.
V5 logbook – Replace a missing V5 before selling it at auction as it can take buyers a few weeks to replace which will delay their ultimate sale of the vehicle
Valid MOT – if a car has failed an MOT always declare the advisory prompts so buyers know what the repair costs and times are likely to be
Total loss – these cars are still saleable but must be declared by the auctioneer when they are sold
Legality of tyres – if a vehicle’s tyres are illegal a vehicle must be offered for sale as a non-runner, as it cannot be driven home by the new owner
Missing parts – replacing missing items such as parcel shelves, spare wheels and locking wheel nuts are a quick and easy way to increase values.
Recalls – recalls are easy to track nowadays and its worth checking and getting these resolved before vehicles are offered for sale.
Specification – listing the optional extras fitted, particularly on premium cars will improve prices sometimes by a few thousand pounds.
Covid spec – in 2021 and 2022 vehicles were produced missing key components. Vendors should declare any missing items
